WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - On a sunny but cold Saturday afternoon, Track and Field began their outdoor season at the Monarch Invitational at Kings College. The women and men team both yielded impressive results with multiple top top eight finishes.

For the women, Aliza White-Vega took first in pole vault (3.15 meters), followed by fellow pole vaulter Paige Carpenter finished in second place (2.95 meters). Hailey Shreffler also had an amazing performance with a first place finish in the 800 meter run (2:29.12). Divora Bekele finished second in both the long jump (4.82 meters) and triple jump (10.47 meters). Bekele was .01 meters from taking first in the triple jump.

Other point scorers for the women, were Samantha Peters, Kayla Jefferson, and Caroline Stiles. Peters finished sixth in the 100 meter and 200 meter dash, while Jefferson finished seventh in the 100 meter and eighth in the 200 meter dash. Stiles finished eight in the hammer throw. 

For the men, Andre Taylor took first in the triple jump (13.45 meters) and third in the long jump (6.48 meters). First year sprinter Troy Hicks took second in the 200 meter dash (24.56), while senior sprinter DaNeal Williams followed in third (25.00). Astin Daniel, Solomon Rios, Ryle Mellinger, and Billy Dykes as a team placed third in the 4x400 meter relay (3:49.01). 

The men had scored in 10 different events outside of the top three. Williams finished fourth in the 400 meter dash (53.42), Rios finished fifth in the 800 meter run, and Jaiden Mabry took fifth in the 100 meter dash and sixth in the 200 meter dash. Jayden Smith finished sixth in the javelin throw, Hicks placed seventh in the 100 meter dash and finished seventh in the long jump. Daniel's placed in seventh in the 1500 meter run as Mellinger followed behind in eighth. Dykes finished eight in the 800 meter run.

"We had a bunch of Top 8 finishes today and I am very excited about that" Eastern Head Coach Will Mills said. "The weather wasn't ideal but we pushed through and competed well for our first outdoor meet of the season. Looking to continue the trend heading into next weekend."

Eastern Track and Field will be back in action at the Ursinus Outdoor Invitational on Saturday, March 25 at 9:30 am.