Demario Prince Edges Out Another Win as Baylor Shines at Carolina Classic
COLUMBIA, S.C. - When the margin of victory comes down to four-thousandths of a second, every stride, every hurdle, every lean counts. Baylor senior Demario Prince knows that better than anyone after keeping his undefeated season alive in the 60-meter hurdles at the Carolina Classic on Friday. Prince clocked a 7.621 in the final-just a blink ahead of North Carolina A&T’s Jason Holmes, who finished in 7.625 in a photo finish that needed a second look to confirm.
For Prince, this wasn’t just another win-it was a continuation of what’s quickly becoming one of the most dominant stretches in Baylor track history. Coming off a meet- and facility-record 7.59 at the DeLoss Dodds Invitational, Prince now owns nine of the program’s top 10 all-time marks in the event. He’s not just winning-he’s rewriting the Bears’ record book with every race.
Freshman Werner Bezuidenhout also made a strong impression in his first collegiate final. Navigating through three rounds of competition, he placed fifth in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.09-a solid debut that hints at plenty of upside down the road.
But Baylor’s success in Columbia didn’t stop at the hurdles.
Junior Serafima Lucero delivered a commanding performance in the women’s 400 meters, taking the win in 54.00. She led a strong group of Bears in the event, with Sameena Mathew (fifth, 56.26), Aaronya Kinchen (seventh, 56.88), and Cymia Yourish (10th, 57.32) all finishing inside the top 10. On the men’s side, Abbas Ali (47.50), Malik Franklin (47.68), and Tyler Honeyman (48.15) placed fifth, sixth, and eighth respectively, rounding out a combined seven top-10 finishes in the 400 meters for Baylor.
In the field events, sophomore Iyanna Webb made her presence felt in the triple jump, capturing gold with a leap of 41 feet, 4¼ inches. That mark not only earned her the top spot on the podium but also added another layer of depth to a Baylor team that’s showing strength across the board.
The women’s 60-meter dash was another highlight for the 22nd-ranked Baylor squad. Hannah Lowe sprinted to a third-place finish in 7.44, while Royaltee Brown (7.54) and freshman Success Oyibu (7.59) secured seventh and eighth, respectively, in a highly competitive final.
In the pole vault, Parker Brannon cleared 16-2¾ to take third, while freshman Grant Vlaun notched a season-best 15-11 to finish fifth-both solid efforts as Baylor continues to build momentum in the vertical events.
With Day 1 in the books, Baylor’s showing at the Carolina Classic has been nothing short of impressive. From razor-thin wins to breakout freshman performances, the Bears are making noise early in the indoor season-and they’re doing it with depth, balance, and a whole lot of competitive fire.
Saturday’s action resumes with the high jump at 9:30 a.m. CT, followed by the women’s 300 meters at 11:30. If Friday was any indication, expect more fireworks from a Baylor squad that’s clearly locked in.