ATLANTA, Ga. — The Columbus State University Men's Track & Field team turned in a well-rounded performance across sprints, hurdles, distance, relays, and field events at the Emory in the Hills meet, hosted by Emory University, highlighted by multiple top-five finishes and strong depth throughout the lineup.
Columbus State was led on the track by Jalen Willis, who placed third overall in the 100 meters with a time of 11.12, while fellow freshman Anthony Smith Jr. matched that time to finish fourth. The Cougars showcased depth in the event, with
Malik Hall (10th, 11.17) and
Braylon Ball (17th, 11.24) adding solid finishes. Smith Jr. also impressed in the preliminaries, clocking a 10.90.
In the 200 meters, Columbus State saw a tightly grouped effort, led by
Jayden Powell (23.00), followed by
Anthony Brown Jr. (23.27), Arthur Serrano (23.37), and Kenneth Brooks (23.60). Brown Jr. also paced the Cougars in the 400 meters with a time of 52.11, while Brooks added a 53.17 finish.
The middle-distance group produced one of the top highlights of the meet, as
Blake Lewis placed 16th in the 800 meters with a time of 1:56.39. In the 1500 meters, senior
Owen Hartshorn delivered a standout performance with a third-place finish, crossing in 4:01.88.
Logan Terwilliger added a top-five showing in the 3000 meters, finishing fifth overall in 10:32.67.
In the hurdles,
Zaccharius Brown led the Cougars in the 110-meter hurdles preliminaries with a time of 15.20, followed by
Zion Atkinson (15.62) and Ian Lockett (15.99). In the 400-meter hurdles,
Tristen Cole paced the group with a time of 57.72, while Lockett (59.38) and
Reece Pasley (59.44) followed closely behind.
Columbus State's relay teams also contributed solid performances, as the 4x100 relay team of Brown Jr., Brown,
Xavier Harper, and Dakarai Walker placed eighth with a time of 42.57. In the 4x400 relay, the Cougars' A team finished eighth in 3:19.28, while the B team added a 15th-place finish.
In the field events,
Jamir Bradley led the way with a fourth-place finish in the high jump, clearing 1.88 meters (6'2"). Bradley also contributed in the long jump, while Willis added another top finish with a fourth-place mark of 6.63 meters (21'9"). In the pole vault, Nathan Walker (4.40m) and
Camerin Rigdon (4.25m) provided strong efforts for the Cougars.
The throws group was led by Samuel Washburn, who competed in multiple events, including a javelin throw of 33.82 meters and a discus throw of 27.26 meters.
Zackery Gardner added a 9.06-meter mark in the shot put.
By the Numbers
- 3 top-five individual finishes (Hartshorn – 3rd; Willis – 3rd; Bradley – 4th HJ / Willis – 4th LJ)
- 5 Cougars placed inside the top 10 in the 100 meters
- 2 relay teams (4x100, 4x400 A) finished inside the top 10
- 4 athletes competed in multiple events across track and field
Columbus State returns to action on April 3 and April 4 at the University of West Georgia Legends Invitational in Carrollton, Ga., at the UWG Track and Field Complex.
