LAS VEGAS (UNLVrebels.com) – Coming off a strong day one at the UNLV Rebels ELITE Invitational on Friday, the UNLV track & field team took course once again on Saturday for the final day of competition. The Rebels emerged on top as a team after the end of the second day, filling the day with plenty of personal-best performances, event champions and more.
The Scarlet & Gray crowned champions in five different events during Saturday's schedule,
Kennedi Porter and
Jaydea Carter both picking up multiple wins at the Rebels ELITE meet. They both earned a victory as part of the 4x100m relay, the team of Carter, Porter,
Chinyere Okoro and
AnnaKay Maitland clocking in a 45.60 time for the first running event of the day. Porter and Carter would later post a pair of personal-best times in 100m running events, Carter first taking claim in the 100m hurdles. Her time of 13.66 dropped a previous personal-best set just in the Rebels' last meet, Porter doing the same in the 100m dash. Porter picked up the win by .03 seconds, lowering her own mark by .18 seconds.
Porter wouldn't be the only Rebel personal-best performance in the 100m, UNLV sweeping all top-five spots in the event. Okoro would post the second-fastest time in the event, just .03 behind Porter on an 11.39 time. Finishing third in the event was
Shakeira Bowra on an 11.73 time,
AnnaKay Maitland ending up fourth overall just a hair behind her with the same time.
Sophia Alexander rounded out the top five finishers with a personal-best time of 11.90.
Kamari Sherwood also hit a personal-best time in the event.
The Rebels found two victories in field events on Saturday afternoon,
Mackenzie Okonta earning the win in the women's triple jump. She finished on a distance of 11.27m (36-11.75) before
Emili Osula Liis closed the field events with a win in the javelin. Liis' top mark resulted in a personal-best distance for the thrower, beating out the second-place finisher by over two meters on a final distance of 46.16m (151' 5").
The Scarlet & Gray saw plenty of other runner-up finishes in the meet's second day, Porter registering a personal-best time in the women's 200m (23.42) with Bowra behind her at fifth and Maitland in seventh on a personal-best mark. Lakner picked up a 54.79 time in the women's 400m for a second-place finish of her own,
Endya Scott placing third and
Kaelin Gowdy earning a fourth-place spot on a personal-best time. Carter later crossed the finish line second in the women's 400m hurdles on a 1:02.48 time,
Grace Cunningham finishing second in the women's high jump with the best collegiate height at 1.75m (5' 8.75") for a personal-best performance.
The program will next compete at the Mt. SAC Relays, taking place in two weeks in Walnut, Calif. The teams will compete in that four-day competition from Wednesday, April 17 through Saturday, April 20.
DAY ONE
After a week break from competing, the UNLV track & field team started their first home meet since the 2021 season at the Myron Partridge Stadium and Shelia Tarr Smith Field on Friday with day one of the UNLV Rebels Elite Invitational.
The Rebels featured several strong competitors during the first of two days, including a team-high fourth-place finish in the women's discus from
Roxene Simpson. Simpson reached 46.08m on the windy day, reaching inside the event's top five placements by almost three meters.
UNLV found a second fourth-place finisher in the meet later in the day,
Amaya Brown taking on her first event of the outdoor season in the Scarlet & Gray in the women's long jump. Brown was able to beat out the fifth-place finisher by .02m, posting a best distance of 5.45m. She wouldn't be the only Rebel to excel in the event,
Mackenzie Okonta posting a personal-best distance in the outdoor meet.
Madelynn Wattles closed out the team's first day of the UNLV Rebels Elite meet, representing the Rebels in the women's hammer throw. The junior compiled a best distance of 43.54m in the event, finishing sixth overall.
Although not necessarily representing the Rebels, UNLV assistant coach
Jordan Roach for the throws team took the ring himself in the men's discus, winning the event on a toss of 60.93m.
UNLV will get back to Myron Partridge on Saturday, April 6 for the second and final day of competition, competing in the bulk of events over the course of the weekend. The meet will start at 9 a.m. PT with the women's pole vault before the Rebels celebrate Senior Day at 9:40 a.m. with the women's 4x100m relay to follow shortly after.
