Men's Track and Field Competes at Emory Classic
By: Alice Coughlin
The Berry College Vikings raced at the Emory Track and Field Classic with more than 20 other schools. On the second day of the meet, the Vikings raced in the 1500 meters, the 3000 meters and the 5000 meters. The men's team earned several personal records in the day's events. According to Coach Paul Deaton, this meet showed good progress for both individual and team goals.
First on the track was sophomore Brandon Davis in the seeded 5000 meters. Davis raced the 5000 meters in 16:19.21 for 19th place. Later in the day, five more team members raced in the unseeded 5000 meters. Senior Chase Babineaux completed the race in a personal record of 16:23.94. Babineaux placed 20th in the overall results, however, he placed first for his heat of the 5000 meters.
Next in the unseeded 5000 meter race was junior William Anthony. Anthony placed 26th overall and fifth place in the heat with a time of 16:55.82. Then, sophomore Dylan Munsey raced the 5000 meters in 17:24.60. Munsey came in sixth place for the heat and 28th place overall. Following Munsey was junior Lucas Stocks. Stocks raced to seventh place for the heat and 29th place overall. Stocks' time for the race was a personal record of 17:43.79. The final Viking in the 5000 meters was junior Chris White. White came in eighth place for the heat and 30th place overall. White raced the distance in a time of 17:44.56.
In the seeded 3000 meters, senior Blake Bannister had an impressive finish and a personal record. Bannister finished second overall in 9:01.79. Coach Deaton noted that Bannister ran a very fast and well-run race and came close to breaking the ever-taunting 9-minute mark for the 3000 meters.
The unseeded 1500 meters resulted in two more personal records for the Vikings. Sophomore Ryan James finished the 1500 meters in a personal record of 4:13.80 for ninth place. Then, freshman Zack Jordan completed his second ever 1500 meter race in 4:40.71 for 27th place.
Pertaining to his race, James stated, "The PR [personal record] was unexpected because it is a much shorter race and I tend to favor longer races. It was an interesting feeling during the race, I didn't hurt [like I usually do during the 1500 meters] probably because of our high mileage training this season."
The various personal records earned and the continuing improvements are proof of the taxing training and toiling that the Vikings have kept up all season long. This is the point in the season when the combination of training and race experiences come together for even more unforgettable results in the final meets. The Vikings will compete again on April 14 at the Cumberlands Invitational in Williamsburg, Ky.
-BerryVikings.com-