Jaynes gets D2 indoor nationals qualifying time in the 5,000 meters
By Anna Biondolillo | Sports writer
AU’s Avery Jaynes, already an all-American in outdoor track, nearly ran a sub-14-minute 5,000 meters at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University on Feb. 13.
Jaynes, a graduate student, finished 77th in the open 5,000 against Division I and Division II competition. His time was 14 minutes and 2.98 seconds, which met the standard for the NCAA D2 indoor championships. He had run a 13:58 in a previous during the indoor season.
Jaynes, who finished fifth in the 10,000 meters in Pueblo, Colo., last spring to become AU’s first all-American in track, also ran the mile in the Harvard Crimson Elite & Open on Feb. 13, finishing in 4:15.76. He took 20th place in that event. One place ahead of him was teammate Oscar Curry in 4:15.72.
Teammate Nasrudin Mohamed ran a 14:34.26 to finish 150th in the 5,000. There were more than 200 runners in the field in that event. Mohamed’s time was his best of the season.
Iin the 800-meter run, junior Seth Eye ran a 1:51, which is a season best and PR for him. Gabriel Best ran a 8:32.71 in the 3,000 meters.
On the women’s side, senior Madison Thomas, who was Peach Belt cross-country runner of the year. ran a 17:28 in the 5K for a new PBC indoor record.
The Jaguars also competed in the Tyron Mid-Winter Invitational in Mill Spring, N.C. There, junior Jackson Evans jumped his season’s best in the long jump at 6.45 meters. Also in the long jump, freshman Taneiha Bowman jumped 5.31 meters, which is her season’s best.
Staying with the field events, junior Jala Williams threw 11.08 meters in the shot put, while freshman Kalya Marshall threw 7.92 meters, which is her season's best and a new PR.
In distance racing, AU’s Andrew Helfers finished second in the 3,000 meters in 8:37.03.
Freshman Sam Segrist ran his PR in the 5K in 15:59.11. He finished ninth. Teammate Beck Wolf-Hardy finished eighth in 15:49.86.
Augusta’s Lily McDonald finished seventh in the 5,000 meters in 19:36.45, and Swaye Mohler took ninth in the 3,000 with a time of 11:13.27.
Up next, the Jaguars will be competing at the PBC Conference meet on Feb. 23 in Gainesville, Fla. This meet is important, not only for conference championships and earning all-conference honors, but also to see who will be qualifying for the DII nationals.
Contact Anna Biondolillo at abiondolillo@augusta.edu.
AU’s Kayla Marshall had a season’s best 7.92 meters (26 feet even) in the shot put at the Tryon Mid-Winter Invitational. At the top of the page, the Jaguars’ Samuel Seagrist (4) ran a PR of 15:59.11 in the 5,000 meters. (photos by Anna Biondilillo/the Bell Ringer)
