Sklenska Brings Home the Gold; Trojans Place 13 in Top-10 at Crimson Tide Invitational

Saturday, April 23

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

All Day

Troy University

Crimson Tide Invitational

Sklenska Brings Home the Gold; Trojans Place 13 in Top-10 at Crimson Tide Invitational

4/23/2022 9:57:00 PM | Track & Field, Track & Field (M), Track & Field (W)

RESULTS (PDF)

By: Troy Athletics Communications

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.- Edita Sklenska leads Troy as the sole victor on the final day of the Crimson Tide Invitational at Sam Bailey Track and Field Stadium on Saturday.

The Trojans triumphed all day on Saturday, with 13 athletes in the top-10, including three from the 5000-meter run. This improves on Troy's first day in Tuscaloosa, combining for 17 top-10 finishes for the meet - four on Friday.

"We had a pretty good meet at Alabama," director of track and field Marc Davis said. "Whenever we have a chance to compete against good teams, it generally cultivates good performances. Where we hurt, ourselves is overthinking. If we go in and just compete, we can compete with anyone."

Sklenska dominated the women's 800-meter from start to finish in lane seven. Then, the junior took off, setting Troy's quickest time in the event this season by over two seconds at 2:05.01. For the second time in the 800-meter, Sklenska brought home the gold.

Javon Osbourne took home two top-10 finishes in the men's discus and shot-put events. First, Osbourne was one of 14 athletes in the discus invitational event. Osbourne threw to the 55.55-meter mark on his fourth throw, just under his personal best for fourth. Then, the freshman found his way back into the top-10 on his third throw, placing tenth at 17.51-meters.

The 5000-meter event had three Trojans place in the top five. Teanna Cason and Caroline Sall went back-to-back on the women's side. At 18:45.94, Cason stayed in fourth for most of the race before crossing the stripe there. Less than a second behind her was Sall, coming in fifth at 18:46.58. It was Mason Bennett on the men's side to place fourth, remaining there throughout the race at 15:58.04.

Cole Stewart had an impressive day in the men's javelin throw. Stewart held the lead through his first two throws, topping off at 66.62-meters on his second throw. However, the gold was stolen from the sophomore after the third attempt by the athletes, eventually finishing in second.

In the men's 110-meter hurdles, two Trojans placed inside the top-10 in Eugene Vickers and Julian Martin-Rogers. Vickers was the lead Trojan, finishing in fifth at the 14.29 mark. Martin-Rogers followed Vickers in sixth, just 0.02 seconds behind him on lane six.

The final top-five finish for Troy was in the women's 4x400-meter relay. Despite having the slowest time of the season for the Trojans at 3:47.21, Sklenska, Vennessa Frank, Maya Kelly and Alexandria Rankin came away fifth in the event. Next, Frank and Kelly substituted Alejandra Gutierrez Fuente and Naveyh Frost for the 4x100-meter relay, coming in seventh at 46.53.

A pair of Jordan's rounded out the top-10s for Troy on the day, with Jordan McCleskey taking home eighth at 48.02 - Troy's best time of the season in the men's 400-meter. Jordan Mereus finished seventh in the men's 400-meter hurdles, setting a new season record at 53.00.

"This week, we are off to Penn Relays in Philadelphia," Davis added. "Always a great meet. If we bring our best, we will get so much out of the experience. I am looking forward to seeing how we fare."

The track and field team heads to the "City of Brotherly Love" for the final meet of the regular season from April 28-30 in the Penn Relays.