Rice’s Javelin Win Leads Eagles at Dooley Elite Meet
Atlanta, GA - Reinhardt University Track & Field turned in one of the meet's top performances Saturday at the Dooley Elite Meet, with Ethan Rice winning the men's javelin and a long list of Eagles posting personal records at Emory University in Atlanta. Rice's winning throw of 60.61 meters was a personal best, met the NAIA National B standard, and secured his place at the NAIA National Championships in May.
Rice's mark also stands as the top throw in the Appalachian Athletic Conference this season and ranks No. 8 in the NAIA, giving Reinhardt a clear headline result against a field that included NAIA and NCAA Division I and II competition. The Eagles also produced a strong relay showing in the men's 4x400, where Nikolaos Koveos, Lane Woodward, Jace Anderson, and Chase Malloy combined for a 3:22.20 finish.
Several Reinhardt athletes added personal-best marks across the track and field events. Bryan McClendon cleared 2.03 meters in the high jump for a PR, while Ebuka Ezeobi reached 1.90 meters and Jaden Ward cleared 1.80 meters, both personal bests. In the throws, Liam Gerdis posted a PR of 45.99 meters in the hammer, Felipi Ferreira recorded a PR at 32.02 meters, and Ramsey Chamber and Evan Butcher each set personal bests in the shot put at 10.55 and 10.60 meters, respectively. Marquia White added steady production with a 45.69-meter hammer throw and a 39.88-meter effort in the discus, while Chase Story threw 45.34 meters in the discus.
On the track, Chase Malloy ran a personal-best 22.50 in the 200 meters and later clocked 49.67 in the 400. Woodward also delivered one of the day's notable sprint efforts, finishing the 400 hurdles in a personal-best 56.89, while Anderson ran 57.72 in the same event and added a 15.99 in the 110 hurdles. Nikolaos Koveos posted a PR of 52.80 in the 400, and JT Neal and Hayden Reyes ran 10.81 and 10.92, respectively, in the 100.
Reinhardt's women also contributed several personal records. Abigail Bell ran 25.85 in the 200 for a PR, Jusella Kellman set personal bests in both the 100 and 200 with times of 13.90 and 28.62, and June DeLauder recorded a PR of 16.78 in the 100 hurdles. In the middle distances, Lydiana Styles ran 2:29.63 in the 800, Olivia Edwards posted a PR of 2:35.12, Kimberly Guerra finished the 1,500 in a personal-best 5:05.72 and Noelle Dawes added a PR of 5:18.05. Rylee Fisher crossed in 5:02.81, and Kenadi Aker ran 12.77 in the 100.
The men's distance group also stacked up strong efforts, with Braniff Mahoney running a personal-best 4:01.26 in the 1,500, Ben Pearce posting PRs of 4:04.78 in the 1,500 and 2:01.03 in the 800, and Will Ort recording personal bests in both the 800 and 1,500 at 2:06.48 and 4:14.74. Noah Jones finished the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 10:36.68. With roughly 23 personal records across sprints, hurdles, middle distance, jumps and throws, Reinhardt carries momentum into the Berry College Field Day on April 9-11 before the Appalachian Athletic Conference Championships on April 23-25 in Montreat, North Carolina.
Dooley Elite Meet Full Results: