University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Weems Baskin Invite Day 2
Tar Heels Leave Weems Baskin Invitational With Several Lifetime Bests
March 24, 2018 | Track & Field
COLUMBIA, S.C. - The University of North Carolina track and field teams wrapped up competition at the Weems Baskin Invitational at the Sheila & Morris Cregger Track Saturday, leaving the facility with several lifetime bests and impressive performances.
One day after setting a lifetime best in the women's long jump, freshman Anna Keefer (St. Michael Albertville, Minn.) set a new lifetime best of 23.94 in the 200 meters, taking sixth out of 149 competitors. The time is top-five in the ACC. Keefer set her previous best of 24.12 last weekend at the UCF Black & Gold Challenge.
Freshman Dontavian Smith (Roxboro, N.C.) also had an impressive day in the sprints for Carolina. He ran 10.59 to finish 13th out of 119 competitors in the 100 meters. The time is just .01 off of his personal best and it is the second-fastest time in the ACC so far this season.
"In the short sprints, Dontavian and Anna both had good early-season marks," head coach Harlis Meaders said. "We are happy to see Anna showing flexibility, not only having a very good day in the long jump, but also being able to show some improvement in the short sprints as well."
Sophomore Liam Dixon (Mooresville, N.C.) set a new lifetime best in the men's invitational section of the pole vault, clearing 15-11 (4.85 meters) on his final attempt at the height. Dixon's previous best came this past indoor season at the Notre Dame Invitational on January 20 where he jumped 15-8 ¼, and his best outdoor jump as a freshman was 15-0 ¾ at the Virginia Grand Prix on April 29, 2017.
Freshman Emerson Porter (Charlotte, N.C.) also achieved a new outdoor personal best in the pole vault, jumping 12-1 ½ (3.70 meters) in the invitational section to take second.
"We are very happy for Liam Dixon and Emerson Porter in the vault," Meaders said. "They have been working with coach Vegas, and they have both had break throughs down in Columbia. Both of those young athletes have a tremendous amount of potential, and they are starting to see some of the hard work pay off."
OTHER SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS
Men
• Sophomore Daniel McArthur finished third in the invitational section of the men's shot put, throwing for 59-0 ¼ (17.99 meters) on his first attempt.
• Redshirt-freshman Alex Milligan won the invitational section of the 1,500 meters in 3:54.90. It was the first time Milligan had ever raced at the distance as a Tar Heel.
• The 4x400 squad of Amari DeVaughn, Isaiah Palmer, Cory Nicholls and Kenny Selmon took second in 3:12.01 only to an unattached group led by former Tar Heel standout RJ Alowonle.
Women
• Senior Blake Dodge ran a personal-best 4:30.57 to win the invitational section of the 1,500 meters.
• Freshman Lindsey Lanier won the 3,000 meters in a lifetime-best 10:01.88.
"We were really excited to see the distance group make another step forward, and we feel like as they improve they'll be able to make significant contributions to the team as we move forward," Meaders said. "It is still early in the outdoor season, but kids are having consistent performances like our throwers - not better than last week, but still quality early-season marks, which will pay off in the long run."
FRIDAY'S HIGHLIGHT
In her first collegiate outdoor long jump competition, Anna Keefer set a lifetime best of 20-3 (16.17 meters) in the women's invitational section. The jump gave her a runner-up finish in the event and gives her the top mark in the ACC so far this season. The jump also currently ranks fourth in the east division and fifth in the NCAA.
Keefer's previous outdoor best was 20-1 ¼ (6.13 meters), and her previous lifetime best of 20-2 ½ (6.16 meters) she achieved to win the event at the 2018 ACC Indoor Track & Field Championships. Her jump Friday tops both for the best long jump of her career.
NEXT UP: The Tar Heels will stay in the triangle for competitions over the next two weeks. First up is the Raleigh Relays, one of the nation's premier distance meets, hosted by N.C. State from March 30-31. One week later, Carolina will take on Duke and Michigan in the Battle of the Blues in Durham, N.C. on April 7th. Fans are encouraged to attend the meets and watch the Tar Heels in their two local competitions of the year.
"It will be as close as we get to home competitions this year with our track being under construction, but it will be good to sleep in our own beds," Meaders said. "The meet at NC State is always a great meet. There will be a ton of teams out there with a lot of talent. Then we will have the Battle of the Blues with Duke and Michigan in early April. We are really starting to get into the true part of the season now that we have these two meets under our belts."
Follow the Tar Heels at @unctrack_field on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates all season long.
Players Mentioned
