McMiller, Vallery Shatter Personal-Bests Friday

Friday, February 16

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

4 pm

University of Memphis

Redhawks Open

Rafael Vallery, 2017-18 Men's Track and Field

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Feb 17, 2018 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Redhawks Open (Final Results)

Tigers win nine crowns, post 22 top-three finishes at Redhawks Open.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The University of Memphis track and field teams swept the top-three places in both the men's 55 meters and women's shot put at the 2018 Redhawks Open on the Southeast Missouri campus Friday. The meet was the final tune-up before next week's conference championships.

The Tigers won nine events (men/women combined) and had 22 top-three performances.

Junior Davon DeMoss led Memphis' sweep in the men's 55 meters with a personal-best 6.30 seconds. Calvin Austin was second at 6.39 seconds, with Andrew Bishop in third at 6.46 seconds.

On the women's side, Memphis took the top-three spots in the shot put. Sophomore Mona Jaidi won the event with a 44-6 (13.56m) throw, followed by DeeNia McMiller in second at 44-2.5 (13.47m) and Nina de Poorter in third at 44-0.5 (13.42m).

Up Next
Memphis travels to Birmingham, Ala., to compete in the 2018 American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships. The Birmingham Crossplex is the site of the meet for the third-straight year.

Tigers Tidbits/Redhawks Open Highlights

Freshman DeeNia McMiller won the women's weight throw crown, and in the process, shattered her previous-best in the event. Her throw of 62-11.5 (19.19m) improved her personal-best by 21.5 inches.
Senior Rafael Vallery shattered his personal-best in the men's shot put with a throw of 58-0.25 (17.68m). He bettered his personal-best by 14 inches set at last year's Joe Walker/Ole Miss Invitational (outdoor). Vallery improved his indoor personal-best in the event by over 15 inches.
Junior Saida Burns-Moore won the women's high jump and tied her personal-best mark of 5-7 (1.70m). It was her second indoor high jump crown and her third overall (indoor/outdoor) high jump championship at Memphis. She also jumped 5-7 (1.70m) as a freshman at the University of the District of Columbia in the 2015-16 season.
Senior Aaron Persinger won the 55-meter hurdles in a time of 7.72 seconds. It was his second hurdles title in the last three meets (won 60-meter hurdles at Southern Illinois/Don DeNoon Invitational Feb. 2-3). Persinger also ran a personal-best 7.67 seconds in the 55-meter hurdles preliminaries.
In winning the women's shot put, sophomore Mona Jaidi set a personal-best with a throw of 44-6 (13.56m). She bettered her indoor previous-best by 1.25 inches.
Sophomore Zach Shasteen posted an indoor personal-best of 13-1.5 (4.00m) in the men's pole vault. Shasteen placed second in the event Friday.
Junior Loushanya Nemour, a junior college transfer, won her first event as a Tiger, taking the women's 55-meters title in a time of 7.27 seconds Friday. She ran a personal-best 7.20 in the 55-meters preliminaries.
Sophomore Allie Hughes placed second in the women's pole vault with a personal-best mark of 11-5.75 (3.50m). She improved her overall personal-best in the event by 3.25 inches and her indoor personal-best by 5.5 inches.
Freshman Kacie Scott ran a personal-best 7.59 seconds in the women's 55 meters.
Senior Di'Anna Wright posted a personal-best time of 1:02.70 in the women's 400 meters, improving her time by 0.25 seconds. She ran a 1:02.95 in the event at the 2016 Music City Challenge.
Senior ToNaya Gulley won the women's 55-meter hurdles in a time of 8.15. She ran a personal-best time of 7.93 seconds in the preliminaries.
Freshman Kate Hise threw personal-bests in both the women's shot put (42-7; 12.98m) and weight throw (51-0.25; 15.55m).
Freshman Calvin Austin ran a personal-best 6.36 in the 55-meters preliminaries.
Sophomore Max Emmerich made his Tigers debut at Friday's Redhawks Invitational. He threw a 46-0.75 (14.04m) in the men's shot put.
Senior Chy'enne LeNeair, a transfer from Tennessee State, made her Memphis debut Friday. She placed seventh in the women's weight throw with a mark of 48-1.75 (14.67m).

Memphis Men's Results
55m – 1. Davon DeMoss, 6.30; 2. Calvin Austin, 6.39; 3. Andrew Bishop, 6.46; 7. Irmi Persiado, 6.52
400m – 1. Jason Kimmet, 51.29; 5. Michael Carey, 52.20
55m Hurdles – 1. Aaron Persinger, 7.72
High Jump – 2. Noah Agnew, 6-6.75 (2.00m)
Pole Vault – 2. Zach Shasteen, 13-1.5 (4.00m)
Shot Put – 2. Luke Vaughn, 58-9.25 (17.91m); 3. Rafael Vallery, 58-0.25 (17.68m); 4. Adam Neelly, 56-11.5 (17.36m); 7. Parker Evans, 46-7.5 (14.21m); 8. Max Emmerich, 46-0.75 (14.04m)
Weight Throw – 2. Luke Vaughn, 61-0 (18.59m); 5. Parker Evans, 54-4 (16.56m); 6. Adam Neelly, 53-3 (16.23m); 7. Michael Criticos, 46-0.75 (14.04m)

Memphis Women's Results
55m – 1. Loushanya Nemour, 7.27; 2. Kacie Scott, 7.59
400m – 5. Di'Anna Wright, 1:02.70; 8. Kacie Scott, 1:09.05
55m Hurdles – 1. ToNaya Gulley, 8.15
High Jump – 1. Saida Burns-Moore, 5-7 (1.70m)
Pole Vault – 2. Allie Hughes, 11-5.75 (3.50m); 5. Lily Moore, 10-6 (3.20m)
Long Jump – 1. Sandra Ekblom, 17-10.75 (5.45m); 2. Saida Burns-Moore, 17-4.25 (5.29m); 4. Jordan Shackleford, 17-1.25 (5.21m); 5. Nicole Lawson, 16-8.75 (5.10m)
Shot Put – 1. Mona Jaidi, 44-6 (13.56m); 2. DeeNia McMiller, 44-2.5 (13.47m); 3. Nina de Poorter, 44-0.5 (13.42m); 4. Kate Hise, 42-7 (12.98m)
Weight Throw – 1. DeeNia McMiller, 62-11.5 (19.19m); 3. Mona Jaidi, 53-10.25 (16.41m); 5. Kate Hise, 51-0.25 (15.55m); 7. Chy'enne LeNeair, 48-1.75 (14.67m)