Sports

Track and field hosts 28th spring opener

After a successful indoor season, men and women’s track and field hit the turf for their spring season opener on Mar. 29 and 30 as they celebrated Senior Day as well as Alumni Day, where Monmouth registered 32 total marks.

The Hawks took two back-to-back wins to start off the day in the 3,000m steeplechase. Freshman Erin Vincent not only earned her first win in her first-ever outdoor race but also posted the eighth fastest time in program history with 11:40.51. Redshirt sophomore James Martinez claimed the second of back-to- back wins, as he posted a time of 9:40.47 in the men’s event.

The Hawks placed first in the men’s 4x100m relay with a combined team of junior David Strong, sophomore A.J. Brooks, graduate student Gareth Lewis, Jr., and sophomore James Burrus, Jr., where they finished in 42.14 seconds. Brooks’ success didn’t stop there, and he went on to secure first in the men’s 110m hurdles with a 14.90 mark.

Junior Yasmeen Tinsley, who is no stranger to setting records, tied the school record in the 200m with a time of 24.26 seconds. Redshirt junior Brianna Rubio ran a powerful 200 as well, with a personal record of 24.85 that also put her in eighth all-time at Monmouth.

In the field events, junior Blake Wehr spotlighted Monmouth with a win in the high jump at 1.95m. In the pole vault event, juniors Abby Boggs and Connor Bennett each placed third, respectively. Monmouth swept the women’s shot put, junior Vamessa Wood coming in first (13.94m), freshman Julie Thomas in second (13.23m), and redshirt junior Natalie Rolon-Issa in third (12.80m). Wood’s mark now ranks tied for fourth in program history.

In the men’s javelin, graduate student Chris Bagnell and redshirt junior Taylor Boorse placed first and second, putting up identical throws of 61.68m.