WICHITA – Brady Palen highlighted the final day of the KT Woodman Classic, clearing a personal-best 2.18m/7-1.75 to win the high jump competition and jump up to seventh in the NCAA Division I rankings.
 
"[His] high jump was extremely exciting," head coach Steve Rainbolt said. "Brady has done some things in practice and in other meets where if you're a high jump enthusiast like I am, you can see evidence at the takeoff and over the bar that makes you go, 'that guy's ready to jump 7-1, 7-2 or higher,' but it's hard for those things to click sometimes. Today, it came together and he blew over 7-1.75."
 
Palen's mark ties for third all-time in Shocker history and puts him in second in the American Athletics Conference high jump rankings, just one centimeter out of first.
 
"Things will have to come together nicely because, at this point, every centimeter comes hard, but he's certainly got the ability to jump higher, no question," Rainbolt said.
 
Joakim Genereux joined Palen in making his mark in the record books when he recorded a blazing 20.91 in the 200 meters to place third and slide into the third spot on the all-time list. This was the Canada native's first 200-meter race since placing seventh at the conference indoor meet with a time that set a new U-23 provincial record for Québec.
 
"Outdoor times are usually faster, so I just remembered how indoor conference felt and built from that," Genereux said. "It felt smooth. I made sure the form was right and my body stayed relaxed because it's not about pushing hard; it's about controlling the body."
 
In the 100- and 110- meter hurdles, Brianna Utecht and Adria Navajon Fabregat both secured new personal bests to earn top-three finishes. Utecht broke the 14-second barrier with a time of 13.86 to place second, and Navajon Fabregat ran a wind-aided 14.19 to win his heat and finish third overall. Utecht also ran a personal-best 24.74 in the 200 meters to place 10^th.
 
In the triple jump, Faith Turner leapt to a personal-best 12.18m/39-11.5 to earn her first triple jump title of the season, and the Okoro sisters, Ezinne (11.92m/39-1.25) and Chidera (11.78m/38-7.75) also recorded outdoor personal bests to place fourth and fifth, respectively. For the men, Dowdy Elazarig joined the 50-foot club with a new personal-best mark of 15.39m/50-6 to finish second in the event.
 
Over in the hammer ring, Michael Bryan snagged his second victory of the week, launching one out to 68.61m/225-1.
 
The majority of the team will have a week off before heading down to Norman, Oklahoma for the John Jacobs Invitational, but Adam Moore will journey to the west coast to compete in either the Bryan Clay Invitational or the Mt. Sac Relays April 13-15.