Saturday, January 14
Chapel Hill
All Day
North Carolina
vs
Dick Taylor Challenge
Tar Heel 4x400 relay winners Blaise Atkinson, Jared Williams, Trevor Paschall and Craig Saddler
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Tar Heels Win Eight Titles At Dick Taylor Challenge
January 14, 2023 | Track & Field
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—Eight Tar Heels won individual titles in an impressive overall performance for the University of North Carolina track and field teams on Saturday at the Dick Taylor Carolina Challenge in the Eddie Smith Field House.
Carolina dominated the distance events, winning titles in the men's and women's mile run, women's 800m and men's and women's 1000m. UNC also won both the men's and women's 4x400 relays, as well as the women's weight throw.
The Tar Heels were hosting their first indoor meet in Chapel Hill in over three years. The last time UNC hosted a home meet was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic at the Dick Taylor Carolina Challenge on January 11, 2020.
In the meantime, the Eddie Smith Field House was upgraded from top to bottom, including a new track surface, state-of-the-art lighting, fresh paint, updated UNC branding throughout the building, renovated coaches' offices, locker rooms and a team lounge and more.
UNC put forth a performance worthy of its sparkling home venue on Saturday.
Carolina runners took three of the top six finishes in the men's mile run. Sophomore Jason Thomson raced to the victory in 4:09.03. With Sully Shelton taking third place in 4:10.53 and Crawford Hope finishing sixth in 4:16.59, UNC runners took three of the top six finishes. Meanwhile, Michael Spragley won the men's 1000m in a time of 2:25.65 with Tar Heels Aiden Neal and Dylan Look, racing unattached, finished second and third, respectively. The men's 4x400 relay team of Blaise Atkinson, Jared Williams, Trevor Paschall and Craig Saddler II captured the final win of the day for UNC.
The women were just as impressive for Carolina. Jordan Fong, a graduate transfer from Stanford in her first appearance as a Tar Heel, won the women's weight throw with a personal-best throw of 19.16m (62-10.50). UNC swept the top three finishers in the women's mile run with Natalie Tyner winning in 4:52.77, followed by second-place Ava Dobson (4:55.37) and third-place Sasha Neglia (4:55.64). Madison Huecker won the women's 1000m in a time of 2:59.13.
Carolina grabbed the top three spots in the women's 800m: Alyssa Hernandez (2:15.29), Ella Auderset (2:16.55) and Addison Pignetti (2:23.38).
TAR HEEL HIGHLIGHTS
• Meet officials held a moment of silence during the meet in honor of Richard "Dick" Taylor (UNC Class of 1950), who passed away in 2022. Taylor was an NCAA Division I hurdles record holder as a Tar Heel and later a member of the UNC System Board of Governors. The UNC indoor track and Saturday's meet are both named in Taylor's honor.
• In the men's weight throw, senior Troy Yearwood of Chesapeake, Va., posted his indoor personal best performance at 20.53m (67-04.25 feet), topping his previous top mark of 20.42m (67-0). He finished third in the event on Saturday. UNC senior James Joycey finished fourth in the weight throw with a distance of 19.46m (63-10.25).
• Paige Floriea, a sophomore from Painesville, Ohio, took third place in the women's long jump with a jump of 5.51m (18-01.00).
• Tar Heels took six of the top 10 spots in the men's pole vault, led by a third-place tie between Paul Signorelli and Ben Finger with vaults of 4.78m (15-08.25).
• Freshman Blaise Atkinson took second place in the men's 60m hurdles in a time of 8.10.
• Sydney Banks, a junior, took second place with a high jump of 1.68m (5-06.00).
• The UNC women's A team won the 4x400 relay in a time of 3:54.25, topping second place East Carolina by over five seconds. The Carolina men's A team also won the 4x400 in a time of 3:20.53.
NEXT UP: The Tar Heels go on the road next weekend for the first time in 2023. Carolina will travel to Blacksburg, Va. on Friday and Saturday, January 20-21 for the Virginia Tech Invitational.
Carolina dominated the distance events, winning titles in the men's and women's mile run, women's 800m and men's and women's 1000m. UNC also won both the men's and women's 4x400 relays, as well as the women's weight throw.
The Tar Heels were hosting their first indoor meet in Chapel Hill in over three years. The last time UNC hosted a home meet was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic at the Dick Taylor Carolina Challenge on January 11, 2020.
In the meantime, the Eddie Smith Field House was upgraded from top to bottom, including a new track surface, state-of-the-art lighting, fresh paint, updated UNC branding throughout the building, renovated coaches' offices, locker rooms and a team lounge and more.
