BOONE, N.C. - CIU track & field opened the indoor season by taking a group of both men's and women's throwers to the John Weaver Invitational hosted by Appalachian State University (N.C.) on Friday and Saturday.
On the men's side, Deandre Leith highlighted the meet with his performance in both the weight throw and the shot put. Leith set a new school record in the weight throw by notching a mark of 15.91m. The distance qualifies him for NCCAA Indoor Nationals as well as the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Indoor Championship. Leith one-uped his performance in the weight throw by qualifying for NAIA Indoor Nationals in the shot put with a mark of 17.10m.
The Rams men's team had two other athletes with strong showings in the weight throw as Jonathan Hicks placed top ten against NCAA Division I competition with a mark of 13.71m which qualifies him for both AAC's and NCCAA's. Freshman Colton Buchanon PR'd in the weight throw at 10.54m and in the shot put with a final distance of 10.26m.
CIU's women's throwers had a solid meet, and Dazanni Hinton headlined the performance, qualifying for NCCAA's and AAC's in the weight throw (15.64m / PR) and set her PR in the shot put at 10.46m. Acoya Hunt qualified for AAC's in both the weight throw (10.94m / PR) and in the shot put (11.41m). Hunt's mark in the shot put also qualified her for NCCAA's. The women's team performance was rounded out by Hannah Grace Sparks and Haven Lynn. Sparks PR'd in both the weight throw (10.85m) and the shot put (8.86m); in addition, Lynn also found her PR in both events (9.46m weight throw, 7.97m shot put).
What Director of Track & Field Tim Thompson is saying: "My first track meet as a CIU Ram did not disappoint! I'm so grateful to serve with our throws coach, John Sparks. The value of his knowledge, experience, and coaching expertise was confirmed in our indoor season opener. The throwers squad competed at a high level! Every member had a lifetime and/or a college career-best performance. Many hitting conference qualifying marks, some even hitting NCCAA and NAIA qualifying standards. I am grateful for God's competitive favor and protection against injury. I am excited to see how God blesses us as the program continues to grow."
Up Next: CIU track & field will be back in action on Jan. 14 at the Mondo College Invitational.
