CENTRAL, N.C. - The Brevard College men's and women's track & field teams opened the 2024 season with strong results at the Susan Rouse Invitational at the Joe R. Gilbert Track & Field in Central, South Carolina.
 
Brevard senior Channing Barker finished in second-place in the women's 1500 meters with a time of 5:09.35.  In the same race, junior Sandra Diaz-Martinez placed eighth.  Barker and Diaz-Martinez also raced in the 400 meters, finishing 11th and 16th respectively.
 
Sophomore Jaxsen Wilkerson was the highest finishing men's competitor for Brevard in any event with a second-place result (13.48 meters) in the men's triple jump.  Wilkerson also placed third in the long jump.   Freshman Kellun Triplett finished fourth in the triple jump with a 12.87-meter output in his collegiate debut.  Sophomore Antonio Damalos placed ninth in the long jump.
 
In men's throwing events, Henry Tarte and Noah Westbrook posted big results to lead the charge for the Tornados.  Tarte was third in the hammer with a throw of 28.91 meters, fourth in discus (11.97 meters) and eighth in shot put.  Westbrook placed fourth in hammer (28.26 meters), fourth in shot put (11.97 meters) and fifth in javelin (30.30).  Freshman Alfredo Sixtos-Rodriquez was strong in his collegiate debut with a sixth-place result in javelin.
 
On the women's side, senior thrower Isabell Musser had a successful day with third-place finishes in both shot put and discus to go along with a ninth-place result in javelin.
 
On the distance side, seniors Devon Brodmyer (7th place) and Garrett Spangler (9th place) both earned top-tens in the men's 5,000 meter run.  Other strong running results came from Owen Plucar who was ninth in the 1500 meters and tenth in the 400 meters. 
 
On the women's side, junior Haylea-Layne Miller finished eighth in the 800 meters.  Freshman Anne Herring placed 13th in the women's 100 meter dash.
 
Next up for Brevard is a trip to Hickory, North Carolina for the LR Bears Open on Saturday, March 16.
 
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