Pirates Enjoy Successful Opening Outdoor Weekend

Friday, March 26

Columbia, S.C.

All Day

East Carolina University

Weems Baskin Invitational

March 27, 2021 | Track & Field

Weems Baskin Results (PDF)

COLUMBIA, S.C. – East Carolina kicked off its outdoor campaign this weekend at the Weems Baskin on the campus of the University of South Carolina. The Pirates won three events and saw a school record fall.

"We just finished up with a team meeting and I told our student-athletes that we should be so thankful that we are competing," Director of Men's and Women's Track and Field and Cross Country Curt Kraft said. "I stressed to them that we can never take anything for granted moving forward. We have faced numerous challenges during this pandemic. Both teams performed extremely well considering we have been off for 13 months without competing. Now we have some benchmarks moving forward on what to improve."

2020 indoor All-America performer Ryan Davis put in a huge weekend, setting the program outdoor record in the hammer throw with a mark of 68.99 meters. He currently ranks first in the American Athletic Conference and second nationally in the event. Davis also took second in the shot put and third in the discus.

Newcomer Starrett Vesper won the open section of the pole vault, recording a mark of 4.60 meters – the eighth-best total in school history. Rebekah Bergquist also captured the open section of the javelin, posting the 10th-best mark in program history at 41.70 meters.

In all, ECU turned in an impressive 39 top-eight finishes in a huge field that included powerhouse programs Kentucky, South Carolina and Virginia Tech as well as regional rivals Appalachian State, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina and North Carolina A&T.

"We have to focus on getting better each and every week," Kraft added. "Both teams are extremely excited to compete at the home meet next week. As a coaching staff we are very proud of how everyone completed this weekend."

Notable Performances (Women)
100m
5. Melicia Mouzzon (11.69)
800m
6. L'Nya Carpenter (2:20.39)
5,000m
2. Lindsay Yentz (17:15.31)
3. Abby Yourkavitch (17:21.51)
4. Jenna Strange (17:54.46)
Discus
4. Candice Whitley (49.18m)
5. Tavia Ranger (48.69m)
High Jump
4. Molly Stecker (1.55m)
5. Bria Stith (1.55m)
Pole Vault
2. Lena Calkins (3.40m)
3. Rileigh Cardin (3.40m)
Javelin
1. Rebekah Bergquist (41.70m)
2. Ansley Frady (40.62m)
4x100 Relay
3. Tajah Walston, Rosalynd Hollingsworth, Melicia Mouzzon, Mariah Atwater (45.68)
4x300 Relay
2. Nyah Gore, D'Nia Freeman, Leya Essex, Mariah Atwater (2:37.21)
4x800 Relay
3. L'Nya Carpenter, Bria Stith, Skylar Parks, Brooke Stith (10:16.77)

Notable Performances (Men)
Steeplechase
2. Matthew Russell (9:37.70)
5,000m
3. Chase Osborne (14:54.70)
5. Josh Spare (15:18.89)
High Jump (Invite)
3. Blake Mathews (2.02m)
Pole Vault
1. Starrett Vesper (4.60m)
Shot Put (Invite)
2. Ryan Davis (16.50m)
3. Logan Carroll (16.45m)
Discus (Invite)
3. Ryan Davis (56.73m)
Hammer (Invite)
1. Ryan Davis (68.99m)