Tar Heels Take Six Titles in Season Debut

Saturday, January 11

Chapel Hill, N.C.

11 a.m.

North Carolina

Dick Taylor Carolina Challenge

Cameron Douglas

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

January 11, 2020 | Track & Field

Results (PDF)

The University of North Carolina track & field program opened its 2020 season Saturday with the Dick Taylor Carolina Challenge at Eddie Smith Field House. Between the men's and women's teams the Tar Heels finished the day with six individual victories as well as several other podium finishes and personal records.

Daniel McArthur returned with a strong showing for Carolina, winning both of his events. McArthur blew away his personal record in the weight throw, improving his best mark by over two meters. His mark of 62-1.75 (18.94m) was the best of all collegiate competitors and earned him a third-place overall finish. McArthur also won the shot put competition, coming up just two feet shy of his own school record with a throw of 64-2.5 (19.57m). On the track, the trio of Cameron Douglas, Qhiyal Towns and Dontavian Smith combined to sweep the men's 60-meter-dash podium. Douglas' time of 6.79 seconds sets a personal record and moves him into a three-way tie, along with Smith, for the second-fastest time in school history.

For the women, Anna Keefer came away with first- and second-place finishes in the long jump and 60 meters, respectively. Her time of 7.47 seconds in the 60-meter run narrowly missed a personal record while her jump of 19-4 (5.89m) in the long jump gave her a four-inch margin over the rest of the field. Jill Shippee also highlighted the women's team. Her mark of 64-8.5 (19.72m) in the weight throw gave her close to a five-meter (4.97m) margin of victory.

OTHER TAR HEEL HIGHLIGHTS

Draven Crist, a fifth year from Burlington, N.C., won the men's high jump with a mark of 6-11.5 (2.12 meters).
Madias Loper, a junior from Fayetteville, Ga., set a new personal record in the men's shot put, throwing 56-9.25 (17.30 meters)
Ari Cogdell, a senior from Miami Gardens, Fla., won the men's 400-meter dash with a time of 49.22 seconds.
Ashley Smith, a senior from Clemmons, N.C., set a new personal record, indoor or outdoor, in the women's mile, covering 1,609 meters in 5:05.99.
The men's 4x400 A and B relays took 2nd and 3rd in the event. The 'B' relay (Ari Cogdell, Isaiah Palmer, Dontavian Smith, Harrison Young) clocked 3:19.68 while the 'A' relay (Jadon Johnson, Cameron Douglas, Qhiyal Towns, Matthew Harris) finished with a time of 3:20.70.
Ben Finger, a freshman from Dallas, N.C., cleared a personal-best height of 16-2.75 (4.95m) in the men's pole vault and finished in a tie for second place.

NEXT UP: The Tar Heels go on the road for the first time in 2020 next weekend. Carolina will travel to Blacksburg, Va. January 17-18 for the Virginia Tech Invitational.