PHX Reporter

Grand Canyon University's track and field team participated in the Lumberjack Team Challenge hosted by Northern Arizona, achieving new conference-leading marks. The event featured a smaller group of competitors compared to the previous week's Axe 'Em Open.

Sophomore Francisco Marques, a transfer from Stephen F. Austin, made his debut for GCU in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.92 seconds. This performance placed him at the top of the Western Athletic Conference's (WAC) performance list and earned him WAC Men's Track Athlete of the Week honors. Marques improved on his personal best from his freshman year by five hundredths of a second.

Marques is joined by teammates Cam Wilmington, Prosper Ekporere, Daviciea McCartney, and Justice Fair in holding the top five times in the WAC for the 60-meter hurdles. At Friday's meet, Marques was the leading collegiate finisher behind an Olympian and two other world-class hurdlers.

In pole vaulting, sophomore Nicole Prall led her all-GCU field by clearing 3.85 meters to tie for the top mark in the WAC. Senior Jamel Shaw recorded his best weight throw at 17.05 meters to lead in that event within the conference.

Lopes long jumpers John Twedt and Jade Williams moved up to third place among WAC athletes with Twedt reaching 7.19 meters—close to his personal best—and Williams jumping 5.72 meters.

Senior Lucy George achieved a career-best mark of 12.92 meters in shot put, placing her third in the WAC standings.

The team will compete next weekend at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico.