UMBC

Mercedes Jackson broke her own school record in the 60m dash

STATE COLLEGE, PA. – Competing for the first time in 2012, the UMBC track and field team set multiple records Saturday at the Penn State Relays. 

Junior Trae Proctor (Brandywine, Md./Thomas Stone) picked up his first win of the season, claiming gold in the 60m hurdles.  His time of 8.03 ranks second on UMBC’s all-time list and qualifies him for the IC4A Championships in March. 

Also qualifying for the regional meet, the men’s 4x800 relay ran a 7:50.16 to earn a bid to Boston.  In the field events, junior Cameron McDearmon (Owings Mills, Md./Franklin) set a new personal best in the weight throw, finishing second in the event with a throw of 17.47m (57’3.75”) to earn a trip as well. 

Freshman Mercedes Jackson (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown) continued to impress early on in her college career, running a 7.50 60m dash, lowering her own school record.  Jackson set the school record in her first collegiate meet back in December at the Bucknell Opener.

Jackson was also part of a duo of Retrievers to write their name on the 200m list.  Leading the way with a time of 24.88, the freshman ranks third on the school’s all-time list while fellow freshman Briana Young (Bowie, Md./Elizabeth Seton) sits at eighth (25.48). 

In addition, sophomore Deborah Adelola (Lanham, Md./Bladensburg) won her heat and finished seventh overall, setting a new personal-best in the 500m with a time of 1:16.55.

Meanwhile in the distance events, freshman Mary Katherine Kulp (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) wrote her name in the record book as well, finishing fourth at Penn State in the 1000m.  Finishing in a time of 3:07.44, Kulp places her name at No. 8 on UMBC’s list.

The Retrievers return to the track next weekend when they head to New York for the Gotham Cup on Friday, Jan. 13.