SHAWNEE, Okla. – The Butler track and field team competed in the Oklahoma Baptist Invitational this past weekend, with the squad taking first in four individual events and finishing with a total of 18 top-five finishes.

All four first-place finishes came on the men's side, with two coming on the track from freshman sprinters Lamarion Arnold and Donavan Ayers.

Arnold, who has already qualified for the outdoor national meet in the 200-meter dash, won the 200 with a personal-best time of 21.42 seconds. Arnold also took second in the 100-meter dash, crossing the line in 10.74 seconds. Ayers was the winner in the 400-meter hurdles with a national-qualifying time of 53.49 seconds – also a personal-best time.

In field events, freshman Mohammed Abubakar won the men's long jump with a mark of 7.10 meters. In the triple jump, sophomore Arsenije Savic had the top jump of 14.24 meters.

On the women's side, Butler had four top-five finishes – including a pair by freshman sprinter Ona Giles, who finished second in the 200-meter dash (25.36 seconds) and third in the 100-meter dash (12.35).

Sophomore distance runner Terra Flores placed third in the 3000-meter steeplechase, completing the race with a national-qualifying time of 12:13.92. Freshman Kristina Vujanic took fourth in the 100-meter hurdles, finishing with a time of 16.32 seconds. 

The Butler men dominated the 100 and 200-meter dash events, with three top-five finishes in each race. In the 100, Arnold and Simmons placed second and third, while Jalen Gillie took fifth. Arnold took first in the 200m, followed by Gillie (third) and Simmons (fourth).

Arnold, Simmons, Gillie and DeAndre Wade also took second in the men's 4x100-meter relay with a time of 40.99 seconds. The runner-up finish was just 14 milliseconds behind Oklahoma Baptist, who set a meet-record time of 40.85 seconds. The Butler 'B' squad of Ricky Grant, Ayers, Theotis Johnson and Joshua Sharp finished fourth.

Butler also placed fourth in the men's 4x400-meter relay, as Luis Aponte, Arnold, Gillie and Wade finished with a time of 3:18.45.

In field events, freshman Kavan Mark placed second in the javelin with a throw of 49.32 meters, while Antonio McPherson took fourth in the pole vault (4.10 meters).

This Friday, Butler will participate at the Cowley Tiger Invitational in Arkansas City, with the meet scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m.