BALTIMORE – Brianna Belo and Kelseagh Budris earned individual victories and Alaeldin Tirba ran American University's best men's 800 in five years, as the Eagles took advantage of great weather to post strong marks at the Hopkins/Loyola Invitational track and field meet.
Budris won the women's 1,500 in 4:33.62, earning a two-second victory over Caroline Smith of Johns Hopkins.
Belo won the women's 800 in 2:13.34, moving her from fifth to fourth on AU's all-time best. She held off Maryellen Hauver of Bridgewater (2:14.01) to win.
Anike Oladeji (2:21.08) and
Sammie Paul (2:25.11) also had season-best marks in that event.
Freshman
Grace Goulding had a season-best of 5 feet, 2-1/4 inches to place fifth in the women's high jump, while Belo, Oladeji, Maboné and Budris went 4:05.40 to finish third in the 4x400 relay, posting AU's second-fastest time ever.
Tirba was third overall, but the first collegian across the line in the men's 800. His mark of 1:52.07 was AU's best since 2011, earned him a spot in the IC4A Championships and moved him into eighth on AU's all-time list.
Matthew Rainey was just behind Tirba in 1:52.39, putting him ninth on AU's all-time list. Rainey's time, also an IC4A-qualifier, was two seconds faster than his previous season-best.
Chandler Ross (1:56.65) also had a season-best time in that event.
Brendan Johnson was second in the men's 1,500, going 3:53.55 to finish behind only AU assistant coach
Ryan Mahalsky, who ran 3:52.90. Johnson earned an IC4A mark in his first 1,500 of the season.
Ben Doiron was third for the Eagles, cutting five seconds off his previous best to earn an IC4A berth at 3:54.40.
Trevor Patton was second in the men's long jump at 22-5, finishing just behind Michael Scott of Montgomery College (22-9.75). Patton jumped from fifth to third on AU's all-time list in the long jump.
American is scheduled to return to Baltimore next Saturday to compete in the Morgan State Legacy Meet.
