CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Senior Charles Cooley won the men's pole vault at the Don McGarey Invitational to highlight split action for the Western Carolina track & field teams on Saturday. With competitors at the McGarey Invitational and Raleigh Relays, WCU had six top-five and 13 top-10 finishers.
 
Don McGarey Invitational Recap
 
Cooley picked up the victory in the men's pole vault after he cleared an outdoor personal best height of 4.80 meters. It is his fourth career individual victory and first at an outdoor meet. The Morehead City, N.C. native owns the fourth-best mark in program history.
 
Brandon Harvey finished in third place in the men's high jump, clearing a height of 1.90 meters.
 
Owen Barr's leap of 13.34 meters earned him a sixth-place result in the men's triple jump.
 
Thomas Martin placed ninth in the men's pole vault as he cleared a bar set at 4.20 meters.
 
Derica Currie earned a ninth-place result in the women's triple jump with a mark of 10.58 meters.
 
In running events, Marissa Blakely earned her second top-five of the meet with a fourth-place finish in the women's 400-meter dash. Blakely completed the race in a season-best 57.02. Nytrinitey Jenkins finished in seventh place with an outdoor personal best time of 57.92.
 
Michael Harris was fourth in the men's 400-meter dash in a personal best time of 47.74. David Miles posted a new personal best time of 49.11 to finish in seventh.
 
Making his debut in the event, Elijah Stuart finished in fifth place in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:52.22.
 
Kaleb Ambrose was ninth in the men's 400-meter hurdles, completing the race in a new personal best time of 56.47.
 
Dami Shodeinde finished in ninth place in the women's 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.28.
 
Raleigh Relays Recap
 
Makaila McIntyre earned a fifth-place result in the women's long jump with a leap of 5.84 meters (19'2").
 
Tyler Rodriguez finished in 21^st place in the men's long jump with a mark of 6.74 meters (22'1.5"). Javon Brown finished just behind Rodriguez in 22^nd place thanks to his leap of 6.71 meters (22'0.25"). A total of 37 student-athletes recorded a mark in the event.
 
Victoria Solheim recorded a top throw of 46.48 meters (152'6") in the hammer throw. She finished in 41^st place in a field of over 50 competitors.
 
WCU is scheduled to compete at the Pepsi Florida Relays hosted by the University of Florida from March 30-April 2.

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