GAINESVILLE, Fla. (April 15, 2023) – Howard University hurdlers Dylan Beard (Baltimore) and Jessica Wright (Durham, N.C.) spearheaded the men's and women's track & field team at the Tom Jones Memorial, hosted by the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla.
 
Beard set the tone for HU, setting a pair of new school benchmarks.
 
Beard, along with seniors Ashton Daniel (Athens, Ga.) and Ja'Leak Perry (Atlanta) and rookie Dylan Gaines (Houston) competed in the 4x100 relay where they finished with a new school record of 40.04. Overall, Howard placed 15^th in the event.
 
Individually, Beard broke HU Olympian and Director of Track & Field David Oliver's mark in the 110-meter hurdles after producing a 13.29 time during prelims. In the final round, the Baltimore native ran 13.31 and earned runner-up in the event.
 
Senior Jermanie Byrd (Miami Gardens, Fla.) also made the short hurdle (110-meter hurdles) final round, finishing eighth overall with a 13.76 time.
 
On the women's side, Wright claimed fourth place in the 400-meter hurdles with a 55.81 mark.
 
Wright, alongside sophomore Tiffani-Rae Pittman (Bowie, Md.) and newcomers Kiya Lawson (Montclair, N.J.) and Aniya Woodruff (Harrisburn, N.C.) took part in the 4x400 relay, recording a time of 3:32.16, which ranked seventh in the event.
 
In the field, graduate Mikyla Rodgers (South Huntington, N.Y.) and senior Mekhi Abbott (Monroe, N.J.) led the charge. Rodgers claimed fourth overall in the hammer throw, tossing 56.96 meters, while the New Jersey product threw 60.40 meters in the javelin, placing ninth in the event.
 
On April 22, HU heads to Baltimore for a pair meets: Hopkins-Loyola Invitational and Morgan Legacy.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.