April 11, 2009
Taylor Hobson and Dustin DeLeo highlighted the No. 15 men's track and field team on the final day of the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner Kersee Invitational as both men posted event wins and impressive jumping marks.
Hobson, who is having a very impressive sophomore campaign, won the invitational long jump with a big lifetime-best and improved regional mark of 24-11.75. (old best, 24-4.50). That mark ranks 11th in the NCAA this season. Hobson also finished third in the high jump as he equaled his season-best mark of 6-10.75.
DeLeo won the pole vault with a season-best mark of 17-5. That vault is a regional qualifying mark and ranks sixth in the NCAA this season. Sophomore Greg Woepse finished third with a mark of 17-1, while senior Bobby Talley equaled his season-high 16-6.75 to finish sixth.
Sophomore Cory Primm ran the No. 2 800m time in the NCAA this season as he finished second with a time of 1:49.14. He was the top collegiate finisher in the invite race.
In the discus, sophomore Bo Taylor opened up his outdoor campaign with a regional qualifier of 171-11 as he finished seventh overall. Taylor also picked up a regional mark in the shot put as he finished third with a throw of 57-2.25.
The 4x100m relay team of junior Stan Griffin, freshmen Karlton Rolle and Jamal Alston and junior Brandon Smith ran a season-best and improved regional qualifier of 40.31 to finish sixth overall (second collegiately).
Alston was the top finisher in the 100m for the Bruins, running a season-best 10.73 to finish fifth. Wells placed eighth in the 400m (48.03). Rolle led the 200m runners with his sixth-place run (21.43).
In the invite mile, senior Laef Barnes finished third (4:05.93), while junior Marlon Patterson placed fourth (4:08.13). Sophomores Jonathan Clark (48-8.25) and Steven Taylor (48-7.50) finished eighth and ninth, respectively, in the invite triple jump.
During the meet, two men's meet records were broken - the javelin and the 5000m.