Track Teams Continue Momentum At KMS Invite In Birmingham

It was a good day for the University of New Orleans track and field teams at the KMS Invite at the Birmingham Crossplex Sunday, with a number of Privateers accomplishing personal records and hurdler Michael Nicholls leading the field in the 60-meter hurdles.
 
Nicholls, the Southland Conference hurdles champion outdoors in 2016, finished first in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8:06 for his second win in as many competitions this indoor season.   The sophomore from Barbados also turned in a personal record in the 200 meters covering the distance in 21:89.
 
Senior Alexia Fortenberry finished second in the women's 60 meter hurdles at 8:59 while Farydah Inoussa also made the finals in the event coming in 6^th in 8:97 seconds.  Inoussa, a senior from Stockholm, Sweden, also teamed with Lilli Richter, Zoria Findley and Alba Fernandez in the 4X400 Relay winning their heat and finishing with the fourth fastest time,3:59:32.
 
"That's always the highlight of the meet and I was pleased with the way the team performed," said head track coach Benjamin Dalton.  "Alba got us started and she really pushed it so I was pleased."
 
Chelise Brown, a senior from Thibodaux, Louisiana had a solid day with a personal record in the 200 meters (25:21) and a seasonal best in the 60- meter dash (7:78).
 
Additional personal records were produced by Emily Martinez in the mile (5:43:96), Jared Robertson in the men's mile (4:27:06) and senior Clayton O'Callaghan in the men's 800-meters at 2:06:92.
 
The Privateers got good performances from a number of underclassmen in Birmingham.  Freshman Alex Hawkins sprinted to a personal best at 60 meters with a clocking of 7:31while fellow freshman Nicholas Mitchell took fourth in the shot putt, 48 feet 11 inches and fifth in the weight throw, 48 feet 8 inches.
 
"A number of the freshmen stepped up and represented like juniors. They did really well and that was their first meet so it was a really good day," said Dalton.
 
The Privateers return to the track Sunday, February 5, at the South Alabama Invitational in Birmingham, Alabama.
    
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