Track & Field: Dove Smashes School, Meet Records in Shot Put

DENTON, Texas – KeAyla Dove launched her final throw in the shot put 62-02.25 (18.95m) to claim the conference title and break both the school and meet records Saturday on the final day of the 2023 Conference USA Outdoor Championships at the Soccer and Track & Field Stadium.

Dove, already the school record holder in the shot put, saved her best for last as she flew over a meter past both her school record and Memphis' Susan King's Conference USA mark of 17.84 that had stood since 2008. Dove is now ranked No. 2 in the nation and No. 7 in the world with her record-setting and conference championship performance. Jaleisa Shaffer earned the bronze medal with a mark of 51-11.00 (15.82m), and Macayla Needham placed fourth with a throw of 49-05.00 (15.06m) to give the Mean Green 21 total points in the event.

Zion Hill completed his comeback from an injury that held him out all of 2022 with a gold medal-winning performance in the men's javelin. The senior from Bridgetown, Barbados, recorded a mark of 221-06 (67.53m) to remain undefeated at the C-USA Championships as he also won gold medals at the 2021 and 2019 championships. Vitus Hansgaard earned the silver medal with a throw of 209-05 (63.85m).

Karlington Anunagba finished as the runner-up in the men's 100 meters, winning the silver medal with a time of 10.20. Samir Williams also earned a point for UNT with an eighth-place finish.

Jordan Coates-McBride won a silver medal of his own as he placed second in the men's 400-meter hurdles, recording a time of 52.74.

Both the men's and women's 4x400-meter relay teams along with the men's 4x100-meter relay team won bronze medals with third-place finishes. The men's 4x100-meter relay team of Jared Johnson, Davonye Jones, Tyler Walls and Karlington Anunagba recorded a time of 40.06, the women's 4x400-meter relay team of Macy Burnham, Alika Crawford, Charlize Bartholomeaux and Kendahl Tucker clocked a time of 3:42.14, and the men's 4x400-meter relay team of Evan Nichols, Jordan Coates-McBride, Jared Johnson and Davonye Jones registered a time of 3:14.82.

The UNT men's team finished in fourth place overall with 90 total points, and the women's team placed seventh with 57 points.

The remaining point scorers for the Mean Green Sunday included Kennedy Adams in the triple jump (fourth place – 5 points), Mackenzie Kuehl in the women's javelin (sixth place – 3 points), Jomauri Murray in the men's 110-meter hurdles (eighth place – 1 point), Kendahl Tucker in the women's 400 meters (fifth place – 4 points), Alika Crawford in the women's 100 meters (seventh place, 2 points), Lauren Brown in the women's 100 meters (eighth place – 1 point), Luke Canon in the men's 800 meters (fourth place – 5 points), Chinazaekpere Okoye in the women's 400-meter hurdles (fifth place – 4 points), Karlington Anunagba in the men's 200 meters (fifth place – 4 points), Jared Johnson in the men's 200 meters (seventh place – 2 points), and Victor Neiva in the men's 5,000 meters (seventh place – 2 points).

Next up for UNT is the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds May 24-27 in Sacramento, Calif. The 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will take place June 7-10 in Austin, Texas.

Be sure to keep an eye on MeanGreenSports.com, follow Mean Green Sports on social media @MeanGreenSports and Mean Green track & field/cross country at @MeanGreenTFXC for all of the latest information.

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