Lexington, Ky. - The Western Kentucky University track and field teams were at Kentucky's Nutter Fieldhouse Friday and Saturday for the Rod McCravy Memorial. Competing with the most complete team of the season to date, the teams combined to set two new Hilltopper standards and posted four more performances that rank in the top-five all-time in the WKU record books.
Breaking a WKU record that has stood since 1989, David Mokone posted a runner-up finish in the 800 meters, clocking a time of 1:49.62, passing former Hilltopper all-American Victor Ngubeni for the school's all-time best mark indoors. In the women's 800 meters, Monica Akello had a personal-best showing of 2:12.13 to finish seventh, bettering her time as the number two runner in Lady Topper history at that distance.
Marcus Pope set a new personal-best time in the prelims of the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.02, and then came back in the finals to break teammate Karlis Daube's WKU record in the event with a clocking of 7.91 seconds to place second. In his first 60-meter hurdle race of the season, Daube was third with a finals time of 8.04 seconds, while Cyrus Johnson moved into fifth-place in the WKU record books with a finals time of 8.14 seconds.
Marcus Winstead won the men's 400-meter dash, passing two-time all-American Gavin Smellie for fourth in the all-time WKU record books. Finishing fourth in the 400 meters was De'Myco Winston, who clocked a time of 48.16 seconds. In the 60-meter dash, Cailean Robinson finished fourth with a clocking of 6.82 seconds, tying two-time outdoor all-American Jonathan Brown for fourth on WKU's all-time performer list in the event.
In the men's 3,000 meters, Peter Okwera finished third with a time of 8:11.61, passing former WKU all-American Nick Aliwell for fourth in the all-time WKU record books. Meanwhile for the women, Michelle Finn placed fourth in the 3,000m, clocking a personal-best time of 9:46.78.
Three men's weight throwers qualified for the finals, with Houston Croney taking third at 58-8, Buddy Price fifth at 57-9.75 and Brad Wright ninth at 54-1.25. For the women's throws corps, Monteka Flowers placed fifth in the shot with a season-best put of 48-0.50, while also taking seventh in the weight at 58-9.25. Adesola Adeduro also qualified for the finals of the weight throw, finishing ninth with a mark of 55-2.
In the jumps, Johnson tied for fourth in the men's high jump, clearing 6-4.25, Jade Nimmo placed sixth in the long jump with a leap of 19-2.75.
To close the meet, the men's 4x400-meter relay team of Pope, Winstead, Mokone and Winston brought home the victory, passing the baton in a time of 3:12.29.
The teams will travel to Champaign, Ill., February 4 for the Illinois Orange & Blue, where they will see Sun Belt foe Arkansas State.
