University of Maryland, Baltimore County1000 Hilltop CircleBaltimore, MD 21045

Penn State Relays

Meet Preview:

After a few weeks of at home training, the UMBC Indoor Track & Field teams return to the track to shakeoff the rust and start prepping for the major meets at the end of the month. The Penn State Relays are anew addition to the schedule after years of attending the Gulden Relays. With the adjustable banked,Mondo track in play, everyone who did work over the winter will surely shine right away.In the sprint events look for freshmen Mercedes Jackson to build off her record setting performance fromher first meet. Entered in the 200 meter dash along with the top returner Kirsten Jones, expect to see anassault on the indoor school record with multiple All-Time Top 10 performances on tap. For the mensprinters, look to the official start of the season for Trae Proctor in the 60 meter hurdles. Runningunattached at Bucknell, Proctor won in a personal best 8.08, which would place him at the top of theConference rankings and faster than all his indoor times from last year. Also, be on the watch forcontinued improvement by Denny Long and Josh Hewitson.

The distance crew will premier in full force, albeit with a modified event schedule. On the men’s

side, themile looks to be the marquee event with seven entrants including leading cross country runners T.J.Cowing and Brandan McGee. Joining them will be leading returner Tim Jones who placed 8

at last year

’sConference meet. On the women’s side, the 3,000m will be the stacked event with

top cross countryrunner Keri Wilson making her debut in her main event. She will be joined by varsity cross countrystalwarts Julie Gessler, Alyse Gibson, and Kirsten McGovern.

The field events will feature the women’s throws squad from which Amanda Deller and Chrissy Robinson

garnered ECAC qualifications in their first meet out. The long jump will feature two of the finest in schoolhistory in Kiki Malamo-Paris and Ebonique Jones.

In the men’s high jump, Momodou Drammeh will be

looking to get an IC4A qualifying performance as well as Shioma Obmeata in the triple jump.

With an abundance of relays on tap, keep an eye on the women’s 4x400 meter relay and the men’s

4x800m relay. Both have the talent to get an early season qualifier to the IC4A/ECAC meets.

Ebonique Jones:

While most of the attention went to new schoolrecord holders, Ebonique Jones had the most wellrounded performance of the meet. Jones finishedfourth in the 60 meter dash with a #4 All Timemark of 7.78 seconds. Additionally, she won the

long jump with a #4 All Time mark of 18’ 1”.

FeaturedAthlete

Meet Recap:

The Retrievers came out of the gate storming with freshman Mercedes Jackson taking the victory andschool record in the 60 meter dash and Chowan Brightful taking second in the high jump with a new All-

Time mark of 5’ 7”. Additionally, both Imani Colbert and Mo Drammeh took victories in the women’s 60meter hurdles and men’s high jump respectively.

In other field event action, both junior Amanda Deller and senior Chrissy Robinson garnered ECAC invitesfinishing second and third in the shot put. Not to be out done, freshman, Monica Hagenauer finished withan All-Time performance as well. Freshman Mary Katherine Kulp finished fourth in the 800 meters while inthe process claiming the tenth spot on the All-Time UMBC rankings. Blossom Metevier

’s performance in

the 60 meter dash put her on the Top Ten list, and fellow freshman Ebonique Jones finished fourth in the60 meter dash and second in the long jump, with both taking up a spot in the history books.

In the men’s sprints, junior transfer Dennison Long quali

fied for the IC4A championships with an All-TimeTop Ten performance in the process. Senior Josh Hewitson finished second in the 500 meter dash while TJCowing, Tim Jones, and Brandan McGee swept second through fourth in the mile.

AthleteSpotlights

Denny Long:

A former Maryland State Champion at Eleanor Roosevelt,Long first attend Florida International University for twoyears where he broke school records in the process.However, Denny transferred to be under the tutelage of former All-American, and Head Coach David Bobb in orderto take it to the next level. In his first meet out after a longlayoff from competition due to injury, Long ended 9

on theAll-Time list in the 60 meter dash with an IC4A qualifyingtime

Chowan Brightful:

For the past two years, Brightful was a multi-event athletefirst, who occasionally dabbled in individual events. Thisyear she left the pentathlon, an event where she garneredan ECAC qualifying mark to concentrate on the hurdles, long jump, and high jump. Her focus did not go unrewarded, asshe became the best high jumper in UMBC history at theBison Opener with an ECAC qualifying mark in the event.

Inside the Numbers:

TRACK EVENTS:

10:15 AM Mixed 1 Mile Run NVTC Finals11:00 AM Women 1 Mile Run Finals11:10 AM Men 1 Mile Run Finals11:20 AM Women 60 Meter Hurdles Prelims11:30 AM Men 60 Meter Hurdles Prelims11:40 AM Women 60 Meter Dash Prelims11:50 AM Men 60 Meter Dash Prelims12:05 PM Women 500 Meter Dash Finals12:20 PM Men 500 Meter Dash Finals12:30 PM Women 4x800 Meter Relay Finals12:40 PM Men 4x800 Meter Relay Finals12:50 PM Women 4x1 Mile Relay Finals1:20 PM Men 4x1 Mile Relay Finals1:40 PM Women 60 Meter Hurdles Finals1:45 PM Men 60 Meter Hurdles Finals1:50 PM Women 60 Meter Dash Finals1:55 PM Men 60 Meter Dash Finals2:05 PM Women 1000 Meter Run Finals2:15 PM Men 1000 Meter Run Finals2:25 PM Women 200 Meter Dash Finals2:45 PM Men 200 Meter Dash Finals2:55 PM Women 3000 Meter Run Finals3:15 PM Women Distance Medley Finals3:30 PM Men Distance Medley Finals3:45 PM Men 3000 Meter Run Finals4:00 PM Women 4x400 Meter Relay Finals4:15 PM Men 4x400 Meter Relay Finals

FIELD EVENTS:

10:00 AM Women Weight Throw 20 lb Finals11:00 AM Women Pole Vault Finals11:00 AM Men Pole Vault Finals11:00 AM Women Long Jump Finals11:00 AM Men Long Jump Finals11:30 PM Men Weight Throw 35 lb Finals2:00 PM Women Triple Jump Finals2:00 PM Men Triple Jump Finals1:30 PM Women Shot Put Finals3:00 PM Women High Jump Finals3:00 PM Men High Jump Finals3:00 PM Men Shot Put Finals

Schedule of Events

Number of female, freshmen 60 meter dashrunners who cracked the All Time Top Ten inUMBC history rankings. including MercedesJackson (7.52 - #1), Ebonique Jones (7.78 - #4),and Blossom Metevier (7.89 - #6).