Golden Eagles begin 2022 outdoor campaign, conclude first day at Margaret Simmons Invitational
MURRAY, Ky. – The Tennessee Tech outdoor track & field team officially kicked off the 2022 campaign Friday, competing in the Margaret Simmons Invitational at the Marshall Gage Track at Roy Stewart Stadium.
By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
MURRAY, Ky. – The Tennessee Tech outdoor track & field team officially kicked off the 2022 campaign Friday, competing in the Margaret Simmons Invitational at the Marshall Gage Track at Roy Stewart Stadium.
It was a relatively light load for the Golden Eagles on the first of the two days of competition, with the purple and gold competing in just two events as a warm-up for a slew of action set for Saturday. Tech saw performances in both the 200-meter dash and 400-meter hurdles.
Five Golden Eagle runners took the track for the 200-meter, led by junior Anya Akili. The veteran turned in a top-15 finish in a massive field, clocking in at 25.72 seconds. Sophomore Trenia Stephens finished with a time of 26.02 in her first career attempt at the race.
Also setting personal records in their first-ever try at the 200-meter dash were rookies Amara Nwajagu, with a mark of 26.49 seconds, and Kategie Casseus, turning in a time of 26.60 seconds. Ashtin Holman rounded out the quintet, finishing in 26.58 seconds.
Freshman Diamond Rush took her first crack at the 400-meter hurdles, delivering an impressive first result to kickstart her outdoor career. The youngster placed fifth overall, dashing to a time of 1:08.27.
Action at the Margaret Simmons Invitational will wrap up on Saturday, starting with field events at 9:30 a.m. and running events commencing at 12:00 p.m.
File photo by Alex Boggis, UT Martin Media Relations
