Newport News, VA – For the second time this season the Regent University Men's and Women's Track & Field teams traveled through the tunnel, on Friday, to compete in the Captains Invitational at Christopher Newport University. With two Meets under their belts, the Royals were settling into their event routine and looking to improve on the numerous school and personal records they have already set this season. In addition, with only a few events left in the indoor season, a chance to qualify for Nationals was also at stake.
Junior Kevin Cropper (Oak Hall, VA) kicked off the Meet in the Long Jump with a distance of 6.09M, which was good enough for 7th place and then Sophomore Shylah Wells (Youngsville, NC) set a personal record in the 60M Hurdles with a time of 12.62. That was followed by the Men's 60M where Freshman Ryan Neves (Huntington Beach, CA) led the way with a personal record time of 7.32, while Junior Donovan Allen (Manassas, VA) and Freshman Adam Baugus (Chesapeake, VA) also set personal records with times of 7.58 and 8.08. In the Men's Mile, Freshman Thomas Slingluff (Suffolk, VA) set the school record with a time of 4:45.76. This was only the second time Slingluff has run the Mile in his young collegiate career. Wells, who is working towards the pentathlon, competed in the long jump and finished with a distance of 3.73.
Later in the afternoon, Cropper earned Regent's first overall event win, as he claimed first place in the High Jump with a height of 1.87. He also has already qualified for the NCCAA Nationals in the event. In the 400M, Neves finished his heat to set a personal record with a time of 56.66 and was followed by Junior Lucas Hubbard (Newtown, PA) with a time of 59:54. In the 800M, Junior Evan Pond (Powhatan, VA) finished with a time of 2:32.95. Back in the Triple Jump, Allen used his final jump to finish with a distance of 12.30, which earned him 4th place.
Sophomore Aidan Kingsborough (Clarkston, WA) led the Royals in the Shot Put with a personal record of 10.95. That throw also qualified him for the finals, where he placed 9th overall. He was followed by Junior Ernest Park III (Bentonville, AR) with a throw of 9.98, Pond, who set a personal record, with 8.44, Hubbard at 8.33 and Freshman Jaxon Sawyer (Virginia Beach, VA) who also set a personal record with a throw of 6.71.
To finish out the day, Baugus set a personal record in the 200M with a time of 27.16 and Senior Anna Wade (Stafford, VA) set her own personal record in the 3000M finishing at 13:19.33. In the final event of the Meet, Slingluff won his heat in the 3000M, going away, with a time of 9:58.75.
Regent will be back in action on Friday, January 24th and 25th when they travel to Lexington, VA to compete in the VMI Invitational.
