MIAMI (April 18, 2016) – The FIU track and field team had a busy week last week, competing in three meets as the Panthers took part in the Mt. SAC Relays (Norwalk, California), the Cal State LA Twilight Open (Los Angeles, California) and the Beach Invitational (Long Beach, California).
During the Panthers trip to the Golden State, FIU claimed 18 top-three finishes, while setting two school records.
Redshirt junior
Alton Eliphar set the school record in the 200-meter dash. During the Mt. SAC Relays, the native of Palm Bay, Florida, posted a personal-best time of 20.75 (No. 21 nationally). Eliphar also set a personal record in the 100-meter dash, ranking him No. 20 in the nation with a time of 10.33.
Freshman
Clarissa Cutliff continued a tremendous freshman campaign, tying the school record in high jump with a result of 1.80 meters during the Mt. SAC Relays. Her results places the Orlando product No. 11 nationally in the high jump.
To go along with the performances by Eliphar and Cutliff both the men's and women's squads posted some strong results during the three meets. The FIU men's program placed second, while the women finished first in the Cal State LA Twilight Invitational.
On the men's side, sophomore
Wilkenson Myrtil notched a second-place finish in the 100-meter dash at the Cal State LA Twilight with a time of 10.75. Sophomore
Todd Jackson notched a personal record in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.15 and a first-place finish. The Riverview, Florida, native also placed second in the 400-meter with a time of 49.70. Jackson also posted a personal record in the 400-meter (48.60) during the Beach Invitational over the weekend.
During the Cal State LA Twilight, FIU swept the long jump as
Christopher Prophete placed first (7.06 meters),
Marcus Ghent finished second (6.88 meters) and
Eric Knott finished third (6.71 meters).
Junior
Sean Pratt placed third in the hammer (46.30 meters) and second (42.35 meters) in the Javelin at the Cal State LA Twilight to round out men's top performances.
On the women's side, senior
Sharniece King posted a personal record, and a first-place finish, in the 200-meter dash during the Cal State LA Twilight with a time of 24.36. Senior
Jaylaan Slaughter recorded a first-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles (14.14), while
Lexis Shields finished second (14.45) at the Cal State LA Twilight. Shields also set a personal record in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.04 during the Beach Invitational in Long Beach.
Freshmen
Kenflore Atilus and
Jada Roberson both placed during the Cal State LA Twilight. Atilus won the high jump with a mark of 1.60 meters, while Roberson took third in the long jump, posting a mark of 5.50 meter.
In the shot put at the Cal State LA Twilight, freshman
Terrisa Russell finished first with a throw of 12.40 meters. She also set a personal record in the hammer with a mark of 44.44 meters. Senior
Tiffani Hernandez had a first-place finish in the javelin (42.32).
The Panthers will travel to Jacksonville, Fla., to participate in the North Florida Twilight Invitational set for Thursday, May 5.
Fans are encouraged to follow the team on Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUTrackXC) for all the latest FIU Track and Cross Country news. Follow all of FIU's 18 athletic teams on Twitter (@FIUAthletics), Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSports), YouTube (FIUPanthers), and Instagram (FIUathletics).
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About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports. Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including FIU Arena and Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium.About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. It is a public research university with colleges and schools that offers more than 180 bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU contributes $9.8 billion each year to the local economy. FIU is Worlds Ahead in finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission. FIU has awarded over 200,000 degrees and enrolls more than 54,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell, FIU@I-75, and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. FIU also supports artistic and cultural engagement through its three museums: the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has over 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.
