Season Opening Weekend Concludes Between Nashville And Birmingham

Saturday, January 18

Nashville, TN

Mississippi State

Vanderbilt Invitational

Season Opening Weekend Concludes Between Nashville And Birmingham

January 19, 2025 | Track & Field

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By: Jhordyn Stallworth, Fellow/Communications

NASHVILLE, Tenn./BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Mississippi State track and field concluded the season-opening weekend, with the squad splitting between the Vanderbilt Invitational and the Samford Invite and Open. State saw 14 personal bests between both meets, and two new entires to the MSU top performance lists.

"We had a good weekend for it to be our opener," said head coach Chris Woods. "We need to focus on the tasks at hand moving forward, and we can have a successful year."

Birmingham saw four MSU top performances over the weekend both on the track and on the runway. On the track, Nicholas Fakorede holds the No. 4 fastest time in the 60m in school history at 6.64. Peyton Bair holds the No. 3 spot in the pole vault and is tied for the No. 3 spot in the 60m hurdles. Kennedy Stringfellow jumped into the No. 3 spot in the long jump, with a mark of 7.66m. In Nashville, Roury McCloyen extended his No. 3 all-time mark in the shot put with an 18.81m throw. Gabrielle Boulay etched her name on this 3000m all-time list, taking the No. 4 spot with a 9:24.34 time.

On the second day of competition in Birmingham, Kyndall Sessom and Rickyla Fagan swept the women's 60m, with Fagan earning her third personal best of the weekend in the event. Danarrion Ard ran 6.73 in the 60m final, earning a new season's best and the top collegian finish in the race. MSU women swept the horizontal jumps with Kennedy Jackson jumping 5.92m in the long jump, and Manie Mevo jumping a personal best of 12.65m in the triple jump, both taking home first. Jaitlyn Ware won her first collegiate indoor 400m race, clocking in at 55.71. The MSU men repeated in the 200m sweep, with Fakorede, Kennedy Stringfellow and Cyrus Jacobs going 1-2-3 overall. In his first collegiate 200m race, Fakorede ran 21.32, followed by Stringfellow who ran 21.35, with Jacobs close behind with 21.68.

The Bulldogs had the bulk of their competition in Nashville on day 2, with the shot put, 800m, mile, 3000m and 4x400m relays being contested. McCloyen's 18.81m throw in the shot put serves as a new indoor personal best and places him fourth in the conference standings. Kaitlyn Burge had the fastest time for the MSU women in the mile, clocking in at 4:55.84 for her first individual collegiate race. Ramat Jimoh and Omari Hammond won their heats in the 800m, both finishing fourth overall, with Jimoh earning a new personal best of 2:08.06. Boulay's 9:24.34 performance in the 3000m not only puts her in the record books but now sits her at seventh in conference standings. Dan Joyce ran 8:23.81 to earn a personal best in the 3000m. The day closed with the women's 4x400m, with Lauren Lewis, Mallory Streetman, Ramat Jimoh and Trinity Holland clocking a 3:51.22 time in the relay.
The Bulldogs will be back in action at the Orange and Purple Invitational in Clemson, S.C., next weekend.

For more information on the Mississippi State track and field program, visit HailState.com and follow "HailStateTF" on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.