EMPORIA, Kan. - The Iowa Central track and field team opened up the outdoor portion of their schedule with a strong showing here Friday at the ESU Spring Invitational hosted by Emporia State.

Nine women and four men secured qualifying marks for the NJCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships while eight Top-10 program-bests were set. 

Earning spots at nationals were Ashley Micheaux and Victoria Adu in the shot put and hammer throw, Odell Frye in the 100 and 200 meter dashes, and Chloe Lenoir, Rosalie Fish and Lilia Alvarez in the 1500. For the men, Kelvin Bungei (1500), Jaheem Hayles (100 hurdles), James MacKey Jr. (discus) and Will Richardson (hammer throw) met the standard.

"It was very exciting to have our first outdoor track and field competition in two years," Iowa Central's Dee Brown said. "You don't realize how much you missed it until you are right in the middle of it again. I know each of our coaches felt the same way."

The 2020 outdoor track season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Tritons recently completed the indoor season, crowning a handful of national champions with the men's team placing second. 

Frye won both the 100 and 200, clocking a time of 11.89 in the 100 and 24.05 in the 200. Her time in the 200 ranks ninth-best in Triton history.

Lenoir was the 1500 runner-up and Micheaux was second in the shot put. Lenoir and Fish, who was third, clocked the eighth- and ninth-fastest times for Iowa Central all-time with Micheaux earning the seventh-best throw in the shot put. Adu's hammer throw mark is second-best. 

Lee Eppie won the 200 in 21.52 and Hayles was the 110 hurdles winner in 13.76, which is the third-fastest time in the hurdles. 

MacKey was the discus runner-up with Jerome Jessup (200), Bungei (1500), Daqwon Wilson (110 hurdles) and Tristen Hannan (triple jump) placing second. Dashinelle Dyer was third in the 100 and Enoch Antwi claimed bronze in the triple jump.

MacKey ranks fifth in the discus after his throw. 

"Lots of great performances on the track and our throwers really showed their stuff in some of our new events since indoors," Brown said. "We had a handful of qualifiers (for nationals), which is always exciting. But most important, everything almost felt normal again."

In the team standings, the Iowa Central men were third behind Fort Hays State and Emporia State while the women finished in fourth overall. 

The Tritons return to Emporia for the ESU Relays this Friday and Saturday.

-By Dana Becker