CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Putting an end to the 2021 SoCon Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Sunday, the UNCG track 4x400m team of Jonathan Kennedy, Weston Clayton, Ewan Hynes and Juan Rodriguez came within less than a second of history, delivering the second-fastest Spartan time in the event since the 2010 season. 

Dylan Christopher was the top individual Spartan performer for a second straight day, this time turning in his team's best time in the 5000m. The junior added two more points to his team's total with a seventh-place finish in the event, crossing the finish line in a personal best 14:35.77. 

His performance was preceded by Ariana Garcia's 18:15.81 in the same event, while freshman Jenna Reiter made her event debut with a pace of 18:24.37.

The Spartans' time in Cullowhee finished in the men's 4x400m, where the combination of Kennedy, Clayton, Hynes and Rodriguez finished fifth amongst the conference field. The quartet's time of 3:26.77 was easily their best of the year, and was the fastest mark UNCG has turned in since 2016. That 3:25.97 at the 2016 SoCon Outdoor Track & Field Championships remains the fastest the Spartans have run since 2010, but sits just eight-tenths of a second faster than what the UNCG men turned in on Sunday.

While the Spartans put in an impressive performance to close out the conference meet, none of the team's marks were good enough to qualify for the NCAA East Preliminaries in Jacksonville, with UNCG ending their outdoor season in west Carolina this weekend. 

Top Performances
Men's 5000m
7. Dylan Christopher (14:35.77)PR

Women's 5000m
Ariana Garcia (18:15.81)
Jenna Reiter (18:24.37)D

Men's 4x400m
5. Kennedy/Clayton/Hynes/Rodriguez (3:26.77)PR

PR: Personal Record
SR: School Record
MR: Meet Record
FR: Facility Record
D: Event Debut

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