SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I.  – The Warriors competed against five NCAA Division I teams and Division II Assumption University on Saturday at the URI Invitational at Mackal Field House. This is the third consecutive year Eastern has tested itself at this meet. There were 34 events total, including 22 on the track, eight jumping events (including pole vault), and four throwing events.
 
In her first collegiate meet, first-year team member Casondra Caldwell (Bridgeport) broke Savonnah Artis'  16-year-old program record of 37-0 ¼ in the triple jump with a mark of 37-2 ¾. In fact, three of her five jumps also broke Artis'  record.
 
Sophomore Jeremy Peacock (Bolton) led the way for the sprints squad, competing in the 60 and 200-meter dash. In the 60m, he was the first of three Warriors to cross, running a time of 7.24. In the 200m, Peacock finished 3rd in a field of 21 competitors, winning heat No. 4 by over half a second.
 
Having already set the program record in the 60 meters (7.35) Dec. 13 at Southern Connecticut, first-year sprinter Naziah Johnson (Norwalk) continued her successful start to her Eastern career, using her 8.09 second 60-meter dash prelim to make her the only non-Division I athlete to qualify for final. Johnson nearly matched her prelim in the final, running 8.11 for eighth overall. Similar to Peacock in the 60m, sophomore Jakeem Wilson (Sterling) also earned himself a DIII New England qualifying time with his 1:08.45 in the 500-meter dash. Wilson won his heat, the first of two sections. It was his first attempt at that distance and is the tenth-fastest all-time in program history. In the 60m hurdles, first-year sprinter Hagen Drake (Stonington) finished in the middle of a competitive group, accompanied by first-year competitor Izzy Northrop (Uncasville), who ran a 9.76 for a personal record that moved her up from third place into a tie for second all-time, .33 seconds off the indoor record set by Madeleine Dalberg in 2018.
 
Eastern reintroduced some members of the distance squad for both the men and the women. Junior Zachary D'Andrea (Wallingford) finished third in the 1000m, dipping under the 2:40 mark with his time of 2:39.84. it was his first try at that distance and is the 13th-best in program history. First-year team member Luke Dalton (Naugatuck) finished third in his heat of the mile, running 4:40.95 in his first track race for the Warriors. Sophomore Emely Melendez (Nashua, NH) set a personal record in the mile (11th fastest all-time)  with a 5:32.30 in the faster of two heats. In the 4x800m relay, the Warriors finished just .02 seconds behind a team from Bryant University, with sophomore Hayden Baber (Gales Ferry) falling just short on his attempt to reel in his opponent.
 
Junior Michael Hemmings (Bridgeport) cleared 1.87 meters (6'1.5") as the top performer for the Eastern men in the high jump. The Eastern women did not have any athletes in the high jump, but loaded up the long jump with six athletes. Finishing side by side in the results were Caldwell  and sophomore Givanni Perry (Hartford). The pair

both jumped 5.19 meters (17'0.5") in their best attempts of the day. Caldwell hit this mark in her third jump and Perry reached it in her first attempt. The duo finished in 7th/8th on the day. Competing in the long jump for the first time, Caldwell's mark was the seventh-longest all-time in program history. For the men, first-year competitor Tristan Nye (Willimantic) jumped 6.39 meters (21'11.5') in his first attempt of the long jump, finishing 12th overall. He was also the top performing Warrior in the triple jump, reaching 12.61 meters (41'4.5") in his second attempt.
 
Caldwell's indoor record  in the triple jump -- the third-longest in program history -- landed her third overall in a field of 16.
 
Senior Lucian Parker-Jennings (Athens, VT) matched his 4.00m (13'1.5") pole vault from mid-December, jumping the highest out of three competing Warriors today. In the throws, junior Mike Prizio (Trumbull) had a huge final throw of 13.34 meters (43'5.25") to give himself a personal record and take 16th overall in the shot put. With the throw, he moved up a notch to 12th all-time in program history.

For the women, sophomore Anaka Eaton (Coventry) threw farther than the majority of the field. Her first throw went 11.59 meters (38'0.25") and landed her in 6th overall in a field of 22. In her first try, first-year sophomore transfer Ella Caplet (Bozrah) ran the fifth-fastest 500 (1:23.65) in program history. In her second meet, first-year competitor Kimbrae Miller (Bloomfield) moved into the all-time Top 20 in the weight throw with a mark of 37-3 3/4 which landed her in 17th place all-time.

Junior Andrew Johnson (Portland) led the way in the men's weight throw, throwing 13.26 meters (43'6") in his second attempt. In an even bigger field than the shot put, Eaton's throw of 13.65 meters (44'9.5") gave her 7th out of 25 in the weight throw.
 
The Warriors are back in action next Saturday at the Wesleyan University Invitational. This will be one of just two remaining indoor track & field meets in Connecticut for Eastern this season. The meet is expected to host several Division III teams, a contrast from the majority Division I competition Saturday.