MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- The Ferrum College men's and women's track & field teams returned strong performances at the Myrtle Beach Collegiate Challenge, held at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium, highlighted by impressive sprinting, personal bests, and podium finishes.

MEN'S HIGHLIGHTS

• Jahmal Jones led the way in the sprints, advancing from the 100m prelims with a 10.54, then running a solid 10.47 in the finals to secure second place. Jones dominated the 200m with a first-place finish in 21.58, adding valuable points for the Panthers.
• Deontae Lawson recorded a personal best in the 100m prelims with 11.00 and contributed in the 200m with a 22.58, showing consistency across short sprints.
• In hurdles, Kalaib Gebrehaimanot ran a 16.66 in the 110m prelims and posted a 1:00.33 in the 400m hurdles, demonstrating versatility in both sprint hurdles and longer hurdle events.
• Middle-distance events saw strong performances from Damani Veney-Epps, who ran a 1:58.93 in the 800m and finished second in the open 1500m in 4:21.65, closely followed by Carlos Menendez with a 4:22.41.
• Peter Barnett achieved a personal best in the 1500m with 4:41.57, contributing valuable points for the team.
• In field events, Vladimir Joacin Jr. excelled with a 13.29m shot put and a 33.63m discus throw, while Deontae Lawson added a 6.06m long jump performance.

WOMEN'S HIGHLIGHTS

• Camille Vaughn posted personal bests in both the 100m (12.61) and 200m (25.96), solidifying her status as one of the Panthers' top sprinters.
• Freshman Zyreonia Patterson contributed in the sprints and long jump, earning points with an 8th-place finish in the long jump at 5.39m.
• In the 400m, Dezyre Christian ran a 1:05.42, while Emma Kelley competed in both sprints and the 400m, gaining valuable experience.
• Dezyre Christian also shined in the triple jump, achieving a personal best of 10.30m to secure third place.
• Lilian Bigger led Ferrum in the javelin with a 31.95m throw, earning 12th place, while Shaniyah Menefee contributed in the shot put with an 8.36m effort.

NOTES
Several Ferrum freshmen made notable debuts, including Josiah Gallegos (400m PB, 52.43), Damani Veney-Epps (middle distance), and Dezyre Christian (triple jump PB).

UP NEXT
Coach Andre Kidd's teams will be back in action Friday and Saturday, March 27-28 at the Dr. Jack M. Toms Alumni Invitational, hosted by University of Lynchburg at Shellenberger Field & Dr. Jack M. Toms Track.