ATLANTA, Ga. - The Life University track and field team traveled a few minutes away from Marietta, Ga on Wednesday, May 6th to compete in the Emory Qualifier hosted by Emory University. The Running Eagles left Atlanta on Wednesday after having multiple athletes top their personal best, as well as setting three single-A standards and six single-B standard marks.

The women of Life U brought their A-game as they did not have an athlete that did not place in the top 10 of their specified event. The Running Eagles got things started by putting together a relay team of Payton Knowles, Zaria Bonafede, Shevaughn Thomas and Cameron Kelperis to compete in the 4x100 meter relay. The ladies would cruise to a first place finish on their way to a single-A standard time of 46.28. In the 100-meter dash, Kelperis would cruise her way to a first place finish after running a time of 11.89 just .02 seconds off her PR. Knowles and Bonafede would finish second and third in the event after running times of 12.09 and 12.13 respectively. In the 400-meter dash, senior Najah Gibson placed second overall after running a time of 56.60, while her teammate freshman Kamarra Trisch placed fourth overall after running a time of 59.47. In the 100-meter hurdles event, freshman Essence Sands placed fourth overall, after running her personal best time of 14.77. In the 400-meter hurdles event, sophomore Laisha Hernandez finished second overall after running a time of 1:04.29. In the longest race of the day for Life U, sophomore Sky Jones placed fifth overall after running a personal best time of 2:18.28 in the 800. Freshman Maelle Spiegel placed eighth overall after running a time of 2:22.47, while sophomore Carmen Crawford placed ninth overall after running a time of 2:27.19.

In the field events, the Running Eagles kept their top 10 finishes alive. In the shot put event, junior Katelyn Mendoza placed third overall after throwing a mark of 12.12 meters. Sophomores Ava Falite and Annalise Leitner placed fifth and seventh overall with their marks of 10.93 meters and 9.65 meters. In the discus event, Mendoza placed fifth overall after throwing 39.87 meters, while freshman Sandra DeSouza placed sixth overall after her personal best throw of 38.51 meters. In the final throwing event (Hammer) for the ladies, Leitner would finish third after her personal best mark of 47.94 meters. DeSouza would place ninth overall after her mark of 39.62 meters, while Falite would place tenth after throwing 37.49 meters. 

On the men's side, the Running Eagles put together a relay team of Jeremiah Giddens, Sammy Samuel, Drew Pochylko and Khalil Carr to compete in the 4x100 meter relay, the team placed second overall after running a time of 41.81. Senior Gray McIntyre put together a solid race in the 400-meter dash finishing in fourth place after running a time of 48.01. Senior Abedelemejid Kerebo ran a personal best time of 1:49.97 in the 800-meter run. Kerebo's time got him second overall, while it also qualified for a single-A standard mark in the NAIA standings. In the 1500 meter run freshman Josh McKinlay placed seventh overall after running a time of 3:52.98. The Running Eagles had all three athletes place in the top 10 of the 400-meter hurdles race, headlined by a second place finish and single-A standard time of 52.19, from senior Sean Hewitt. Pochylko placed third in the event finishing in a single-B standard time of 53.45, while freshman Justin Ducote finished sixth overall after running a time of 55.86.

Over in the field events, Life U left their mark having all their athletes place in the top 10 of each event they competed in. In the high jump event, junior Braden Deal placed fourth overall with a mark of 2.02 meters. In the sand Carr finished eighth overall in the long jump event after marking a distance of 6.64 meters. In the shot put event, sophomore Darius Barge placed second overall after marking a single-B standard 16.62 meters. Following behind Barge was junior Christian Dixon, who placed third after his single-B standard and personal best mark of 16.45 meters, while sophomore Michael Holbrook placed fourth after his personal best mark of 12.84 meters. Over in the discus throwing event, junior Winston Sanders picked up a second place finish after throwing a single-B standard mark of 50.77 meters. Dixon earned himself another top 4 finish after he throw a personal best and single-B standard mark of 49.54 meters. In the final throwing event for the men, Barge once again threw a single-B standard and personal best mark of 55.03 meters in the hammer throw. Sanders would finish sixth overall in the event after marking 54.47 meters, while Holbrook would place tenth overall with a mark of 41.28 meters.

UP NEXT: The Running Eagles will be back at home, as they host the Life U Last Chance track meet on Saturday, May 9th and Sunday, May 10th.