BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Samford University track and field team competed in a meet filled with top-quality programs at the Auburn Invitational inside the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Jan. 17.

The Bulldogs held their own against a tough field of competitors but it showed head coach Rod Tiffin that there is still work to be done going forward.

"I think we got our eyes opened up a little bit today; we didn't have a bad meet though." Tiffin said. "We did have some good things happen today though with some PRs (personal records), Keyth Fightmaster tied the school record in the high jump and the women's milers really ran well today but for the most part we got a little eye opener. We'll go back to the drawing board and keep working until we get it right."

Fightmaster recorded a mark of 2.05m in the high jump in his first ever collegiate meet last weekend which put him in the top five of the Samford record book but moved to top of the list after improving on that mark this weekend. The Calhoun, Georgia native put a mark of 2.10m on his last attempt at that height to tie the Samford record.

It was freshman Arsene Guillorell however who turned in the Bulldogs top-finish of the day as he blazed a trail on his way to a second place overall finish in the men's 3,000 meters with a time of 8:22.

Javion Lee continued where he left off last week when he posted another personal best in the men's triple jump with a 15.00m leap to take third in the event.

Senior Marie Demedicis placed fourth overall in the women's 800 meter run with a time of 2:11.69 while teammate Anna Laura Irvine raced in with a time of 2:15.31 to place seventh.

Sophomore Ansley Bos broke her personal best yet again in the women's mile run with a time of 4:54.53 to place sixth overall in the event. Freshman Karisa Nelson followed suit and improved her time from last week to a time of 4:55.59 and an eighth place finish.

Marquis Barnes entered the long jump competition with a personal best of 6.64m that he recorded just last week in the UAB Blazer Invitational and improved that to a mark 6.79m on his way to a 7^th place finish. Barnes also notched a personal best in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.60.

Tray Oates achieved a new personal best in the pole vault on his last attempt at the height of 4.90m while he also secured a fourth place finish overall in the event. Freshman Gavin Gautreau finished fifth behind Oates with a mark of 4.75m.

The Bulldogs officially hit the road for the first time of the indoor season next weekend when they travel to take part in the Vanderbilt Indoor Invitational on Jan. 23-24 but first they will hold a stand-alone multi on Jan. 21-22.