LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Berea College track and field team kicked off the outdoor portion of their schedule in great fashion as the Mountaineers had many top-five finishes in the Pioneer Invite on Friday and Saturday.

Junior Luke Wilson started the weekend off the big weekend for Berea as he finished in first place in the 10,000-meter with a final time of 31:39.32 and a new Transylvania University facility record.  Wilson followed his performance on Friday by securing another first-place finish (15:24.09) in the 5,000-meter on Saturday setting his second facility record in as many days.

In the men's javelin event, freshman Demarcus Smith placed ninth (35.2 meters) and freshman Nicolas Loaeza finished in 13th (27.53 meters). On the women's side, freshman Alyssa Bell threw 21.43 meters to secure fifth place, while sophomore Kyonna Ross was right behind her in sixth with 20.08 meters. Sophomore Elise Kemp nabbed a top-10 placement as she landed in ninth place with 15.11 meters and freshman Jessalyn Poynter threw 12.37 meters for 12th place to round out Friday's competitions for the Mountaineers.

Senior Avery Fair finished the 1,500-meter with a time of 4:15.91 to secure third place, while sophomore Noah Reasoner placed 11th (4:28.24). Sophomore Larry Branch gave the Mountaineers another top-five finish as he placed fourth (53.24) in the 400-meters and freshman Jakeisha Lewis placed third (1:06.81) and Jerneisha Lewis placed sixth (1:08.75) in the women's 400-meter.

Berea had three top-10 placements in the men's 100-meter as sophomore Cameron Bridgeman finished in fourth (11.87), freshman Calib Collier-Smith placed sixth (12.07), and senior Junior Gyamfi came in seventh (12.12). On the women's front, freshman Kymiah Blair placed ninth (14.47).

In the men's 800-meter Fair once again grabbed a top-five finish as he placed fourth with a time of 2:03.04.  Bridgeman secured third place (23.32) in the 200-meter while Blair grabbed second (28.07) in the women's race. Ja. Lewis placed fourth (29.43), while freshman Brianna Dowell finished eighth (30.91), and Liz Stokes placed 10th (31.61).

The relay teams for Berea had a fantastic showing as well as the men's 4x400-meter team made of junior Alexis Arreola, Branch, Bridgeman, and Fair placed second (3:39.37), while both women's teams placed first (freshman Chantel Davis, Dowell, Ja. Lewis, Je. Lewis, 4:37.98) and second (Junior Diana Angel Espinoza, Blair, Stokes, and freshman Liberte Mack, 4:44.84).

Freshman Sarah Keown had a pair of top-five placements as she threw 9.75 meters to place third in shot put and 29.7 meters in discus for fourth. In the jumping events, Branch placed fourth (6.32 meters) in the men's long jump while Stokes placed seventh (4.43 meters) in the women's. Ja. Lewis placed first (9.7 meters) in the women's triple jump and sophomore Caleb Wilson finished fourth (11.54 meters) in the men's.

The Berea College track and field team continues their season as they travel to compete in the Yellow Jacket Collegiate Open in Cedarville, Ohio on March 26.