The Furman track and field team won three gold medals in the men’s 1,500 meters and both the men’s and women’s 5,000 meters at the Charlotte Invitational, held at the Irwin Belk Track and Field Center in Charlotte, North Carolina on April 25.
The results highlight strong performances by both experienced athletes and newcomers. Senior Sierra Bower took first place in the women’s 5,000 meters with a time of 16:33.99. Freshman Elly Velasquez finished fourth in that event with a time of 16:49.32, while sophomore Zoie Lamanna placed seventh after achieving a personal-best time of 16:52.60.
Graduate student Bryn Woodall secured first place in the men’s 1,500 meters with a personal-best time of 3:39.91. Freshman Ty Jones finished twentieth (3:53.09), junior Brayden Seymour was twenty-first (3:53.45), and junior Trevor Coggin came twenty-eighth with his own personal record (3:56.65).
In the men’s 5,000 meters, graduate student Evan Guzman earned first place by finishing in 14:23.41.
Other notable performances included senior Colton Kempney placing fifth in the men’s 3,000 meter steeplechase (9:15.87) and sophomore Alex Friedli finishing eighth (9:24.91) in that same event.
Freshmen Tara Watkins posted twelfth place for women’s 800 meters (2:17.10), while freshman Kate Bannigan achieved fifteenth place—and a personal best—in women’s 1,500 meters (4:43.60). Senior Clair Garrett finished eighteenth in that race at 4:47.84.
