RESULTS

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Lee University men's track & field team opened its 2023 indoor season on Saturday at the UAB Vulcan Invitational. The Flames left the Birmingham CrossPlex with two Lee records and four NCAA Division II provisional marks.

Cale Kassen won the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.80 seconds to break Jeremiah McCain's standard of 8.14. Kassen's time also met the provisional qualifying mark and is currently the top time recorded in NCAA Division II. Cameron Stine finished 12^th with a time of 9.22. Kassen and Stine finished in the top four of the high jump with Kassen clearing 2.00 meters and Stine making it over 1.90 meters for second and fourth, respectively.

Eli Brooks set a Lee record on his way to a first-place finish in the pole vault. Brooks cleared 4.75 meters to eclipse Daniel Surman's previous record of 4.70 meters. Riley Margene placed seventh with a successful jump of 4.05 meters, while Randall Kramer was eighth with a height of 3.75 meters.

Donoven Jackson finished second with a provisional time of 6.86 seconds in the 60-meter dash. In the event preliminaries, he stopped the clock at 6.93, while Kassen was ninth in the preliminary round with a time of 7.03.

Justin Steele added another provisional mark in the 200-meter dash. He placed second with a qualifying time of 21.47, while Niquaine Henry finished ninth (22.51). Steele and Henry were joined by Nokia Masengu in the 400 where Steele won the race at 48.67. Henry was 10^th (50.92) with Masengu right behind in 11^th (50.98).

Will Stone was the first of seven Lee runners to cross the finish line of the 3000-meter run. He placed third with the seventh-best provisional time of 8:12.24. Aaron Himes was fourth (8:19.88) and Matthew Fowler was sixth (8:20.79). Ezekiel Harless (8:27.52) was eighth, Adan Rodriguez finished ninth (8:28.69), Stephen Clark (8:50.20) placed 13^th and Caleb Guthery recorded a time of 8:55.76 for 14^th.

Jacob Hatcher and Roberto Fajardo claimed first and second in a pair of events. Hatcher was first (1:55.15) in the 800-meter run and second in the mile (4:14.43). Fajardo was second in the 800 (1:55.44) and first in the mile (4:13.13). Ryan Lovelace and Evan Moore completed Lee's representation in the mile. Lovelace was seventh (4:21.16) and Moore placed eighth (4:22.50).

Myles Mann covered 12.41 meters to place seventh in the triple jump. He added a ninth-place finish with a long jump of 6.13 meters.

Matthew Black's weight throw of 17.23 meters was good for second in the event. Braxton Philpott was 10^th with a throw of 12.52 meters. Camden joined Black and Philpott in the shot put. Williams was 10^th with a mark of 13.82 meters. Black recorded a throw of 12.45 meters (13^th) and Philpott was 19^th with a toss of 10.49 meters.

The 4x400-meter relay team of Henry, Kassen, Masengu and Steele posted a second-place time of 3:19.92.

The Flames are scheduled for two meets this coming weekend with some of the team returning to the CrossPlex for the Samford University Open on Friday, while the rest will travel to Nashville for the Vanderbilt University Invitational on Friday and Saturday.