HOOVER, Ala. - The XULA men's track team showed flashes of excellence against a massive field at the Samford Open, posting 2nd-place performances in two events. 

The team of Joshua Aviles, Karri Noel, D'Kirian Allen, and Collin Wright Jr lost out by three one-hundredths of a second to Meridian Community College in the 4X400 relay with a 3:16.72 that was the 12th-best time in the NAIA and 22nd-best among HBCU teams this season. 

Thrower Mansur Ali was the big star for the Gold Rush in the field events. He logged a 2nd-place finish in the shotput with a 15.01 best throw, and 4th in the men's weight throw with a 16.08-meter effort. 

In the individual track events, Allen placed 5th in the 200 with a time of 21.99, while Noel was 9th in the 400 with a 49.82-second run. 

Next up for XULA will be the Southern States Indoor Track and Field Championships, Feb. 20 and 21 in Gainesville, Florida, at the Alachua County Sports & Events Center.