COLUMBIA - CIU Men's and Women's Track and Field continued through the competition at the Carolina Invitational hosted by the University of South Carolina. Following an impressive day one, the Rams continued to impress with multiple top-ten finishes on day two. 

Kloey Pickens placed third in the women's weight throw (Invite) with a distance of 16.04m, ranking her No. 22 in the NAIA. Dazanni Hinton also competed, coming in sixth with a distance of 15.49m, ranking her No. 31 in the NAIA. 

In the women's shot put (Invite), Pickens grabbed another third-place finish at 12.62m and is now ranked No. 20 in the NAIA. 

Deandre Leith placed second in the men's shot put (Invite) with a distance of 15.30m. Branson Rimmer reached a height of 3.86m in the men's pole vault to qualify for NCCAA nationals. 

What CIU Director of Track & Field Tim Thompson says: "The momentum from yesterday carried over today.  We continued to show the world that CIU is a competitive factor in Track & Field. We are now ranked in the top 25 in NAIA in 6 events. I'm excited for what's ahead. We will continue to make the necessary adjustments as a coaching staff. Preparing our athletes to reach their fullest potential as we approach the championship phase of our season is the goal." 

Up Next: Both teams head back to Winston-Salem, N.C., to compete in the Camel City Invitational on Jan. 26-27.