Saturday, March 29
Raleigh, N.C.
9:30 AM ET
Liberty University
at
Raleigh Relays
Paola Bueno
Bueno Finishes as Raleigh Relays Women’s Hammer Runner-Up
3/29/2025 6:51:00 PM | Track and Field
RALEIGH, N.C. – Liberty only had two athletes in action on Saturday, the final day of the Raleigh Relays, but both recorded top-10 hammer finishes. All-American Paola Bueno finished as the women's hammer runner-up, while Kellen Kimes took ninth in the men's event.
Bueno, who threw the hammer a personal-best and program-record 211-4 to place 11th at the 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, finished just one inch shy of that mark (211-3) during Saturday's season-opening performance. The junior from Mexico nearly won the event but was overtaken by Virginia's Annika Kelly (212-3) on the final throw of the competition.
As a result of her effort, Bueno will return to the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet in Jacksonville at the end of May. Kimes will too, thanks to the sophomore's 203-5 performance for ninth place. Similar to Bueno, Kimes is already not far off his season best from a year ago (Liberty freshman-record 208-0).
Bueno and Kimes recorded the Liberty throwers' sixth and seventh top-10 finishes during a successful three-day showing in Raleigh. These also included the women's shot put (Bethany Tate – seventh), men's shot put (Trevor Veenstra – eighth and Jordae Edwards – 10th) and men's discus (Christian Hicks – fourth and Beau Backes – ninth).
Women's Day 3 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Paola Bueno – Hammer – 211-3
New Women's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Paola Bueno – Hammer – 211-3
New Men's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Kellen Kimes – Hammer – 203-5
Up Next
Liberty will again split up between two different meets next week. A majority of the Flames and Lady Flames will compete in the Florida Relays, April 4-5 in Gainesville, Fla.
Liberty will also send some distance runners to the Virginia Grand Prix, slated for April 4-5 in Charlottesville, Va.
Bueno, who threw the hammer a personal-best and program-record 211-4 to place 11th at the 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, finished just one inch shy of that mark (211-3) during Saturday's season-opening performance. The junior from Mexico nearly won the event but was overtaken by Virginia's Annika Kelly (212-3) on the final throw of the competition.
As a result of her effort, Bueno will return to the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet in Jacksonville at the end of May. Kimes will too, thanks to the sophomore's 203-5 performance for ninth place. Similar to Bueno, Kimes is already not far off his season best from a year ago (Liberty freshman-record 208-0).
Bueno and Kimes recorded the Liberty throwers' sixth and seventh top-10 finishes during a successful three-day showing in Raleigh. These also included the women's shot put (Bethany Tate – seventh), men's shot put (Trevor Veenstra – eighth and Jordae Edwards – 10th) and men's discus (Christian Hicks – fourth and Beau Backes – ninth).
Women's Day 3 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Paola Bueno – Hammer – 211-3
New Women's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Paola Bueno – Hammer – 211-3
New Men's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Kellen Kimes – Hammer – 203-5
Up Next
Liberty will again split up between two different meets next week. A majority of the Flames and Lady Flames will compete in the Florida Relays, April 4-5 in Gainesville, Fla.
Liberty will also send some distance runners to the Virginia Grand Prix, slated for April 4-5 in Charlottesville, Va.
Players Mentioned
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Hammer
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