Hughes Breaks School Record as Pack Competes on First Night of Meets in Durham, Gainesville

4/13/2024 3:24:00 PM | Track

RALEIGH - The NC State track and field team returned to action yesterday at the Duke Invite in Durham, NC and the Tom Jones Memorial Invite in Gainesville, FL. The Wolfpack finished the day with one new school record and fifteen total personal best marks.

HOW IT HAPPENED: DUKE INVITE
Middle Distance
Zach Hughes took third place and brought home the school record in the men's 800m invitational with a personal-best time of 1:48.39.

In the women's 1500m invitational, Hannah Gapes took second and established a new personal best with a clock-in of 4:17.35. Her time is the ninth-fastest in program history.

Nevada Moreno (4:19.91), Leah Stephens (4:21.77), and Angelina Napoleon (4:22.43) also ran in the event and finished inside the top-10, taking fifth, sixth, and eighth, respectively.

The Pack saw six athletes achieve new personal bests in the men's 1500m invitational. After running a time of 3:43.52, Brett Gardner established a new personal best and the eighth-fastest mark in NC State history. Wesley Larson clocked in at 3:46.06 to set a new PR.

JJ Malach (3:47.36), Toby Gualter (3:48.19), Dan McGoey (3:49.60), and Miles Ally (3:52.45) also set new PRs in the event.

Ryan Motondo represented the Wolfpack in the men's 1500m, running a time of 3:55.33 to set a new personal record.

HOW IT HAPPENED: TOM JONES MEMORIAL INVITE
Throws
Sydney Freeman stole the show on the first day of competition in Gainesville, finishing fifth in the women's hammer throw with a personal-best throw of 56.48m, the fourth-best mark in program history. Makala Wright also competed in the event, taking eighth with a throw of 55.93m.

With a mark of 47.51m, Mahkayla Hart also finished the day with a new PR in the hammer throw.

Sprints
Myles Epstein finished the men's 200m in 22.14 which is a new personal record.

In the women's 400m hurdles, Allie Payton clocked in at 1:05.64 to tie her personal best which currently ranks eighth in NC State history.

Jumps
Judd Armstrong leapt his way to a new PR in the men's high jump, taking eighth with a mark of 2.04m.

On the invitational side of the men's high jump, Kyzaiah Stone finished sixth with a personal-best mark of 2.13m.

Jirah Sidberry grabbed seventh place in the women's long jump with a jump of 6.07m.

UP NEXT
The Pack returns to action at the Duke Invite and Tom Jones Memorial Invite on Saturday, April 13.

DUKE INVITE RESULTS
MEN'S 800M (Invite)