ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF track and field team opened the Black and Gold Challenge with a pair of events on Friday at the UCF Track and Field Complex.
Gabby Durant turned in a nation-leading performance to take the top honor in the hammer throw. Advancing to the finals in her final outdoor opener, her fifth attempt of the day landed at 196-10/59.99m. Not only did it give the Plant City, Fla., native the Black and Gold Challenge hammer throw title, it is also the top event mark in the country this season.
"It is always good to start the season off with a win," Durant said. "Leading into the meet, I wasn't focused on winning; I was using this meet to see where I am at and what I need to work on. It is good to see that with only a few weeks of full hammer training I am already seeing results. I'm excited for this season and ready to see some big throws soon."
Jhane’ Carter joined Durant in the final, finishing fourth with a mark of 182-6/55.64m. Soteria Russell made her collegiate outdoor debut with a 156-4/47.67m to finish 11th, while Shanell Atkins finished 12th with a mark of 151-7/46.21m.
Madison Bryan opened the day with a fifth-place finish in the pole vault, clearing 10-8/3.25m on her first attempt.
The Knights continue action at the Black and Gold Challenge on Saturday. The field events start at 10 a.m. with the discus, while the 4x100 relay start the track events at 11 a.m.