FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The track and field Bears opened their 2011 outdoor season with a strong field performance against tough competition that featured three nationally ranked squads at the Razorback Spring Invitational.
Junior Jeláni Kelly (St. Louis, Mo.) earned a pair of second-place finishes to go with a fourth-place showing, while Kimsue Grant (So., Arlington, Va.) finished second and third in her two field events. Freshman Ahshane Johnson (Moberly, Mo.) chipped in with two fifth-place finishes.
Kelly was second in the discus (155-05.00 feet) and in the hammer throw (150-07.00 feet) with performances just shy of her personal bests, 156-01.00 and 151-00.00, respectively. She also placed fourth in the shot put at 44-05.06 feet.
Grant leapt 40-08.25 for her second-place triple jump finish and put up a personal best mark of 18-10.25 feet on her way to third place in the long jump.
Johnson was fifth in the triple jump (38-11.75) and long jump (17-09.75) in her first collegiate outdoor meet.
In the 100-meter dash, Pernell Joseph finished seventh (11.95 seconds) and Shantel Llewellyn was 10th with a personal best of 12.03.
The Bear are back in action next weekend at the Tom Botts Invitational. The meet will be held April 8-9 in Columbia, Mo.
