PEMBROKE, N.C. - Brevard's 4x100 meter relay team of Jerel Dewalt, Jakob Morris, Jamerial Parks, and Mitchell Yoder claimed a win in Friday's 4x100 meter relay race to highlight a strong overall showing for the Brevard College men's and women's track & field teams at the Braves Track Classic on Friday in Pembroke, North Carolina, hosted by NCAA DII UNC Pembroke.
The relay squad posted a time of 42.91 to lead the way in the five-team field. Morris started the race, with Dewalt and Yoder in the middle, while Parks served as the team's anchor to clinch the victory down the stretch.
The Brevard 4x100 team defeated second-place Guilford (43:95) by 1.04 seconds with North Carolina Wesleyan (44:54) placing third.
Freshman distance runner Michael Fader set his collegiate personal record in his first career track & field race with a 4:52.21 time in the men's 1,500-meter event.
Also in his first collegiate race, BC's Rami Kadri finished 10th out of 25 racers with a time of 53.99 in the men's 400-meter dash. Sophomore Timmie Searcy ran a 59.03 in the same event, good for a 15th-place result.
On the women's side in the 400-meter dash, Brevard College freshman Kyndall Cochran also made an impactful collegiate debut as well with a 10th place overall result and a second place in her section with a time of 1:11.05.
Seven BC Tornados raced in the 100-meter dash with 4x100 Relay team members Parks (13th, 11:52), DeWalt (16th, 11.60), Yoder (19th, 11.80) and Morris (22nd, 11.85) leading the way for the Tornados.
The Field events were highlighted by a number of results in throwing competition.
Five Tornados placed in the top-15 in the men's shot put led by an eighth-place finish by sophomore Ari Drake (10.73). Junior Gabriel Covington (10th, 9.88), freshman Evan McAdams (11th, 9.82), freshman Walt Robinson (12th; 9.19) and freshman Nathaniel Hill (14th, 6.54) also placed for Brevard.
Freshman Tyson Rumley was BC's top performer in the discus with a 10th place result after a throw of 34.22 meters in his collegiate debut. McAdams (11th, 34.18), Covington (15th, 29.75) and Drake (16th, 29.41) also competed in discus.
On the women's side, freshman Kelia Oliver threw the shot put 9.54 meters en route to a 12th place finish and a top performance in her flight to mark another impressive collegiate debut by a Tornado. Freshman Grace Pukas (7.74) finished in 18th place in women's shot put. Oliver placed seventh in the discus with a 29.81-meter throw as Pukas followed with a 11th-place finish with 20.27 meters.
Next up for the Brevard College Track & Field teams is a trip to Columbia, South Carolina for the Ram Invitational on Saturday, March 21.
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-BC-