Fleming Wins AAC Hurdles Title, Shatters Own School Record

Friday, February 23

Birmingham, Ala.

TBA

University of Memphis

AAC Indoor Championships

Photo by: Michael Wade

Fleming Wins AAC Hurdles Title, Shatters Own School Record

Feb 24, 2024 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of Memphis track and field team competed at the American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships at The CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama over the weekend. The Tigers were highlighted by Madison Fleming's school-record breaking, championship-winning performance in the women's 60-meter hurdles (8.17).

"Madison [Fleming], Gizel [Clayton] and Gabrielle [Cross] really had amazing competitions," head coach Kevin Robinson said. "I am so incredibly proud of their performances and their composure. They deserve to be recognized, as does Coach Ojike, our sprint coach, who has done an incredible job with them. All in all, I think we are excited to move outside and get to work in preparation for the outdoor season to begin."

NOTABLES
• Fleming entered the weekend as the school-record holder and was ranked fourth in the AAC with a season-best time of 8.36. In Friday's prelims, Fleming ran a season-best time of 8.30 to qualify for the final fastest overall. Teammate Gizel Clayton posted a time of 8.61 in the prelims to advance to the final as well. In Saturday's final, Fleming ripped off a time of 8.17 to walk away with the conference championship and shatter her own school record while Clayton improved from the no. 8 seed to a third-place finish (8.35). Fleming's 8.17 was good for 20th-fastest in the country this season.
• Jadaja Baxter broke a 27-year-old school record on Friday in the women's long jump with a 6.15-meter jump (20'2.25") and finished fourth overall.
• In Friday's women's 400-meter prelims, Gabrielle Cross ran 55.38 to qualify for the final. Cross improved on her seed with a personal-best time of 54.80 to finish sixth in Saturday's final.
• Lewis LaGrant jumped a personal-best height of 2.02 meters (6'7.5") to finish fifth place in the men's high jump on Friday.
• Will Dibo came in seeded 19^th in the nation in the men's weight throw and finished as AAC runner up for the second year in a row. Dibo threw 20.48 meters (67'2.25") to take silver. Teammate Oliver Tomann finished seventh (17.39m / 57'0.75").
• In the men's shot put, Iason Machairas finished runner up (17.28m / 56'8.5") and Sascha Salesius Schmidt took bronze with a 17.15-meter throw (56'3.25").
• In the women's weight throw on Friday, Riley Simmons finished eighth place (16.98m / 55'8.5").
• The men's distance-medley relay team of Robert Arnold, Anthony Romens, Chase Pitre and Vincent Chenier finished sixth on Friday night (10:09.76).
• In Saturday's women's shot put competition, Poorna Raorane finished fifth with a 14.45-meter throw (47'5").
• In Saturday's 4x400-meter relays, the women's quartet of Kyndia Matlock, Jadaja Baxter, Madison Fleming and Gabrielle Cross finished fourth in a season-best 3:42.02. The men's squad of Anthony Romens, Adam Yakobi, Chase Pitre and Courtland Noble posted a time of 3:17.01 to finish fifth.

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