GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Fire started the new year strong. Davien Worrels and James Williamson III raced to first places and national qualifying standards to lead Southeastern University's indoor track and field effort at the James Carney Invitational.
Worrels was the big SEU performer in the invitational as he met the national qualifying standard in both the 400 meter dash and the 200-meter dash. Worrels ran his way to an impressive time of 47.57 and took the 400-meter dash by .43 hundredths. His time of 47.57 easily put him in the "A" standard category. Worrels also crossed the finish line of the 200 meters in 21.64, which met the "B" standard for qualification for nationals.
Williamson captured the Fire's other first place in the 200 meter dash with a time of 21.44, which was good enough for a "B" Standard time, only missing the "A" standard by .01. Williamson also posted a time of 6.91 seconds in the 60-meter dash.
The SEU men had a third national qualifying time of 48.47 seconds by Joseph Taylor for a "B" standard time for his third-place finish in the 400-meter dash. Taylor added a strong fifth place in the 200- meter dash in 21.77, close to another qualifying time.
The Fire women's competitors produced three top-10 finishes, paced by Alyssa Morley , who finished with two of them. Morley leaped her way to ninth in the long jump at 5.36 meters and jumped 1.55 meters for 10th in the high jump. On the track side, Irmiris Mendez finished in seventh place in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 9.05 seconds.
SEU saw six other men reach the top 10 of events in a tough Invitational field. Over in the field side, both Jonathan Grant and Kevin Parker vaulted to a height of 4.55 meters for sixth and ninth places. In the weight throw, Cody Rand fired off a distance of 14.02 meters for ninth.
Back on the track, Cameron Alamia and Malik Blunt gave the Fire two more top 10 finishers, this time in the 200 meters. Alamia recorded a time of 21.87 seconds for eighth, while Blunt crossed the line in 22.11 for 10th. In the 1,000-meters, Nathan Evans added a 10th place finish in 2:39.87.
SEU returns to Gainesville next Friday and Saturday for the RADD Sports College Invitational/Multi
