Nellum And Brown Post Impressive Wins At Florida Relays

Trojans enjoy a big first day against top-notch competition

He's back...! Bryshon Nellum takes over the collegiate lead in the 400m race in his first outing of the season.
April 5, 2013



Florida Relays Day 1 Results


Bryshon Nellum busted out of the starting blocks on the 2013 season with the fastest 400m time to date in the country and Aaron Brown blazed to victory in the men's 100m dash on Day 1 of the Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla. today (April 5).

In his first race of the season, redshirt senior Bryshon Nellum posted a winning time of 45.54 in the 400m race, winning the second heat and posting the top time in the country entering today's action. Last season Nellum won the 2012 Pac-12 400m dash title and then ran a PR of 44.80 to qualify for the Olympics. At the London Games, Nellum brought home a silver medal in the 4x400m relay race and placed ninth in the open 400m race, the top American finisher.

Junior Aaron Brown won the men's 100m dash with a wind-aided time(2.1) of 10.15 (10.143), just edging Darrell Wesh of Virginia Tech (10.146). Including wind-aided marks, that is the third-fastest time by a collegian entering today's action. It was Brown's first official 100m race of the season and he nearly bettered his PR of 10.18, except for the slight overage of wind. Sophomore BeeJay Lee placed 11th in the 100m competition with a season-best time of 10.45. Sophomore Davonte Stewart finished 25th with a winded-aided time of 10.61.

Running in his first 200m race of the season, Brown won his heat and placed second overall with a time of 20.64. Florida's Dedric Dukes won with a time of 20.38 which is the fastest time by a collegian this season, with Brown's time the second fastest. Lee ran his first 200m race of the season also and placed 18th with a time of 21.33.

After winning his first five 110m HH races this season, junior Aleec Harris had to settle for 10th at the Florida Relays with a season-best time of 13.89. His time was the third-best among college runners. Sophomore Allen Williams placed 51st in the 110m HH with a time of 15.16 and USC volunteer hurdles coach and former Trojan great Ryan Wilson placed fifth with a time of 13.60.

In the 400m IH hurdles, senior Reggie Wyatt placed fifth with the top time by a Division I runner of 50.55. Junior Greg Starkey finished in 41st palce with a time of 55.36.

Sophomore Myles Andrews won the second heat in the men's 800m competition with a time of 1:50.33 and placed seventh overall in the event. That time was better than his PR entering the season, but he ran a career-best 1:48.95 last weekend at Stanford.

For the women's team, junior Jessica Davis took sixth, third among collegians, in the 100m dash with a season-best time of 11.52w. Junior Jenna Puterbaugh was 18th with a time fo 11.75 and junior Loudia Laarman was 25th with a time of 11.85.

Puterbaugh was the top Trojan finisher in the 200m dash with a time of 23.51 to take 10th, sixth among collegians. Davis was 19th with a time of 23.78, sophomore Akawkaw Ndipagbor was 20th with a time of 24.13 and junior Ashley Liverpool was 21st with a season-best time of 24.22.

Sophomore Vanessa Jones won her 400m heat and placed 20th overall with a time of 54.17. Ndipagbor took 26th place with a time of 54.68.

In the women's 100m HH, sophomore Melia Cox was 22nd, 11th among collegians, with a time of 13.89w. Junior Lauren Blackburn was 26th with a time of 13.99 and former Trojan and 2011 NCAA Champion Nia Ali won the event with a time of 12.75.

Freshman Jaide Stepter ran in the women's 400m IH and placed 38th with a time of 62.84. Senior Jennifer Jones competed in the long jump, but had fouls on all three attempts.

In the women's discus throw Invite, sophomore Alexandra Collatz had the top mark by a college athlete and second overall at 174-2 (53.09m). The only freshman in the contest was USC's Tera Novy and she placed ninth with a throw of 162-11 (49.66m).

Senior Alitta Boyd competed in the women's long jump Invite and placed fourth with a leap of 19-8.25 (6.00m).