DAVIDSON, N.C. — Pfeiffer University proved its depth and competitiveness against top-tier opposition Saturday, placing eighth overall out of 16 teams at the Davidson Relays as the lone NCAA Division III program in the meet.
Pfeiffer finished ahead of several Division I programs, while USC Upstate claimed the team title.
The Falcons were led by a sensational performance from
Bricen Burleson, who captured the 800 meters in a school-record time of 1:52.98 seconds. The mark ranks 10th nationally this season and continued Burleson's strong spring form against Division I competition.
Cannon Powell added another event victory for Pfeiffer, winning the 3,000-meter steeplechase in a school-record 9:35.11. The Falcons also claimed the top spot in the high jump, where
Drake Stewart cleared 2.00 meters to win the event.
Pfeiffer piled up additional points with multiple top-10 finishes. In the steeplechase,
Sam Head placed fifth in 10:03.08 to move to No. 5 on the program's all-time outdoor list, while Oliver Candela Godinez finished eighth in 10:11.21, ranking seventh all-time.
Cameron Ritchie took 10th in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 57.43, the third-fastest outdoor performance in school history.
The Falcons' 4x400-meter relay team of
Cameron Ritchie,
Carson Ritchie, Burleson and
T'Andre Palmer placed sixth in 4:26.22 to close out the meet.
Several other Pfeiffer athletes recorded top-10 marks in the program's outdoor all-time records during the weekend.
Janeil Logan posted the fifth-fastest time in school history in the 110-meter hurdles at 16.30 and now ranks eighth all-time in the 400 hurdles.
Jonathan Moran-Sanchez moved into fifth all-time in the 200 meters with a 22.17, while Stewart added a 22.46 in the 200 to rank 10th in school history.
In middle-distance events, Fabian Candela Godinez ran 1:58.16 in the 800 meters to rank fifth all-time, and
Carson Ritchie clocked 1:57.82 to move into third on the program's outdoor list.
Cameron Sturdivant also cracked the school's top 10 in the hammer throw with a mark of 33.46 meters, placing seventh all-time.
The Falcons will return to competition on April 2-3 at the VertKlasse Meeting at High Point University
