Three Blue Devils Take First Place on Final Day of Charlotte Invitational

Saturday, April 24

Charlotte, NC

Duke University

Day Two at Charlotte Invitational

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Three Blue Devils Take First Place on Final Day of Charlotte Invitational

4/24/2021 6:10:00 PM | Track & Field

Results (PDF)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Duke track & field program wrapped up a successful stint at the Charlotte Invitational on Saturday, securing several top finishes in the final regular season road meet of the season.

Redshirt senior Ben Beatty got the day started on a high note, taking second place in the shot put with a throw of 17.22 meters (56-6 feet). Beatty notched a season best on the throw and his second runner-up finish of the season, while recording a top-50 throw in NCAA East Regional qualifying.

Graduate student Iman Sule delivered the first event victory of the day, running a time of 54.40 seconds to take the top spot in the 400-meter dash. Teammate and sophomore Carly King finished right behind her, securing a second-place finish with a time of 55.00 seconds.

The Blue Devils were able to secure several additional top-three finishes as sophomore Maya Provencal ran a time of 12.17 seconds to take third in the 100m, graduate student Connor Atkinson tallied a mark of 53.39 seconds to take second in the 400m hurdles and graduate student Danielle Okonta clocked in at 1:03.82 to finish third in the event.

In the men's long jump, Ezra Mellinger continued his strong outdoor season, winning the event with a leap of 6.91 meters (22-8 feet). Mellinger picked up his first long jump victory since the Hokie Invitational from January 22-23 during the indoor season.

The afternoon ended on a high note with freshmen Job Trahan and Alejandro Rodriguez picking up second and third place in the 200m, respectively. Trahan turned in a time of 22.53 seconds, while Rodriguez timed at 22.67 seconds. In the women's event, junior Kelcie Simmons delivered a strong performance with a first-place run of 25.04 seconds. Simmons was able to secure the first 200m win of her collegiate career after several second-place finishes.

The Blue Devils will shift their attention to the final home meet of the season, hosting the Duke Twilight on Monday, May 3. The meet will serve as the final tune up for the ACC Outdoor Championships.

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