Jordan and Larrame set school records as Carson-Newman perseveres through funky Liberty Open
Rylan Jordan set the record in the 400m and Lovelyne Larrame did so in the 200m, with multiple Eagles setting new PRs
VIDEO: Kieran Showler-Davis Interview
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Sophomore Rylan Jordan continues to cement himself as one of the best on the track after setting a new Carson-Newman record in the 400m at the Liberty Open.
It was a productive day for the whole team, as plenty of others will be returning to Mossy Creek with a new personal record. It was a great day overall for head coach Kieran Showler-Davis.
"We've had a fair few personal bests or records. Rylan in the 400 broke the school record, and his teammate from high school, Emmett Watson, also ran well in the 400, and in shot put, Lizzy Hall, threw a PR as well," Showler-Davis said. "All around, people stepped up today and had some good performances."
Showler-Davis was especially impressed with his team following the last-minute changes to the event. With the "impending doom" of snow approaching the Southeast, the Liberty Open became a one-day extravaganza, as opposed to the initially scheduled two-day meet.
"It was a very hectic week logistically, changing everything, the vans, hotels, but everyone's taking it in stride," Showler-Davis said. "I'm sure there were a few people that kind of felt a little bit rushed, but for the most part, everyone's had a good day and have stepped up when we needed them to."
The aforementioned Jordan started his day strong with the fastest time in the prelims for the 60m dash at 6.79 seconds. However, he did not participate in the finals to rest up for the 400m race
"If it were a two-day meet, I could get that extra rest, but since it's a one-day meet, we had to adjust," Jordan said. "That's how Coach Kieran trains us, to adjust to anything. So the whole team stepped up, and it didn't really affect us."
It was certainly the right choice as Jordan claimed third place overall and etched his name in the Carson-Newman history books with a 47.97-second performance for a new school record.
"Coach told me to go out there, do what I do, execute and trust the training," Jordan said post-race. "So that's exactly what I went out there and did."
Later in the afternoon, Lovelyne Larrame ran a 24.79 in the 200m for a new school record. Breaking Sade de Sousa's previous record, Larrame finished 13th overall in the event.
For the first time in his collegiate career, Emmett Watson ran in the 400m, pacing himself to a 10th-place finish at 48.90 seconds.
In the 200m dash, Favour Ekpekpe claimed third with a time of 21.48 seconds, a new season-best for him.
Keirieonna Wilson set her PR in the women's 5000m with an 18:02.60 for second place.
In the relay events, C-N took fourth in the men's 4x400m at 3:19.51 with Alden Wetzel, Abiram Pramod, Ekpepke and Watson. As for the women, they placed fifth with 3:53.48 seconds in a group that had Lovelyne Larrame, Lidija Djokic, Caroline Bannak and Trishanie Warner.
Elsewhere in the field, Lizzy Hall started the day with a 10.96m PR in the shot put and finished 19th. At the same time, Katie Edmunds cleared 3.31m in the pole vault for the best height in the low pit group.
Watson also appeared in the field, taking sixth in the long jump with a 6.79m jump.
In the lower circle, Alden Wetzel, placed at the top of his group, after he launched a 12.65m throw.
Wrapping up the day, Blayne Jackson tied for third in the men's high jump at 2.00m, setting a new PR. As Cadence Dolgin took seventh in the pole vault, clearing 4.60m.
"We take those good performances and understand having a plan A, plan B, plan C, because sometimes those happen in championships," Showler-Davis said. "People have now got the experience, we can adjust on the fly if it happens, and if it happens in a championship, we can just brush it off and focus on the event."
Carson-Newman will be back in action on February 6th and 7th when it returns to Lexington, Virginia, for the VMI Winter Relays.
