Alabama
Samford Invitational
Alabama Track and Field Set for Samford Invitational
1/20/2022 6:54:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country
The Crimson Tide returns to the Birmingham Crossplex for the third time this season with the Samford Invitational
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama track and field is set to travel back to the Birmingham Crossplex this Friday for the Samford Invitational. It will mark the Crimson Tide's third competition in Birmingham this season after opening 2022 with a pair of meets at the Crossplex last weekend.
More than a dozen schools are slated to take part in the meet, including Southeastern Conference rival Georgia, host Samford, Louisiana Tech, South Alabama, Tulane, UAB, Alcorn State, Bethune-Cookman, Savannah State, UT-Chattanooga, UT-Tyler and Wofford.
Friday's competition gets underway with the field events, starting with the men's and women's shot put at 9 a.m. CT. Competition continues throughout the day, coming to a close with the 4x400-meter relay at 6 p.m. CT. The running events will begin at 11 a.m. CT with the men's and women's 60 meters and move into longer distance runs starting at 1 p.m. CT.
National and Conference Rankings
- Bobby Colantonio Jr. posted a mark of 24.15 meters in the weight throw at the Blazer Invitational, which ranks him seventh all-time collegiately and No. 1 nationally and in the SEC this season
- Christian Edwards is fourth nationally and No. 1 in the SEC after posting a leap of 15.93 meters in the triple jump at the Blazer Invitational
- Isaac Odugbesan also ranks fourth nationally and No. 1 in the SEC after opening the season with a mark of 20.48 meters in the shot put at the Blazer Invitational
- Chago Basso (18.42 meters) and Jerimiah Evans (18.19 meters) rank third and fourth in the SEC shot put rankings, respectively, after opening the season at the Blazer Invitational
- The 4x400-meter relay of Gabe Serrano, Mason Phillips, Demetrius Jackson and Matthew Weaver posted a 3:09.37 to open the season at the Vulcan Invitational, which ranks the quartet fourth nationally and third in the SEC
- Kieran McKeag posted a toss of 20.69 meters in the weight throw at the Blazer Invitational, which ranks him 13th nationally and second in the SEC
- Chelsea Igberaese posted a mark of 20.54 meters in the weight throw at the Blazer Invitational, ranking her 17th nationally and fourth in the SEC
- Hillary Cheruiyot posted a 4:07.17 in the mile at the Blazer Invitational, ranking him second in the SEC
Starting Off Strong
- The Crimson Tide opened the 2022 indoor season firing on all cylinders at the Blazer and Vulcan Invitationals, with the Tide tallying a total of 25 podium finishes across the two invites
- Alabama set two school records, a Birmingham Crossplex facility record and four meet records over the two days of competition
- Bobby Colantonio Jr. won the weight throw at the Blazer Invitational with a mark of 24.15 meters to shatter his own school record set in 2020 and setting a Birmingham Crossplex facility record
- Colantonio Jr.'s throw ranks him seventh all-time in college and earned him SEC Field Athlete of the Week honors
- Chelsea Igberaese broke the school record in the weight throw with a mark of 20.54 meters at the Blazer Invitational
- Amari Brown produced a hat-trick of podium finishes at the Vulcan Invitational with a first-place finish in the 60 meter, a second-place in the 200-meter as well as a second-place finish as part of the women's 4x400-meter relay in the anchor position
- The Tide men nabbed first- and second-place finishes in the 4x400-meter relay at the Vulcan Invitational with Gabe Serrano, Mason Phillips, Demetrius Jackson and Matthew Weaver setting a meet record (3:09.37) on the way to the win
- Hillary Cheruiyot led Alabama's 1-2 sweep of the men's mile with a time of 4:07.17
- Alabama swept the top-three spots in the men's shot put, led by Isaac Odugbesan's Blazer Invitational record and winning mark of 20.48m
- In his first race for the Crimson Tide, Mason Phillips won the men's 60 meters in a time of 6.73
- Leander Forbes gave UA another Blazer Invitational record when he ran a 1:01.43 to win the men's 500 meters
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Players Mentioned
