PRINCETON, N.J. – In its final weekend of competition before entering championship season in earnest, the University of Pennsylvania men's and women's track & field programs stayed focused with two program records and six total marks and times in the top-10 in program history on Saturday at Princeton's Larry Ellis Invitational.

Ashley Anumba, who entered the weekend already holding the program record in the discus, launched a PR of 57.36m (188-2), to improve her record and place second in the meet. On a greater scale, Anumba's mark is ranked second in the NCAA East qualifying list. Nia Akins continued her remarkable calendar year with a time of 4:16.44 in the 1500m, the best in program history, topping Maddie Villalba's time of 4:16.83 set last weekend. Akins moves into third in the NCAA East qualifying list and is now inside the top three in two events; Akins is ranked second in the 800m with a time of 2:03.76.

As for other top-10 performances, Chudi Ikpeazu finished second in the men's discus throw with a mark of 56.86m (186-6), third-best all-time. In the same event, Campbell Parker tossed the discus 52.71m (172-11), eighth-best in program history.

Freshman Kirstin West etched her name in the record books in the women's javelin throw with a mark of 43.78m (143-8), the eighth-best in program history. To round out the top-10 times, Olivia Ryan placed 14th in the 1500m, the same race Akins set the record in, with a time of 4:26.67, 10th-best all-time.

Also on Saturday, Penn qualified two sprinters to the 100m hurdles final with Skyla Wilson and Meghan Barnes advancing. Wilson ran a 14.23 and Barnes qualified with a 14.43. Barnes went on to finish fourth in the final with a time of 14.19.

Uchechi Nwogwugwu won the 400m in 54.43. Only four athletes in program history have run a better time, including Nwogwugwu, who currently owns the program record. Mia Knight enjoyed an impressive Saturday with a pair of fourth-place finishes. She ran the 100m in 12.12 and the 200m in 24.85. The 4x100m group of Imani Solan, Elena Brown-Soler, Knight and Camille Dickson placed second with a time of 46.04.

In field events, Rachel Lee Wilson and Maura Kimmel swept the hammer and shot put, respectively. Wilson took the hammer win with a mark of 63.46m (208-2) and Kimmel earned a victory with a mark of 15.52m (50-11). Kimmel also finished sixth in the discus (44.19m/144-11). In top-three finishes, Nicole Macco placed second in the pole vault with a clearance of 3.75m (12-3.5) and Claire Moreau leapt over 1.62m (5-3.75) in the high jump for a third-place finish.

In men's competition, in addition to Ikpeazu's and Parker's marks in the discus, Payton Morris won the pole vault with a clearance of 5.05m (16-6.75). In the Mike Brady 1500m Men's Elite race, Colin Daly finished sixth with a time of 3:46.04, a time only eight Quakers' have beaten before. He currently sits seventh in program history with a PR of 3:45.93. Mason Gatewood and Ray Sellaro, another one of those eight Quakers under the 3:46 range, placed 15th and 16th, respectively with times of 3:48.94 and 3:49.22.

WHAT'S NEXT
Penn now enters its championship season, beginning with the Penn Relays that begin on Thursday, April 25 and continue through Saturday, April 27. Following the Relays, the Quakers move into the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships on Saturday and Sunday, May 4-5.

#ThePursuit

#FightOnPenn