STATESBORO -- The USCB track and field team turned in a standout performance at the Georgia Showdown hosted by Georgia Southern on Saturday, with numerous personal bests, podium finishes, and scoring efforts across both the men's and women's teams.
All-around standout De'Andra Brown proved her versatility once again, competing in multiple events and scoring in five. Brown opened her day with a fifth-place finish in the javelin, launching a throw of 22.27m, and followed that up with a 9.70m effort in the shot put. In the jumps, she cleared 1.45m in the high jump to place fifth, then soared to a 10.37m mark in the triple jump, adding more points to her tally. On the track, Brown rounded out her strong day with a third-place finish in the 100m hurdles, clocking 16.33 seconds.
In the field events, Sophia Stalford contributed with a sixth-place finish in the shot put (9.20m) and came up big in the discus, scoring 10 points with a 32.90m throw.
The pole vault duo of Kasey Thompson and Kate Curry delivered solid performances, with Thompson clearing 2.30m and Curry 2.15m. Thompson also added to her point total in the high jump with a 1.40m mark.
The Sand Sharks' 4x100 relay squad of Brown, LeeAisha Ford, Maggie Olsen, and Dionna Rivers sprinted to a second-place finish in 49.42 seconds. Olsen carried that momentum into her individual events, placing fifth in the 400m (1:00.72) and grabbing third in the 400m hurdles (1:08.95).
The men's team saw Ethan Cockayne take the top spot in the pole vault, soaring to a 3.75m finish to earn 10 points. In the throws, Jason Jose, Devin Watson, and Jaxson Allen all scored in the shot put with marks of 12.92m, 12.06m, and 10.70m, respectively. Jose and Watson tied for third in the discus with matching 38.80m throws, while Jose came back strong in the hammer throw, winning the event with a 38.00m mark, just ahead of Allen's 37.82m.
Cameron Edwards dominated the jumps, winning both the long jump (7.25m) and triple jump (14.47m). Sam Mitchell added a second-place finish in the long jump (6.97m), and John Davis also contributed with a top-8 finish (6.02m) in the event. Davis added to his points haul in the triple jump with a 12.96m effort.
On the track, Jacob Mitchell claimed victory in the 1500m with a time of 4:09.25, while freshman Elliott Howe was right behind in third (4:17.72). The duo kept rolling in the 800m, posting times of 1:59.33 and 2:05.51, respectively. Jeremiah Grant followed closely with a 2:05.74 finish.
The trio of Mitchell, Cornell Harris, and Bryson Shears all scored in the 100m dash. Cade Garris ran a 1:00.26 in the 400m hurdles, adding more depth to USCB's efforts.
The Sand Sharks return to action next weekend at the Georgia Tech Invitational, their final meet before heading to the Peach Belt Conference Championships.
