Tech opens outdoor track & field season with competition at Lee Invitational
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech outdoor track and field program kicks off its 2023 campaign with its first event of the season Saturday. The Golden Eagle squad will head to Cleveland, Tenn. for the Lee Invitational.
Lee Invitational Schedule of Events
By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech outdoor track and field program kicks off its 2023 campaign with its first event of the season Saturday. The Golden Eagle squad will head to Cleveland, Tenn. for the Lee Invitational.
Lee Invitational Information
Mar. 25, 2023 – Located at the Ray Conn Sports Complex in Cleveland, Tenn. Saturday's action will begin with field events at 8:35 a.m. CT and running events at 10:30 a.m.
What to Watch For
Tech heads into its outdoor campaign riding plenty of momentum from the indoor season, having placed fourth at the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championships behind a number of strong showings.
Five different Golden Eagles tallied at least nine points for the team's championship effort, led by Amara Nwajagu and Trenia Stephens. Just a sophomore, Nwajagu piled up 15 points for the purple and gold behind a fourth-place finish in the 400-meter dash and seventh-place showing in the 200-meter dash. She wrapped up the event by anchoring Tech's 4x400-meter relay team to a runner-up performance.
Stephens also racked up an impressive 15 points, competing with Tech's distance medley relay squad for a fifth-place finish. She followed it up with a sixth-place performance in the 60-meter dash before kicking off the 4x400-meter relay squad's runner-up showing.
Totaling 12 points in just two events was veteran leader Anya Akili, who produced a slam-dunk performance in the long jump, placing second overall with a personal-record leap of 5.68 meters (18'7.5"). The senior also placed fifth in the pentathlon.
Cayla Johnson also produced double-digits in points while competing in a pair of events, turning in fourth-place finishes in both the long jump and pentathlon. Freshman Sidnee Stanton captured a third-place performance in the long jump and placed sixth in the triple jump to turn in nine points.
Up Next
The Golden Eagles will compete next at the Tennessee Relays from Apr. 7-8 in Knoxville.
Photo by Michael Wade
