JONESBORO, Ark. (4/2/16) – Four different meets were on the schedule for Arkansas State track and field this weekend and the Red Wolves posted improved marks heading toward the second half of the outdoor season.  

A-State sent a contingent of sprinters to the Florida Relays that began on Thursday and concluded Saturday. Sophomore sprinter Kristina Knott highlighted the A-State performances at the meet as she finished eighth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.43 seconds. The time is a new personal best for Knott and ranks second in program history behind Sharika Nelvis' record of 11.17 seconds.

Elsewhere in Gainesville, Fla., A-State had entries in the men's 100-meter and 400-meter dash. Sophomore Jaylen Bacon ran in the 100-meter dash and posted a time of 10.37 seconds to finish 15th. Henry Offiah (50.05) and Quinten Nash (50.67) ran in the 400-meter dash while De'Airis Weakley (12.17), Chanell O'Connor (12.31), Kristiana Watson (12.51) and Alexis Harrell (12.62) ran in the women's 100-meter dash.

The Red Wolves had several student-athletes compete at the Texas Relays in Austin, Texas, and Bobcat Invitational in San Marcos, Texas. Thursday at the Texas Relays, freshman Sam Bell vaulted 5.20m (17-00.75), a mark that ranks top five in the Sun Belt performance list. Junior Samone Thompson (1:00.79) posted the top time in the Sun Belt this season in the 400-meter hurdles, a time that ranks third-fastest in program history. Freshman Gracee Damron also ran in the 400-meter hurdles Thursday, posting a top-five time (1:02.06) among Sun Belt Conference student-athletes this year and climbs to the sixth-fastest mark in program history.

The majority of the A-State track and field squad competed at the Joey Haynes Invitational at SEMO Saturday. The meet featured regional competition including host SEMO, Memphis, Middle Tennessee and SIU-Edwardsville.

Saturday, A-State saw five student-athletes compete in the Bobcat Invitational. Thompson raced in the 100-meter hurdles and finished third, clocking a time of 13.83 seconds, tied for the fourth-fastest in program history. Senior Emenderlyn Iwuji finished sixth (14.00) and Damron was 17th (14.71). In the women's pole vault, A-State saw senior's Alexandra Pevtsova and Megan Wright finish seventh with identical clearances of 3.55m (11-07.75).

Junior thrower Erin Farmer broke her own school record in the shot put for the second-consecutive week. Farmer won the event at the Joey Haynes Invitational with a throw of 15.86m (52-00.50), bettering her previous record of 15.75m (51-08.25) set last week at the Louisiana Classics.

Sophomore thrower Calea Carr picked up a pair of top-five finishes on the day. Carr finished second overall, but top collegiately, in the discus throw with a mark of 50.04m (164-02). She finished fourth overall, third among collegiate student-athletes, in the hammer throw with a toss of 51.49m (168-11), a personal-best that ranks fourth in program history.

On the men's side, sophomore Cristian Ravar Ladislau posted a third place finish in the hammer throw with a throw of 60.18m (197-05), a personal-best and fourth-best throw in program history. Junior Itamar Levi picked up a pair of third place finishes in discus throw (51.79m/169-11) and shot put (17.67m/57-11.75).

In total, A-State collected 11 top-10 finishes at the Joey Haynes Invitational. Others finishing top-10 included Kyandra Chandler in the 1,500-meter run (10th – 4:51.36) and 5,000-meter run (7th – 18:22.35), Kiarra Simpson in discus throw (10th – 40.38m/132-06) and Ethan Clark (7th – 16:18.46) and Josh Kruse (9th – 16:29.43) in the 5,000-meter run.

The Red Wolves travel to Waco, Texas for the Baylor Invitational next weekend.