FINAL RESULTS

HICKORY, N.C. - Lenoir-Rhyne Men's and Women's Track both took medalist honors in the LR Bear Invitational at the Moretz Sports Complex in Hickory over the weekend. The women led the field from beginning to end, and the men made a late push on Sunday to overtake Belmont Abbey for the win. 

Women Day One

• Melody Jones finished 2nd in the long jump with a leap of 5.46 meters
• The Bears took three out of the four spots in the discus, with Marlesia Walker finishing 1st (37.49 meters), Savannah Nippa in 2nd (32.68 meters), and Olivia Jackson in 4th (30.31 meters)
• Pearl Ballard took home the crown in the pole vault with a mark of 3.00 meters. Melena Howell took third at 2.70 meters. 
• Kylie Dahlberg and Elizabeth Kessler took 1st and 2nd respectively in the 3000 meter Steeplechase with times of 11:26.14 and 11:38.03. 

Women Day Two

• The Bears got off to a great start in the day two running events, winning the 4x100 relay by over a second (47.69 seconds). The team consisted of Jordan Shealey, Emmanuella Kone, Christine Clerger and Melody Jones. 
• Pierson McManus won the 1500 meter run with a time of 5:12.61.
• Melody Jones got another first place finish in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 14.65 seconds. 
• The Bears had the top-5 finishers in the 800 meter run. Kylie Dahlberg took first (2:17.32), Taylor Meadows took 2nd (2:18.97), Adie Bjerkness took third (2:20.13), Erica Schulz took fourth (2:24.75), and Elizabeth Kessler took fifth (2:25.23).
• The Bears had three of the top four finishers in the 200 meter dash, with sister Emmanuella and Holly Kone taking first and second respectively. Emmanuella ran 25.49 seconds, Hollly ran 25.93 seconds, and Kara Gavaghan took fourth (25.98 seconds). 
• The Bear 4x400 team of Araceli Espinoza, Holly Kone, Taylor Meadows and Kara Gavaghan took home first with a time of 4:02.29 to win by over five seconds. 

Women Day Three

• Kennedy Conner finished 2nd in the heptathlon to secure the meet victory for the Bears. She took 2nd in the 100 meter hurdles, first in the high jump, second in the 200 meter dash and second in the long jump grab the second place finish. 

Men Day One

• Trent Davis II and Jacob Wadsworth took 2nd and 3rd respectively in the long jump, with Davis jumping 6.89 meters and Wadsworth jumping 6.78 meters.
• Dalton Hatley took 2nd in the discus with a throw of 38.26 meters. Josh Wise and Colby Beeker took 5th and 6th respectively.
• Chris Reichenbach won the pole vault with a vault of 4.35 meters, and Daniel Nicholson took 2nd at 4.05 meters. 
• Josh Wise also took 2nd in the javelin throw (46.89 meters). 
• Wadsworth won the 400 meter hurdles by nearly three seconds with a time of 54.31 seconds. 
• Harrison Hickman and Noah Julian took 2nd and 3rd respectively in the 3000 meter Steeplechase. 

Men Day Two

• The Bears grabbed five of the top six spots in the 400 meter dash. John Sisson (49.25 seconds) took first, Lucas Besong (50.10 seconds) took third, Marlin Davis (50.29 seconds) took fourth, Till Czisnik (50.65 seconds) took fifth, and Dario Matau (50.87 seconds) took sixth. 
• Trent Davis II won the 200 meter dash with a time of 21.71 seconds. 
• Two Bear 4x400 relay teams took the top two spots in the relay, with the "A" team of Lucas Besong, Marlin Davis, Dario Matau and Jacob Wadsworth winning with a time of 3:17.86, and the "B" Team of John Sisson, Till Czisnik, Sean Incardona and Devine Drummond taking second (3:27.07 seconds). 

Men Day Three

• The Bears had the top two finishers in the decathlon to overtake Belmont Abbey on the final day of the meet. Philip Stomne (6512 points) took first, and Oliver Thatcher (6414 points) took second. 
• Stomne took second in the 100 meter dash, first in the 400 meter dash, first in the 110 meter hurdles, second in the pole vault, first in the javelin throw, and first in the 1500 meter run to secure the 10 points for the Bears. 

The Bears are back in action next weekend when they travel to Columbia, S.C. for the Gamecock Invitational at South Carolina.