Rutgers-Camden Athletics

Pierce sets pentathlon mark at Raptors compete at Colden Invitational

2/3/2024 8:01:00 PM

COLLEGEVILLE, Penn. (Feb. 3, 2024) – The Rutgers University-Camden indoor track and field teams swung back into action here Saturday after an week off last week, and the Scarlet Raptors came away with a program record and several personal records.
 
Competing at the Frank Colden Invitational at Ursinus College, the Scarlet Raptors produced several outstanding performances, including sophomore Walter Pierce, who finished ninth of 16 in the men's pentathlon while setting a program record with 2,435 points. The previous mark, held exactly five years ago at the same meet, was 2,187 points by Tom Meyer.
 
Pierce finished second in the 60-meter hurdles (9.20), eighth in the shot put (8.70 meters), 10th in both the long jump (5.34 meters) and the 1,000 meters (3:11.11) and 16th in the high jump (1.40 meters).
 
Freshman Hector Diaz finished fifth of 14 in the men's 60-meter hurdles preliminaries (a PR of 8.75) and placed fifth of seven in the finals (8.78).
 
Three men qualified for the finals in the 32-man preliminaries of the 60-meter dash, led by sophomore Nadir Paige, who placed third (a PR of 7.11). Freshman Oluwamayowakun Ojutalayo finished fifth (7.14) and freshman Robert Bayard was seventh (7.23). In the seven-man finals, Paige was fourth (7.12), Ojutalayo finished fifth (7.14) and Bayard was sixth (7.25).
 
Sophomore Xochitl Bautista-Castelan led the way in the women's 400-meter dash, finishing 22nd of 36 with a PR of 1:13.35. Right behind her, in 23rd place was freshman Leilani Taylor (a PR of 1:13.65).
 
Freshmen Lauren Carter and Taylor both competed in the 24-athlete field of the women's long jump. Carter finished 10th (4.40 M) and Taylor placed 17th (a PR of 4.11 M).
 
Sophomore Isabella Bordon broke the six-minute barrier in the mile, finishing 14th of 24 with a PR of 5:58.26. She also finished 19th of 37 at 800 meters (2:41.92).
 
In the throwing events, senior Alexis Marini finished second of 33 in the women's weight throw (14.23 M) and was seventh of 39 in the shot put (10.80 M). Freshman Kaitlyn Novak was 11th in the women's shot put (a PR of 9.81 M) and junior Francis Hill finished 20th (a PR of 8.90 M).  On the men's side, freshmen Dyheim Watson and Aaron Le finished 10th and 13th, respectively, in the 22-man field of the weight throw with a PR of 10.66 meters for Watson and a throw of 10.02 meters for Le. In the 29-man shot put field, Watson placed 15th (10.76 M) and Le was 18th (9.35 M).

 The men's top 4x200 relay team finished third out of 13 (1:34.64) with a team of Diaz, Ojutalayo, Bayard and Paige.
 
The Raptors' top women's 4x200 team placed seventh of 14 (2:01.56) behind the efforts of Taylor, Carter, senior Carly Malia and junior Evelyn Macias Pilco.

Rutgers-Camden returns to action Feb. 19 when it competes in the New Jersey Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island.
 
Sat. 3     Frank Colden Invitational