VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Arieana Parker smashed her own school weight throw record by more than a foot to highlight a stellar weekend for the Norfolk State women's track and field teams at its own second annual Kenneth Giles Invitational.

Parker's best throw traveled 60 feet, 10 inches, better than the 59-7.5 that she notched at the same Virginia Beach Sports Center facility last February. The mark is also the top mark in the MEAC this season by nearly three feet. Teammate Leslie Young was fourth in the same event over the weekend (56-4).

Parker's win was one of three for the Spartans in their final tuneup for the MEAC Indoor Championship next week. Malika Pride blazed her best-ever 200-meter dash, winning with a time of 23.74 seconds that also ranks as the best in the MEAC this year.

Dahja Price had NSU's other win over the weekend after posing a career-best 3,034 points in the pentathlon. She finished first or second in four of the five events. Teammates Shirelle Linzy (third, 2,830 points) and Jada Venters (five, 2,675) also posted PRs while finishing in the top five.

Fridah Koech (3,000 meters) and Alyssa Thompson-Rowe (60 hurdles) both finished second in their respective events. Kara Grant recorded a third-place finish in the 500 meters (1:14.94) and Armani Harris was fifth in the 400 meters (58.94).

In other field events, Destiny Hooks and D'Nysha Brightful both cleared 10 feet to tie for fourth in the pole vault. For Brightful, that represented a season best. Tynniesia Wilson also pulled in a top-five finish, clearing 5-1.75 in the high jump to finish third.

The Spartans return to the VBSC for the conference indoor championship Feb. 21-23.