Over spring break, three Tiger track stars qualified to go to the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships. Juniors Aaron Melsop and Brea Medlock, along with senior Victor Banjo, all made the trip to North Carolina on March 13-14. Medlock and Banjo both qualified as sprinters, while Melsop qualified for long jump.
This was the third trip to Nationals for Banjo, who competed in the 60-meter dash, also holding the school record. This trip was a first appearance for both Medlock and Melsop. Medlock also competed in the 60-meter dash and the 200-meter dash. Earlier in the year, Medlock set school records when she had two first place finishes in the 60-meter and 200-meter dash. Like his teammates, Melsop also holds a school record, but for long jump.
At the meet, Banjo placed fifth in the 60-meter dash, which advanced him to the second day races. In the championship race, he placed in a three-way tie for fifth. In the tie breaker that was held, he placed sixth, earning him his third All-American Honors. In the tie breaker, the separating time from the fifth place runner was two milliseconds; Banjo turned in a time of 6.893.
Medlock ran the 60-meter dash in 7.87 seconds, which was good for seventeenth place. In the 200-meter dash, she placed fourteenth. Neither was enough to advance her to the second day.
It was, however, a remarkable day for Melsop, who placed seventh out of 15 with a long jump of 22 feet and 5.25 inches. This distance earned him his first All-American Honors.
This was a great end to the indoor season for these three athletes, who are now heading into the outdoor season. The team opened its outdoor schedule this past weekend at Emory University in Atlanta.
