TAMPA, Fla. - The LIU Brooklyn track and field teams opened the outdoor season with a strong start at the University of South Florida Invitational.
Coming off a double win at the Northeast Conference championships, Stephanie Aidoo started things off with a fifth place finish in the 200-meter dash in 24.30. Cemorne Davis and Bryanna Willaims were right behind Aidoo in sixth and seventh, respectively. In the 400-meter dash, Anise Cuffee was eighth in 1:01.57.
In the 800-meter run, newcomers Kara Dixon and Adjovi Simpini were 13th and 14th with times of 2:30.65 and 2:31.45, respectively. Esther Jean-Lous placed seventh in the 1500-meter run in 5:05.59, and then was 11th in the 3000-meter run.
The Blackbirds were second and third 400-meter hurdles. Nichole Candelaria and Alea Stevens finished back-to-back with times 1:03.38 and 1:03.53. In the last track event of the meet, the 4x400 relay, Stevens, Williams, Katrina Anderson and Brittany McClain were 4:03.31.
In field events, Christina Abiola led LIU with a seventh place finish in the discus with a mark of 35.00m, while Niteesa Brooks was 12th. Brooks and Bianca Miller were 10th and 11th in the shot put. Rounding out the throws was Kristina King and Brooks, who were seventh and eighth in the hammer throw.
Tyquan Dukes and Mikhail Williamson got things started on the men's side with fifth and eighth place finishes in the 100-meter dash. Dukes came in at 10.62, while Williams finished in 10.75. Adam Walker-Khan followed that up with a sixth place finish in the 200-meter dash in 21.80.
Mica-Jonathan Petit-Homme was the top-collegiate finisher in the 400-meter dash, placing third overall with a time of 48.16. Elijah Taylor was fifth in the 800-meter run in 1:59.05, and followed that up with a 13th place finish in the 1500-meter run.
Alistair McLean was the top overall finisher for LIU in the track events with a second place finish in the 400-meter hurdles in 52.96.
Paul Lyon started off he field events, finishing in second in the long jump with a leap of 6.61. Vinh Le was then third in the triple jump at 14.13m.
The Blackbirds fly back down south for the University of Texas Relays from March 25-28 in Austin, Texas.