BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- The Mississippi College Track and Field Team returned from winter break with a bang, breaking five school records, as well as earning six wins in their first competition of 2023. In addition, five athletes achieved NCAA Division II provisional standards. The new school record holders are listed as follows: Essence Tornabene in the Women's Weight Throw, Al Ferrill in the Men's Weight Throw, Kelechi Christian in the Women's 200-meter dash, Emily Berry in the Women's 3000-meter run, and the Women's 4x400m relay of Christian, Ereyonna Gore, Alana Green, and Hillary Udechukwu. 

This meet marks the second competition of the season for the team. In their first outing, the Choctaws garnered six school records, which tallies up a total of 11 school records broken during the 2022-23 Indoor Track and Field season in just two meets. The team's hard work and dedication have paid off, and they are off to a strong start in the season.

Head Coach Matthew Reneker

*commenting on the team's success and strong start to the season

"The coaching staff was looking for a few bright spots today from the athletes that really focused on their training during Christmas break. What we got was a blinding representation of just how incredibly dedicated this team is. An athlete just doesn't put up a lifetime best mark without a solid training effort and we got that from every discipline today."

Men/Women Field Post-meet Statistics

-Essence Tornabene rebroke her school record in the Women's Weight Throw, launching a toss of 17.83 meters (58'6") for the win. Tornabene's mark also met the provisional standard, and currently leads the conference in the event and sits at No. 17 in the NCAA Division II.

-Al Ferrill rebroke his school record in Men's Weight Throw, hurling a throw of 17.44 meters (57'1.025"), good enough for the win. 

-Ferrill also secured a runner-up finish in the Men's Shot Put, throwing 15.88 meters. Freshman teammate Joshua Dare was right behind in third, snagging a lifetime best and Mississippi College Freshmen record of 15.19 meters (49'10"). 

-In his season opener, Timothy Young placed second overall in the Men's Long Jump, as well as fourth place in the Men's Triple Jump. Young leaped to marks of 6.43 meters (21'1.25") in the Long Jump and 13.63 meters (44'8.75") in the Triple Jump. This is the Kingston, Jamaica native's best-ever season opener in the Triple Jump, and now sits at No. 3 in Mississippi College Men's Track and Field history. It should also be noted that two-time 4x400 meter relay NCAA Division II All-American Will Grames secured a lifetime best of 6.20 meters (20'5") in his first-ever collegiate competition in the event, good for sixth place overall. Young currently leads the Triple Jump and ranked at No. 5 in the Long Jump in the Gulf South Conference.

-Mississippi College senior Ben Woolhouse placed runner-up in the Men's Pole Vault with a mark of 4.35 meters (14'3.25"). 

-In her first-ever collegiate High Jump and just minutes after her 800-meter race, Mississippi College freshman Haley Hall jumped 1.50 meters (4'11") to place fifth overall. Hall is also currently No. 5 in the Gulf South Conference in the event. 

-Mississippi College veteran Tytavia Hardy garnered two fourth-place finishes in the Women's Long Jump and Triple Jump, jumping 5.19 meters (17'0.5") in the Long Jump and 11.28 meters (37'0.25") in the Triple Jump. 

Men/Women Running Post-meet Statistics

-Kevin Turner, the 60-meter dash school record holder, won the Men's 60 meter dash in a time of 6.79, just 0.02 second off of his lifetime best in the event. Turner, currently No. 9 in the NCAA Division II in the event, hit a provisional standard for the second time this season. Shemar Patten, the 60-meter hurdles school record holder, also got fourth overall in 6.90 seconds.

-In the Women's 1-mile run, the Lady Choctaws placed three in the top five; Lauren Wallace ran a lifetime best of 5:01.57 to place third overall and catching three girls in the last half mile, while 2022 NCAA Division II Cross Country National qualifier Jazmin Hernandez ran a time of 5:03.65 to place fifth overall. Wallace is now slated as the second-fastest 1 mile runner in Mississippi College Women's Track and Field history, and is also No. 3 in the Gulf South Conference. Hernandez sits at No. 5 in the GSC. 

-In the Men's 1-mile run, Hollis Johnson had a breakout performance, running a lifetime best of 4:17.39 to place third overall after boldly taking the lead with 400 meters to go. Johnson now sits at No. 7 all-time the Men's 1-mile in Mississippi College history, and No. 3 in the Gulf South Conference. 

-In the Women's 400-meter dash, Hillary Udechukwu ran an indoor lifetime best of 57.99 seconds, placing fourth overall in the fast section. The Ekeren, Belgium native now sits at No. 4 all-time in Mississippi College Women's Indoor Track and Field history, and No. 3 in the Gulf South Conference. 

-Conner Stewart placed third overall in the Men's 400-meter dash, stopping the clock in a time of 49.92 seconds, less than 0.1 seconds off his indoor lifetime best. Stewart is currently No. 5 in the Gulf South Conference in the event. 

-Hernandez came back in the Women's 800-meter run to a fifth-place finish, covering the distance in 2:18.35. She is currently No. 2 in the Gulf South Conference in the event. 

-Kelechi Christian, the reigning Gulf South Conference Outdoor 200-meter champion, now holds the school record in both the indoor and outdoor 200-meter dash. In the Women's 200-meter dash, Christian sprinted to a time of 24.91 seconds, snagging a school record and a fifth-place finish. The Lagos, Nigeria native also sits at No. 2 in the Gulf South Conference in the event. 

-The Choctaws placed three in the top six in the Men's 200-meter dash. Niklas Klei led the way, securing a lifetime best of 22.12 seconds and good for fourth place. Patten was right behind in fifth, stopping the clock at 22.14 seconds. Lastly, Grames finished it off in sixth place in 22.16 seconds. Mississippi College now has five men ranked in the top seven in the event in the Gulf South Conference. 

-In the Women's 3,000 meter run, Emily Berry had the race of her life to secure not only a win, but a Mississippi College record in a time of 10:09.84. At one point, Berry was in 11th place, but hawked the entire field time and ended it with a blistering last lap of Berry currently leads the Gulf South Conference in the event. 

-The Choctaws went 1-2 in the Men's 3,000 meter run in a stacked field; Hunter Kurz led the way in a lifetime best of 8:12.01, while Cole Benoit, the 3,000 meter school record holder, right behind his teammate in 8:12.05. The two currently lead the Gulf South Conference in the event, and also sit No. 5 and 6 in NCAA Division II. Brock Kelly also ran a lifetime best to place fifth, and is No. 5 in the Gulf South Conference. Lastly, Benoit, Kurz, and Kelly are now the fastest 3,000 meter performers in Mississippi College history.

-The Women's 4x400-meter relay ran a school record of 3:54.17 to finish fifth overall in a field that included multiple professional and olympic athletes. The squad consisted of Udechukwu, Christian, Ereyonna Gore, and Alana Green, and they now lead the Gulf South Conference in the event. 

-Lastly, the quartet of Grames, Klei, Gabe Hodson, and Fabio Palmieri won the Men's 4x400-meter relay in a time of 3:16.21. They now lead the Gulf South Conference in the event, and are also No. 2 all-time in Mississippi College Men's Track and Field history.