FSU OPENS TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES
Florida State’s entries at the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at NC State positioned themselves nearly perfectly on an opening day that featured mostly preliminary events.
Amir Willis blistered the Wolfpack track to win the preliminary heats of the men’s 200 meters with a time of 20.46. He will be joined in the finals by teammate Ismael Kone who placed seventh overall with a time of 20.94. Denzell Feagin’s time of 21.00 put him just out of the upcoming final in ninth place, and Taylor Banks was clocked at 21.21 for 12th place.
2023 ACC Indoor Performer of the Year Jeremiah Davis emerged from the men’s long jump preliminary flights as the favorite with a field-leading 7.94 meter leap. Teammate Curtis Williams will also compete in the finals having finished sixth with a leap of 7.50 meters.
Dajaz DeFrand’s time of 23.11 in the women’s 200 meters was second best among the preliminary heats putting her into the finals as one of the favorites. Kaniya Johnson was 19th in the event with a time of 24.26.
Alyson Churchill is also in contention for a conference championship finishing second in the preliminary of the 1500 meters with an outstanding time of 14:15.08. Yasmine Abbes finished in 4:21.66 and was 15th in the field.
James Rivera blew away his heat of the men’s 400 meter hurdles and his time of 51.16 is third best among the qualifiers for the ACC finals.
FSU had a trio of women finish among the ACC’s top 18 in the preliminary heats of the 400 meter hurdles. Tyra Wilson led the Seminoles with a 10th place finish with a time of 59.51. Ava Klein was 11th in 59.71 and Makiya Spencer was 18th in 1:01.34.
Ella Madson had a good first day in the women’s heptathlon. She finished 11th in the high jump, 12 in the 200 meter dash, 13th in the 100 meter hurdles and 16th in the shot put.
The Seminoles’ three entries in the men’s 10,000 meters each finished among the Top 25. Cooper Schroeder was 11th with a time of 30:33.84 and the first FSU runner to finish. Zack Leachman was 20th in 30:55.13 and Paul Stafford finished in 23rd place with a time of 31:16.11.
The ACC Championships will have a full slate of events tomorrow and culminate on Saturday.