A school record, two event wins and 28 top-10 finishes highlighted the App State track and field teams’ performances at the Georgia Tech Invitational on Saturday.

The women’s 4×400-meter relay team of senior Jelonnie Smith, senior Jada Branch, junior Hunter Robinson and senior Mariah Atwater claimed the win in Atlanta in 3:43.30 to take down a school record of 3:43.69 that had stood since 2014. The same quartet broke the school indoor record twice this year also.

Branch, who was crowned the Sun Belt indoor triple jump champion in February, captured the women’s triple jump title with a personal-best outdoor leap of 13.13m (43’1″), which moves her to third in the App State record book. Senior Djamila Peterson finished third (12.01m (39’5″)), and sophomore Jazeemine Posey placed fifth (11.95m (39’2.5″)).

The men’s 4×400-meter relay team of freshman Christian Gore, junior Cole Krehnbrink, freshman Parker Kinney and freshman Jayvion Johnson placed sixth in a time of 3:15.89.

In the men’s pole vault, sophomore Matthew Bigelow jumped into third place with a height of 4.70m (15’5″). Junior Braden Underwood was behind him in fourth with an equal height of 4.70m (15’5″). Junior Taylor Fox round out the squad in eighth with a leap of 4.55m (14’11”).

Friday, Junior Chris Wainscott took fourth in the men’s shot put with a mark of 8.11m (190′ 7″) and placed fifth in the men’s hammer throw with a toss of 58.11m (190′ 7″) also in the men’s shot put, fellow junior Nathan Karl rounded out the top-10 with a toss of 16.23m (53′ 3″).
Senior Celia Agee recorded a clearance of 3.56, (11′ 8″) for a fourth-place finish.

In the women’s long jump, junior Siby Yao landed in the top-10 with a leap of 5.60m (18’4.5″). Freshman Harrison Robinson recorded a time of 14.36 in the men’s 110-meter hurdles to place fifth overall. Graduate student Jonah Bird led the Mountaineers in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with a personal best of 9.26.97, finishing eighth overall.

At the LR Bears Invitational, hosted by Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory, N.C., junior Megan Plummer took third in the women’s discus with a toss of 37.7m (122′ 73″) and fourth in the women’s shot put with a toss of 11.15m (36′ 7″). Sophomore Graysen Arnold posted a pair of fourth place finishes in the women’s discus (36.93m (121′ 2″)) and women’s shot put (11.55m (37’10.75″)).

In Winston-Salem, N.C., at the Wake Forest Invitational, junior Calbert Guest finished sixth in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, crossing the line with a personal best of 8:57.83. Guest’s time moves him to sixth in the App State record book.

The Mountaineers return to Boone for the grand opening of the Randy Marion Track and Field Facility and App State Open meet on April 28-29 at the Appalachian 105 Complex on High School Road off Highway 105. On Friday, April 28 at 4 p.m. there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony and live DJ to kick off action for the Mountaineers’ final regular season outdoor meet.