The Tribune

THE University of The Bahamas' multi-event specialist Ken Mullings won the pole vault and Benjamin Clarke won the high jump at the Embry Riddle First Chance Last Chance Meet this weekend.

The team also turned in four second-place performances to open international outdoor competition.

"My approach was really on today," he said. "I am satisfied with my performance today. I am not upset or completely happy with today."

Mullings also placed 5th in the 100m competition, running 11.07 seconds.

"It was an opener for the 100 metres and the outdoor pole vault and for me to still be attempting my personal best at pole vault shows that what I've done off-season is working."

"It was rough getting adjusted to the weather," he said. "I was focusing mainly on being technically sound and I think I executed that through most of my jumps. I focused on my run-up, take-off, and my arch and it was kind of choppy at the beginning but once I got adjusted everything came together."

Despite the windy conditions, national decathlon and heptathlon record holder Ken Mullings won the men's pole vault, clearing 4.35m (14 feet - 3 1/4 inches).

Benjamin Clarke easily cleared 1.83m (6 feet) and 1.93m (6 feet - 4 inches) but had two knockdowns at 1.98m (6 feet - 6 inches) before clearing on the final attempt. He attempted 2.03m (6-feet, 7 3⁄4-inches) but the wind and a nagging injury were working against him. He bowed out after his first attempt. He said he was still pleased with his performance.

The men's 4x400 metre relay team of Kendrick Thompson, Brandon Hanna, Tyler Gardiner and Donya Roberts was poised to win the event and after the first two legs, it looked as if the team was going to be able to hold off the three teams from Embry Riddle.

The last two legs got hit with a strong wind on the backstretch and just could not hold off Embry Riddle.

The team took second place in 3:21.82. Embry Riddle won just about half a second faster at 3:21.25.

In the men's 400-metre hurdles competition, Brandon Hanna outmatched his heat and was able to easily win his event. But without direct competition with the leader in the first heat, he could not pick up the win. He took second place in 56.55.

Earl Green of UNC Wilmington won the event in 53.08.

Keianno Rolle sat in the second spot in the triple jump competition from the second round when he jumped 13.02m or about 42 feet 8 and-a-half inches. He then had a lackluster jump and two fouls before he popped 13.34m or 43 feet 9 and a quarter inches for his best jump.

It was not enough and Rolle settled for second as Markel Pryor of UNAT-Webber won in 13.75m or 45 feet 1 and-a-half inches.

Edvaughn Carey placed second in the open men's shot put with a best throw of 12.71m (41 feet- 8 1⁄2 inches). He also placed sixth in the 100m in 11.15m and 10th in the discus competition with the best throw of 34.44m (113 feet).

Kendrick Thompson had a great start in the open men's 100 metres but in his last phase he slowed down just too much and settled for the third spot. His time was 10.87.

Fellow Bahamian Michael Mathieu won the event in 10.84.

In the men's 800, Elijah Swain and Donya Roberts took off strong and got out ahead of the pack.

In the second 400 metres of the race, they could not hold the pace. Swain took 5th spot in 2:04.08 and Roberts finished 8th in 2:10. 91.

Tyler Gardiner led for the first three laps of the men's 1500m but could not hold off the late surges and took the 6th spot in 4:18.12.