Story by Kalon Fullerton

The Butler Grizzlies kicked off their 2023 outdoor track and field season with a trip to Emporia for the ESU Relays at Emporia State University this weekend.

Shawn Brown and Nazzio John picked up where they left off after a strong indoor season as they starred again in their first race of the outdoor season. Brown finished second in the 100 meters, with a time of 10.30, while John finished in fourth with a time of 10.46. The duo also had successful runs in the 200 meter, as Brown came in at sixth while John finished in 12th. 

John and Brown were also a part of the 4x100 relay team that finished first on Saturday. The duo joined teammates Wail Bourahli and Tomlee Thomas to claim victory with a time of 40.05, while the 4x400 team narrowly missed out on a win of their own, placing fourth at a time of 3:18.52. 

On the women's side, it was an eighth place finish in the 100 meter hurdles for Joda Campbell who finished with a time of 14.74, and Khloi Bird and Star Mpama also earned top 10 finishes, with Bird finishing eighth in the 5000 meters at 18:26.76 while Mpama finished 10th in the 800 meters on Saturday with a time of 2:19.44. In the field events, Kadine Brown finished third in the discus throw, with a mark of 41.60 meters. Next up for the Grizzlies will be a trip to Friends University in Wichita for the Spring Open on Saturday.