Simone Grant helped the Firebirds to a 3rd place finish in the 4x100M Relay, ran a personal-best 56.47s in the 400M, and was 2nd overall in the 200M in 25.21s.

Posted: Mar 26, 2016

Firebirds Open Outdoor Season with Strong Performances at Maryland Invitational

COLLEGE PARK, MD – On the heels of a successful Indoor season, the University of the District of Columbia began its Outdoor Track & Field campaign on a positive note at Saturday's Maryland Invitational.

Opening up first in the field for the Firebirds was freshman standout Saida Burns-Moore, who cleared 1.62M for 6^th place among the strong field of 10 competitors. That clearance places her 30^th overall among all Division II athletes nationally.

The first track event saw the Firebirds competing in the 4x100M Relay. The foursome of Stacy-Ann Rowe, Jerily Benjamin, Jasmine Walker and Simone Grant were 3^rd with a time of 47.96s.

The next event on the track for the Firebirds remained in the sprints and saw several Firebirds lining up in the 100m. They would place four athletes in the top-six in the event. Junior Brittany Okon won Heat 2 in 13.12 (into -1.3 wind) for 6^th overall, junior Jasmine Walker was 2^nd in Heat 1, running 13.00 (-1.9wind) for 5^th overall, and the pair of Jerily Benjamin and Stacy-Ann Rowe went 1-2 in the last heat, with Benjamin running 12.76 for 3^rd overall, and Rowe the top finisher on the day with a time of 12.56 (-0.5 wind). Rowe would be the overall winner in the event among 15 competitors.

Next on the track was senior Simone Grant, competing in the 400M. Grant ran a very impressive opener, finishing 2^nd among collegiate athletes (3rd best overall among 17 competitors), with a fast, 56.47s - a new personal best. Her time isn't too far off the NCAA Provisional qualifying time of 55.98s, and is currently 18^th fastest among all Division II athletes this Outdoor season.

Meanwhile, action was still heating up in the field, with Burns-Moore winning the Triple Jump with a leap of 11.10M.

Other strong performances for the Firebirds continued in the sprints, with several scorers in the 200M. Rowe and Walker went 1-2 in Heat 3, with Walker finishing 2^nd in 26.03s, and Rowe taking the win in 25.94s. Walker was 9^th best while Rowe was 8^th among the 26 competitors. The Firebirds had another 1-2 finish with Benjamin finishing 2^nd to Grant in Heat 2. Benjamin ran an impressive 25.44s - good for 4^th overall, while Grant's time of 25.21s was 2^nd fastest in the event on the day. That time ranks her 35^th overall in all of Division II in the 200M event.

Next up, the Firebirds head to William & Mary University to compete at the Colonial Relays, April 1^st-2^nd.