CNU Holiday Open Results

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Norfolk State men's track and field team opened its indoor season by claiming first place in the team standings at the Holiday Open hosted by Christopher Newport on Sunday.

NSU tallied 160 points, just edging out William & Mary (152) for the top spot.

Chris Lee broke his own school indoor shot put record at the meet, and NSU also won three events on the day.

Lee took second place in the shot put with a top throw of 55 feet, 10.25 inches – more than seven inches further than his previous school record of 55-3 set at last year's MEAC Indoor Championships.

In addition, juniors Michael-Thomas Brown and Allan Frye won the 60-meter dash and 60-meter hurdles, respectively. Brown ran a collegiate-best time of 6.83 seconds in the prelims before posting a winning time of 6.85 in the finals. Frye, meanwhile, clocked an 8.11 in the 60 hurdles finals to win that race. Frye, freshman Jaylen Banks, sophomore Justin Pinder and senior Rashad Ramsey also won the 4x400 meter relay to cap the meet with a time of 3:25.49. 

Banks (second in 50.82) and Frye (fifth in 50.86) also finished in the top five in the individual 400 meters.

Elsewhere on the track, the Spartans took four of the top nine places in the 3,000 meters. Freshman Felix Kiprotich was third (8:41.88), freshman Festus Bett was fifth (8:45.08), sophomore Anteneh Girma was sixth (8:46.70) and sophomore Tomas Fantaye finished ninth (8:55.66). Kiprotich, Bett, Ramsey and Ronald Korir also teamed to take second place in the distance medley relay (10:30.51).

The Spartans also dominated the high jump at CNU. Freshman Garth Warner was the top collegiate finisher and was second overall with a top height of 6 feet, 10.75 inches. He placed second only to post-collegiate athlete Hoova Taylor.

Also in the high jump, freshman Jacob Milton took third place with a height of 6-6.75, junior Joseph Boyd was fourth (6-4.75) and freshman Kequan Henley was fifth (6-2.75).

In other field events, freshman QuaShawn Harrison placed third in the long jump (21-11.5), junior Shaw Barfield took sixth in the pole vault (12-11.5) and junior Da'Trail Hockaday was sixth in the weight throw (47-7).

The Spartans will take a month off for exams and the holiday break before returning to action at George Mason's Father Diamond Invitational on Jan. 7.