BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | Alabama State University's track and field teams kicked off their season with an outstanding performance in the Birmingham Invitational, held Friday at the Birmingham CrossPlex. The Hornets set several personal and school records while achieving multiple top-five finishes. 

Women's Highlights 

• 300-Meter Dash: Freshman Daylin Gibson impressed in her collegiate debut, finishing first overall with a time of 38.74 seconds. Teammate Jaqual Bush followed in fourth place, clocking 39.75 seconds. 

• 60-Meter Dash: Rasunek Tyler-Thompson secured a spot on the podium with a strong performance. 

• 60-Meter Hurdles: Wilnaya Taylor achieved a personal best with a time of 8.70 seconds. 

• 1000-Meter Dash: The Hornets dominated, with Taliah Wickett leading the pack and setting a personal best of 2:59.80 to claim first place. Aaliyah Williams placed second in 3:01.41, while Selket Reid El came in fourth with a time of 3:03.12. 

• Triple Jump: Yasmin Grace captured first place with a mark of 11.93 meters (39-01.75). Ja'Nyiah Davis earned a fifth-place finish in the high jump with a leap of 1.60 meters (5-03.00). 

Men's Highlights 

• 300-Meter Dash: Nickory Richards took first place with a time of 33.89 seconds, and teammate Vaugh DeVaughn III rounded out the top five at 34.60 seconds. 

• 1000-Meter Dash: Both Jon Culter and Amos Beadle set personal bests in the event. 

• High Jump: Noel Asiedu earned a podium finish, placing third with a height of 2.00 meters (6-06.75). 

Head Coach Ritchie Beene praised the team's efforts, saying, "Today, we had some school records fall, and it's exciting to see that these achievements came from our newcomers. We also had several first-place finishes, which speaks to the hard work our athletes and coaches are putting in." 

Up Next
Alabama State is off until the new year when they hit the road to Kentucky for the annual Rod McCravey Invitational on Jan. 10-11.