Results

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Jan. 14) – The University of Mount Olive men's track & field team collected three victories and six new conference qualifying times on Saturday while competing at the Mondo College Invitational hosted at the JDL Fast Track.

Senior Justen Burnette recorded the event win in the 200 meters following a blistering pace of 22.37 seconds. He holds the top two times this season in the event after hitting an NCAA Provo mark earlier this year.

In the high jump, junior Kamden Johnson secured the event win after reaching 1.92 meters (6-3.50 feet), while sophomore Demonte Lavender finished tied for second after also clearing 1.92 meters (6-3.50 feet) on Saturday.

Sophomore Jaleal Hamlett reached a pair of conference qualifying marks in the long jump and triple jump. He registered a distance of 13.84 meters (45-5.0 feet) on his fifth attempt to place third overall in the triple jump, which ranks first in the league this season in the event. Hamlett finished in seventh place in the long jump with a mark of 6.49 meters (21-3.5 feet). In 2022, he received Freshman of the Year from the conference and was an all-region recipient in the triple jump.

In the 60-meter dash, freshman Jason Hart and junior QuVontre Harper reached the league championship mark and set personal records while establishing UMO all-time marks. Hart crossed the line in 7.03, the eighth-best time in UMO history, and ranks sixth in the Conference Carolinas this indoor season. Harper boasted a time of 7.08 and now sits ninth all-time at Mount Olive.

Sophomore Riley Willcox set a league standard in the 800 meters behind a personal record of 2:01.19 to place fourth overall. Fellow sophomore Aman Tsegay recorded a conference qualifying mark in the mile after crossing the line in 4:30.07 to finish fourth in the event.

Senior Joshua Faison delivered a third-place finish in the shot put on Saturday with a distance of 15.75 meters (51.8.25 feet) on his second attempt while placing behind a pair of Division I throws from Appalachian State.

In the weight throw, the Trojans featured three throwers in the top five, including the event winner. Sophomore Alex Smith-Fort'e registered the win with a toss of 16.97 meters (55-8.25 feet) in a field of 26 competitors. Sophomore Israel Long set a personal best and improved his conference standard with a fourth-place finish following a distance of 15.68 meters, which now ranks fifth all-time at UMO. Senior Dorian Tolbert placed fifth overall with a personal record of 15.38 meters to improve his league mark and now sits sixth all-time in UMO history in the event.

Mount Olive returns to action on Jan. 20-21 at the Finn Pincus Invitational hosted by Roanoke in Salem, Virginia.