Junior Loren Groves had the K-State record, the R.V. Christian Track record, the event title and five new personal-best throws in the weight throw by the end of the Ward Haylett Invitational on Saturday.

Groves topped the K-State record of 209-04 feet with her first two attempts, unleashing throws of 214-01 and 214-05. She went on to win the event and finished the day with five legal throws that all beat her previous personal-best of 208-04.

Groves' record-breaking throws were aided by a new warm-up technique she devised with throwing coach Steve Fritz. She warmed up by throwing only a 4.5 kilogram hammer instead of the regulation 4-kilogram hammer. Usually, she throws the heavier implement a few times, and then throws the regulation hammer a few times in warm-ups, before throwing in competition.

"I think it helped because I could move the ball faster," Groves said. "I think it helped give me some confidence, because I knew it was going to be lighter. Usually my first throws with the four [kg] have been my best."

Groves set another personal record and earned a second event victory in the discus, with a throw of 173-08 feet. The mark betters her previous best by nearly three feet.

The Wildcats captured nine event victories overall at the Ward Haylett Invitational, the team's only home meet of the outdoor season. Junior sprinter Mike Myer also captured a pair of event victories, taking the title in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash. Myer first won the 100-meter dash with a wind-aided time of 10.35 seconds, and then took the 200-meter dash, finishing with a time of 21.05 seconds.

Senior sprinter Marnyka Honeycutt earned a regional qualifying mark and set a personal best, in route to winning the women's 200-meter dash, with a time of 23.91 seconds. She earned another regional mark with a career-best, wind-aided time of 11.48 seconds in the 100-meter dash, to take second.

Honeycutt also ran on the women's 4x100-meter dash team. The team was unable to finish the race. She said before the meet she was not sure how she would run, competing in three events in one day.

"I felt pretty good," Honeycutt said. "I thought I was going to be a little bit tired because all the races were so close together, but I actually managed to pull it off."

The Wildcats continued their sprinting success when senior Donniece Parrish won the women's 400-meter dash, in a personal-best time of 54.54 seconds.

The women secured another event title in the long jump. Senior Candice Mills, freshman Nina Kokot and sophomore Stephanie Hejde swept the event, taking first, second and third respectively.

The Wildcats' national-champion high jumper, Scott Sellers, won the event with a jump of 7-00.50 feet, despite being hampered by a lingering foot injury.

He hurt his foot at the Texas Relays in April, and because of it, he had not competed in the three weeks prior to Saturday's invitational.

"It's more a technical issue rather than it is the ability to jump high," Rovelto said. "But the reason the technique is not right is the foot. The horsepower is there, the strength is there, it's just a matter of getting the foot squared away."

Sophomore Sam James also won the 800-meter run in a time of 1:51.65.

The Invitational was the main event of the team's reunion weekend, which invited friends, families and alumni to the meet. Rovelto said it was great to see so many former athletes come back for the meet.

"Half the people in the room were people who had competed at the world championships or at the Olympic games," Rovelto said. "So it was pretty neat to see all those people back, and they've had a lot of neat and complimentary things to say about the facilities."