Three meets in three days is a chance for a young team to get better, and that was the case for Bethune-Cookman last weekend in Birmingham, Ala.

Bethune-Cookman's three days at the Samford Invite, Samford Open and KMS Invite was highlighted by a pair of first-place finishes by Michael Hopkins in the pole vault.

On Sunday at the KMS invite, the freshman from Tampa, Fla. posted 4.55 meters to take first place. On Saturday, he cleared 4.57 meters, to best Daniel Suman of Benjamin Woolhouse of Mississippi College, both of whom had leaps of 4.42. During Friday competition, he finished fifth, but his 4.72 was a personal record.

"He was very eager after having to sit out last year," B-CU Head Coach Donald Cooper said of Hopkins. "Last weekend, the rust wasn't off, but things were smoother this week.

"This weekend provided us a wealth of experience and opportunity," Cooper added. "To have the schedule weekend we had was a chance to repeat and correct. The freshmen's confidence is growing, To have a chance to see conference competition and understand the work needed to get the results on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. "

Others with solid weekends included:

• Kristopher Brown also had a solid weekend turned in B-CU's top finish in a running event at the Samford Invite, coming in sixth in the 200 meters (21.87) Saturday then second on Sunday in the 60 meters with a 6.85. On Friday's his 60 meters of 6.87 earned him a seventh place.
• Guy Bond bested his fifth place Friday high jump of 1.90 meters for a second place on Saturday at 1.95 meters. Bond also had a seventh place in Friday's long jump at 6.43 meters.
• Tavis Wilson came in fifth in the 60 at 7.00 Sunday.
• Both men's relay teams finished third on Sunday, with the 4X200 squad of Marvens Milhomme, Montreal Bennett, Aaron Blount and Derrick Andrews-Powley clocking a 1:34.38 and the distance medley team of Berryhill, Isaiah Johnson, Malcolm Brown and DaMauri Little finishing in 10:49.15.
• Matthew Williams was seventh in the high jump Friday at 1.75 meters.
• David Richards posted a third in the 60 hurdles Sunday in 8.49 seconds.

On the women's side, Southwestern Athletic Conference Field Athlete of the Week Thea Shaw had a fourth place in the 60 hurdles (9.21) and fourth in the high jump (1.55) on Sunday.

In Saturday's high jump, freshman Alysa Whetro was third (1.52)meters on her first attempt) and freshman Indya Campbell (1.52 meters on her third try) was sixth.

Also on Sunday, Lauren Johnson was fourth in the triple jump (11.05 meters), the 4X200 women's relay squad of Alyssa Williams, Jordan Singletary, Angel Parks and Lauren Mclin was fifth (1:51.47) and the distance relay medley foursome of Kaiel Kimble, Amenda Saint-Louis, Kaliece Pickeny and Vel-lance Wells were runners-up in 13:50.51.

The Wildcats head to the University of South Carolina this weekend.