Hickory, N.C. – Western Carolina's throws squad led the Catamount track and field teams on Friday in the first of two days of split-squad action, with WCU earning a pair of event wins and a combined 12 top-five finishes on the first day of competition at the Southside Power & Fitness Invitational, hosted by Lenoir-Rhyne.
Further down Interstate 40, Bradley White, Matthias Peterson, and Katherine Hopkins each enjoyed strong performances at the Duke Invitational, moving up WCU's all-time performance list for their efforts in Durham.
Ericka Jackson and Lexie Durban led the Catamounts at the Lenoir-Rhyne-hosted meet, with Jackson winning the javelin with a 45.20m toss and Durban taking the top spot in the shot put with a 12.46m attempt. Jackson was just behind Durban in the shot put, claiming the runner-up spot in the event. Likewise, Durban earned second in the javelin throw.
Additionally, Emmie Finley and Toria Roundtree took fourth-place finishes in the javelin and shot put, respectively, for a strong showing from the group.
On the men's side, Austin Cline and Dominick Dale claimed second-place marks in the shot put and javelin throw, respectively. Cline's runner-up showing came with a 15.81m attempt, while Dale posted a 51.19m throw in the javelin finals. Kolton Weaver and Anthony Hawkins Jr. took third and fourth in the shot put, matching the women's strong effort in the event.
Octavia Massena (5.72m) and Jasmine Greene (5.59m) performed well in the women's long jump for the Catamounts, taking third and fourth place, respectively.
The Catamount multi-events student-athletes opened competition in their first heptathlon and decathlon of the outdoor season on Friday. Kendal Hudson and Celia Gully currently sit fourth and fifth in the heptathlon with 2,724 and 2,688 points, respectively. In the decathlon, Bennett Whitefield currently leads the field with 3,494 points, followed by Colby Capps in second with 3,249 and Dakota Braucher in fifth with 2,841.
In Durham, the Catamounts also claimed notable marks at the Duke Invitational. Bradley White, Matthias Peterson, and Katherine Hopkins each moved up the all-time performance lists in their respective events. White and Peterson advanced to second on the WCU leaderboards in the 1,500m and the 5,000m runs, respectively. White's 3:50.66 finish in the 1,500m is behind only Ben Bailey's 3:47.62 mark from 1972, which is one of only four records remaining from WCU's NAIA days. Peterson's finish of 14:42.41 in the 5,000m ranks behind only Phil Roberts' 14:30.24 time from 1985.
Katherine Hopkins moved up the women's 5,000m top-five list, as well and is now a close fourth thanks to her 17:24.59 finish.
The Catamounts return to action on Saturday to close out the Duke Invitational and the Southside Power & Fitness Invitational, with events beginning at 10:30 a.m. in both Durham and Hickory.
