Two wins highlighted the day as Marshall University track and field competed at the Golden Eagle Invitation in Charleston, West Virginia, on Friday, April 5.
Sophomore Asha Bora won the women’s 5000-meter run with a time of 18 minutes and 18.34 seconds. The other win came from sophomore Elicia Wood in the women’s high jump, jumping a height of 1.60 meters.
Wood, who was coming off an injury, said, while she was nervous, she knew she could jump well.
“Going into the competition, I was a little nervous because it was my first meet coming off injury,” she said. “I know that I’m capable of jumping good, so I got my mind right and trusted in my abilities to take me where I needed to be.”
Bora, who hasn’t raced in two weeks prior to Friday’s meet, said she didn’t anticipate the win.
“For most of the race, my teammate Hannah Toth was in front of me, so I just did my best to keep up with her because she was racing really well,” she said. “I felt the best I have in a while during this past race so I hope I can keep the momentum going.”
Eleven athletes scored on Friday, with 8 of them—Wood and Bora included—placing in the top five in their respective events.
Freshman Hannah Toth placed second in the 5000-meter run with a time of 18:27.92. This is her best 5000-meter time in college, beating the 18:43 she ran at the VMI Team Challenge on Jan. 20, 2024, by 16 seconds.
In the women’s hammer throw, senior Madyia McCullough placed third with a toss of 43.11 meters. She also placed fourth in the discus with a throw of 39.05 meters, which is a meter shorter than her season’s best throw of 40.15 meters which she did at the Charlotte 49er Classic on Friday, March 15.
Senior Kalei Jordan placed fourth in her first 800-meter race of the season, running a time of 2:31.36.
Senior Victoria Dotson ran a 4:57.05 in the women’s 1500 meter run, becoming the fifth Marshall woman this season to break five minutes in the event.
Sophomore Alycia Rivera placed second behind Wood in the women’s high jump with a leap of 1.55 meters. This is her second best jump of the outdoor season after a 1.60 meter jump she had at the Charlotte 49er Classic on March 16.
Other placers for the Herd include Erykah Christopher and Meagan Ward in the women’s 1500-meter run. Christopher placed sixth and Ward placed eighth.
Senior Christian Bradford placed seventh in the men’s 5000-meter run with a time of 15:31.46.
Sophomore Nicholas Wright placed sixth in the men’s hammer throw with a toss 45.80 meters.
In the men’s long jump, freshman Grand Swider placed sixth with a jump of 6.35 meters.
Coming up, the track team travels to James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia for the James Madison Invitational on Friday, April 12.
