Florida State’s track and field team had an exceptional day on Saturday at both the Texas Invitational held on the University of Texas track in Austin and the East Coast Relays held in Jacksonville, Fla. FSU won four of the eight events in which it competed along with three other top three finishes in Texas on the second day of competition and Dajaz Defrand won the women’s 100-meter at UNF.
In Austin, Ismael Kone set a new personal best in winning the 100 meter dash with a time of 9.98. Jeremiah Davis continues to be one of the country's best in the jumps winning the triple jump (he won the long jump yesterday) with a leap of 16.01 meters. Milton Ingraham’s best throw in the discus of 58.95 meters won the event and is the fourth longest throw in Nole history, and the men’s 4 x100 relay team of Taylor Banks, Amir Willis, Denzell Feagin and Ismael Kone blazed through the field for the win in a time of 38.88 which is among the 10 best in school history. And in Jacksonville, Dajaz Defrand, who won the women’s 200 meters Friday night, won the 100 meters Saturday with a time of 11.14.
Caisa-Marie Lindfors’ outstanding season continued Saturday at Texas as her discus throw of 57.14 was good for second place and is the fourth longest in FSU history. Kayla Pinkard was the Seminoles’ other runner-up finisher on the Longhorn’s track taking second in the triple jump at 12.72 meters.
DaeQwan Butler was fifth in the men’s 400 meters after being clocked at 46.54 and Cameron Daniel was 11th with a time of 48.25.
Banks added to his outstanding day with a fifth place finish in the men’s 100 meters with a time of 10.20 three spots ahead of teammate Feagin at 10.35.
Xavion Lockwood took third place in the men’s triple jump at 15.07 meters, and Amani Heaven was fifth in the women’s shot put with a throw of 15.37 meters and eighth in the discus with a toss of 47.84 meters.
While Defrand’s win was the highlight for FSU in Jacksonville, the Seminoles posted many other outstanding performances including a third place finish by the women’s 4x400 relay team of Kaniya Johnson, Tyra Wilson, Suus Altorf and Makiya Spencer who crossed in 3:42.86.
Faith Banks was eighth in the women’s 400 meters with a time of 53.33. Teammate Tyra Wilson was 13th at 54.92 and Michelle Petit-Pointe was 28th at 56.33.
Alexandra Webster led a trio of FSU entries in the women’s 100 hurdles placing ninth with a time of 13.25. Catherine Fleming was 36th (14.95) and Ella Madson was 40th (15.22) in the race.
Suus Altorf was ninth in the women’s 800 meters clocking in at 2:07.00, while Kaniya Johnson’s time of 11.76 in the women’s 100 meters put her in 15th and Jacori Burton was clocked at 12.16.
FSU’s next meet with be the ACC Outdoor Championships in Raleigh, N.C. which run from May 11-13.