BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A school record and several personal records were set over the weekend as Alcorn Men's and Women's Track & Field took part in a pair of events hosted by UAB at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Friday and Saturday. The two days were two separate events – UAB Green and Gold Invite (Friday) and UAB Invite (Saturday), despite both being held at the same venue and both hosted by UAB, respectively.
 
In the women's 60m hurdles on Saturday, it was freshman Kayotric Taplin setting a new school record with a time of 8.62 seconds in the preliminaries. She would go on to finish eighth in the finals in a time of 8.78 seconds overall. Staying on the women's side of Saturday's events, Izayla Harris performed a mark of 7.55 in the women's 60m, setting a new personal best in that race, and allowing her to move to 16th in the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) rankings.
 
"The weekend was great," expressed Alcorn Head Coach Alonzo Banks. "I am very proud of the team and many outstanding performances, personal records, season-best marks and a school record-breaking win."
 
Jaden Gardner claimed fifth in the men's 400m, crossing in a time of 48.89 seconds during Saturday's UAB Invite. In the women's 400m, Rikki Gray (57.09) and Myshell Hurse (57.12) went back-to-back in seventh and eighth for the Braves, respectfully.
 
The Braves' men's 4x400m relay squad picked up a winning time of 3:12.31 on the day, allowing them to move to seventh in the HBCU ranks – as well as 60th in Division I. Also impressive was the Alcorn women's 4x400m relay squad with a third-place time of 3:48.48 overall.
 
"We accepted the challenges and definitely showed out, and it gives the student-athletes the confidence needed as we continue to prepare for the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Indoor Championships in two weeks," continued Banks.
 
During Friday's UAB Green and Gold Invite, Alcorn tallied 11 new personal-best times across the day.
 
Not once, but twice, freshman Beethoven Phanord of Miami, Florida, turned in a personal record in the men's 60m. He gathered a fourth-place finish in the finals with a time of 6.90 seconds. Joe Coleman was seventh for the Braves in the finals behind Phanord in a mark of 6.97 seconds overall.
 
Taplin had a fifth-place finish in the women's 60m hurdles in a time of 8.73 seconds.
 
Over in the 200m for both men and women, Izayla Harris recorded a second-place finishing time of 24.32 seconds, allowing her to move to the 14th-fastest time for HBCU in that category. Sariah Magee of McComb, Mississippi, was fourth for the Braves in the final with a time of 24.50 seconds overall.
 
In the men's 200m, Derrick Williams finished second in 21.18 seconds. Meanwhile, Trellas Forrest was second in the men's 400m with a time of 48.06 seconds. On the women's side of things, senior Rikki Gray timed fourth in the 400m with a mark of 57.04 seconds.
 
Kaylin White, a senior from Tucson, Arizona, had a pair of pentathlon events first place finishes, including a distance of 5.59m in the long jump. That was followed up with a throw of 11.26m – also a first place mark, in the shot put.
 
The team returns to action February 21-22, as the Braves travel back to Birmingham for the SWAC Indoor Championships.
 
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