Although the recently frigid temperatures may not conjure thoughts of track and field season, Dec. 3 marked the opening meet for Temple’s indoor programs. Both track teams started their seasons Friday at the Jack Pyrah Invitational on a high note as several first-place finishes were posted.
The running competitions were hosted by Haverford College, while the field competitions took place at Villanova University. The Owls proved to be formidable at both venues.
The performance by the men’s team included several first-place finishes. The men’s team’s overall performance was highlighted by a meet record, set by sophomore Tim Malloy in the high jump. Malloy took first place in the event by posting a jump of 6-07.00.
Senior Emmanuel Freeland was able to take the top spot in the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.50 seconds.
Senior Bob Keogh also took home a first-place finish. He posted an Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America-qualifying throw of 58-10.75. No opponent came within striking distance as Keogh clearly showed he was ready to go, even this early in the season.
The men’s team was bolstered on the day by those first-place finishes and also saw a number of Top 3 finishes from its other athletes.
The women’s team also finished the invitational quite successfully overall. Senior Tashima Stephens won the 500-meter by posting a time of 1:16.93. Her teammate and fellow senior Shadaya Bennett nabbed second in the event with a time of 1:17.34. The two were also part of the 4×400-meter relay team, which also included seniors Paris Williams and Assata Cowart, that took first place with a time of 3:53.30.
The weight throw was dominated by the Owls, as they nabbed all Top 3 spots. Junior Ebony Moore placed first in the event with a throw of 51-07.75. She was followed by her teammates, senior Alanna Owens and junior Brittany Weston, who finished second and third, respectively. Owens was not finished with second place, as she also came in first in the shot put with a throw of 41-08.50.
“I was very pleased overall,” coach Eric Mobley said. “We had some very intense and heavy training in the fall, and it was good to see the strong performances.”
“[Friday] was a good chance to see where we are, and we’re definitely ahead of last year so we just have to continue to work hard. We just want to build on the success of the last few seasons,” Mobley added. “We want to strive to win championships, and we definitely want to strive to send more athletes to the NCAAs.”
The Owls look to continue their strong start on Jan. 15, when they travel to New York for the New York Road Runners Saturday night at the Armory.
Raymond Boyd can be reached at raymond.boyd@temple.edu.
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