Track and Field Has 13 Top-10 Performances in Competitive Field

Friday, February 11

Nashville, Tenn.

2 P.M.

University of Memphis

Music City Challenge

Photo by: Matthew Kamph

Track and Field Has 13 Top-10 Performances in Competitive Field

Feb 13, 2022 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Track and Field Has 13 Top-10 Performances in Competitive Field

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – University of Memphis track and field wrapped up two days of competition at the Music City Challenge Saturday night.

The Tigers are coming home from Nashville with 13 top-10 performances throughout all events Friday and Saturday. The meet was Memphis' second this season at the Vanderbilt Multipurpose Facility.

Senior Cole Riddle earned silver in the men's pole vault (5.07m), followed by Evan Puckett (fourth, 5.07m) and Drew O'Connor (ninth, 4.92m) in the top 10. Riddle is currently ranked second in the American Athletic Conference for the event.

Robby Watson also took home a silver in the men's weight throw open (19.34m), and he still holds the third spot in the conference. Junior Alyssa Morello was the final Tiger to earn a medal, placing third in the women's pole vault (3.93m); she still places third in the American.

DeeNia McMiller competed in the women's weight throw invitational, where she placed seventh in the event and raised her seasonal-best mark to 22.42m. This keeps her at second in the conference and brings her to the eighth overall spot in the NCAA. Five of the NCAA top-10 weight throw athletes also competed in the Music City Challenge this weekend.

In addition to Riddle, Watson, Morello and McMiller, several athletes either improved or held high conference rankings. This includes Chloe Figgins (third, 5000m), McMiller (second, shot put) and Samantha Lenton (third, weight throw) for the women, and Iason Machairas (first, shot put) and Parker Evans (third, shot put) for the men.

Overall, the meet had a deep, competitive field that included six NCAA top-25 teams on the men's side and eight on the women's.

"This was an incredibly competitive meet across the board," said head coach Kevin Robinson. "We definitely had some solid performances and personal bests, and in many events, I would consider this to be the most competitive meet in the country on this particular weekend."

Next weekend, the Tigers will travel to Missouri for the Redhawks Open to compete in their final meet before the AAC Championships the following week.

Top-Ten Performances

Men
4x400m Relay – 9. Memphis, 3:21.80.
Pole Vault – 2. Cole Riddle, 5.07m. 4. Evan Puckett, 5.07m. 9. Drew O'Connor, 4.92m.
Long Jump – 10. Justin Miller, 6.95m.
Shot Put – 6. Iason Machairas, 18.61m.
Weight Throw Open – 2. Robby Watson, 19.34m. 7. Parker Evans, 18.30m.

Women
Pole Vault – 3. Alyssa Morello, 3.93m.
Triple Jump – 9. Anastasia Bampali, 11.54m.
Shot Put Open – 4. DeeNia McMiller, 15.54m. 10. Samantha Lenton, 14.14m.
Weight Throw Invitational – 7. DeeNia McMiller, 22.42m

Complete Results

How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Track and Field, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.