UNC put forth a performance worthy of its sparkling home venue on Saturday.
Carolina runners took three of the top six finishes in the men's mile run. Sophomore Jason Thomson raced to the victory in 4:09.03. With Sully Shelton taking third place in 4:10.53 and Crawford Hope finishing sixth in 4:16.59, UNC runners took three of the top six finishes. Meanwhile, Michael Spragley won the men's 1000m in a time of 2:25.65 with Tar Heels Aiden Neal and Dylan Look, racing unattached, finished second and third, respectively. The men's 4x400 relay team of Blaise Atkinson, Jared Williams, Trevor Paschall and Craig Saddler II captured the final win of the day for UNC.
The women were just as impressive for Carolina. Jordan Fong, a graduate transfer from Stanford in her first appearance as a Tar Heel, won the women's weight throw with a personal-best throw of 19.16m (62-10.50). UNC swept the top three finishers in the women's mile run with Natalie Tyner winning in 4:52.77, followed by second-place Ava Dobson (4:55.37) and third-place Sasha Neglia (4:55.64). Madison Huecker won the women's 1000m in a time of 2:59.13.
Carolina grabbed the top three spots in the women's 800m: Alyssa Hernandez (2:15.29), Ella Auderset (2:16.55) and Addison Pignetti (2:23.38).
TAR HEEL HIGHLIGHTS
• Meet officials held a moment of silence during the meet in honor of Richard "Dick" Taylor (UNC Class of 1950), who passed away in 2022. Taylor was an NCAA Division I hurdles record holder as a Tar Heel and later a member of the UNC System Board of Governors. The UNC indoor track and Saturday's meet are both named in Taylor's honor.
• In the men's weight throw, senior Troy Yearwood of Chesapeake, Va., posted his indoor personal best performance at 20.53m (67-04.25 feet), topping his previous top mark of 20.42m (67-0). He finished third in the event on Saturday. UNC senior James Joycey finished fourth in the weight throw with a distance of 19.46m (63-10.25).
• Paige Floriea, a sophomore from Painesville, Ohio, took third place in the women's long jump with a jump of 5.51m (18-01.00).
• Tar Heels took six of the top 10 spots in the men's pole vault, led by a third-place tie between Paul Signorelli and Ben Finger with vaults of 4.78m (15-08.25).
• Freshman Blaise Atkinson took second place in the men's 60m hurdles in a time of 8.10.
• Sydney Banks, a junior, took second place with a high jump of 1.68m (5-06.00).
• The UNC women's A team won the 4x400 relay in a time of 3:54.25, topping second place East Carolina by over five seconds. The Carolina men's A team also won the 4x400 in a time of 3:20.53.
NEXT UP: The Tar Heels go on the road next weekend for the first time in 2023. Carolina will travel to Blacksburg, Va. on Friday and Saturday, January 20-21 for the Virginia Tech Invitational.
Relay
|
3:20.53
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||
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3:54.25
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Individual
|
Jaylan Mitchell
Unattached
|
6.70
|
|
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Abby Geiser
Duke
|
7.47
|
|
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Marcus Krah
Unattached
|
8.09
|
|
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Cha'Mia Rothwell
Unattached
|
8.10
|
|
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Phillip Marcelle
Unattached
|
22.64
|
|
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Mackenzie Townsend
UNCW
|
27.55
|
|
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North Carolina
|
34.96
|
|
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Cierra Dunston
G.W. Express/Nike
|
39.57
|
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Donnell Carter
N.C. Central
|
51.33
|
|
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Riley Knebes
Unattached
|
55.30
|
|
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Alex Sawyer
East Carolina
|
1:57.02
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North Carolina
|
2:15.29
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North Carolina
|
2:25.65
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North Carolina
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2:59.13
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North Carolina
|
4:09.03
|
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North Carolina
|
4:52.77
|
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Lamont Victoria
N.C. Central
|
2.13m
|
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Sydney Koker
High Point
|
1.71m
|
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Josh Colley
Athletic Lab TC/TRACKBARN
|
7.30m
|
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Courtney Lines
UNCW
|
6.05m
|
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Zach McWhorter
Duke
|
5.33m
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Brynn King
Duke
|
4.15m
|
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Chris Van Niekerk
High Point
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17.10m
|
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Amanda Schaare
Wake Forest
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14.98m
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North Carolina
|
13.80m
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Joidon Boddie
N.C. Central
|
11.92m
|
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Alex Young
Unattached
|
22.77m
|
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North Carolina
|
19.16m
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Players Mentioned
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
High Jump
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Track & Field
Throws
/ Track & Field
Middle Distance
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Throws
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Throws
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