BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Eight school records were established over the weekend, as The W track and field teams participated in the Samford Open on Saturday and then the KMS Invitational on Sunday. Both events took place at the CrossPlex indoor arena.
 
Without a doubt, the highlight of the weekend came from the women's team's freshman thrower Brooklyn Kelley (Helena, Ala./Helena High School). Technically, Kelley set three school records, but twice broke her own MUW standard. After setting the shot put mark last December in her first-ever collegiate competition, she re-established that record on Saturday in the Samford meet – chock full of NCAA I and II competition - by hitting 11.04 meters (and besting her own 10.76 from December). In that same meet, Kelley broke teammate Arie'Onna McCollum's MUW record for the weight throw with a heave of 12.80 meters (was 10.83m).
 
In Sunday's KMS Invitational, Kelley extended her mark in the weight throw to 13.59 meters and, in the process, finished in third place among the 16 competitors. Kelley also finished third in the shot put, although not setting a record, with an effort of 10.77 meters versus the field of 20 competitors.
 
In the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (SLIAC) performance list, Kelley has the No. 2 distance in the shot put and No. 4 in the weight throw. She is the highest-ranking freshman on both lists.
 
On the men's side, you might say Allen Fields (Saltillo, Miss./Saltillo H.S.) really overcame some hurdles over the weekend. Fields, a sophomore, slashed 24/100ths of a second off of his own school record in the 60-meter hurdles on Saturday with a clocking of 9.26 seconds (his previous time was 9.50). Then, on Sunday, Fields clipped another fraction of a second off of that time with a 9.25 at the KMS meet.
 
Fields has the No.1-ranked time in the SLIAC for the 60-meter hurdles.
 
Senior Tavonta Macon (Columbus, Miss./Columbus H.S.) knocked better than seven full seconds off of his previous record time in the 600-meter run on Sunday, crossing the line at 1:30.10 (was 1:37.25 set in 2022).
 
Macon also ran the second leg of the Owls' school record 4x200 relay team, which ran at 1:33.90 on Sunday (was 1:37.66 previously). The quartet included Kobe Smith (Columbus, Miss./New Hope H.S.), Macon, Jailon Warner (Booneville, Miss./Booneville H.S.), and Seth Williams.
 
In the men's high jump, freshman Malachi Stafford (Biggersville, Miss./Biggersville H.S.) became the first Owl to attempt the men's high jump event, thus setting the standard at 1.84 meters.
 
The W will return to the CrossPlex on February 8 for the UAB Green & Gold Invitational.