LONG BEACH/AZUSA, Calif. (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV track & field team turned in a strong weekend of competition across two of the West Coast's premier meets, posting a wave of personal-best performances at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California, and delivering multiple top-five finishes at the Beach Invitational in Long Beach.
At the Bryan Clay Invitational, the Rebels were highlighted by a breakout showing from Taryn Bailey. Competing Friday in the 800 meters, Bailey clocked a personal-best 2:09.54. She followed that performance on Saturday with another personal record in the 1500 meters, winning her heat (Heat 7) in 4:43.18. Teammate Kenley Gowdy also delivered a pair of personal-best efforts. Gowdy opened her weekend Friday in the 800-meter Open B section with a time of 2:14.65 before returning Saturday to post a 4:44.10 mark in the 1500 meters. Claire Rands added to the momentum in the 1500 meter Open B race, finishing in 4:42.33, another personal best for the Rebels' distance group.
Meanwhile, at the Beach Invitational, UNLV's sprinters and field athletes turned in several standout performances against a competitive field. Jaci Wright led the way on Friday, placing fourth in the 100 meters with a time of 12.11. She returned Saturday finishing fourth again in the 100-meter hurdles while setting a personal best of 13.43.
The Rebels' 4x100-meter relay team of Mikah Scott, Lauren Brown, AnnaKay Maitland and Aly Winston combined for a fifth-place finish in the invitational section, crossing the line in 45.31. Scott also impressed individually in the 100 meters, placing fifth with a personal-best time of 11.67. In the 400 meters, Kaitlynn Webbe added an eighth-place finish with a time of 54.69, while Kayli Middleton rounded out the Rebels' top efforts in the field with a fourth-place mark of 12.06 meters (39 feet, 6.75 inches) in the triple jump.
UP NEXT: UNLV will head to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to participate in the Penn Relays Friday, April 24 through Saturday, April 25.
To get updates on all things Rebel track & field, links to the season's meets can be found on the team's schedule page. You can also get live updates on how the Scarlet & Gray are faring on the team's X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram accounts.
