The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Razorback Invitational
Mile relay powers No. 13 Women's Track & Field to third at Razorback Invitational
01.26.2013 | Track & Field / Cross Country w, Track & Field / Cross Country
Jan. 26, 2013
Complete Results
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The No. 13 Texas Women's Track & Field team turned in a strong Saturday session after a solid first day on Friday to finish third at the Razorback Invitational.
The weekend presented the Longhorns, participating in their first scored meet of 2013, with an opportunity to gauge the team's progress against tough top-25 competition just weeks away from the championships portion of the season. Texas finished with 87 team points behind No. 6 Florida (101) and No. 7 LSU (100). No. 5 Arkansas (80) and No. 16 Georgia (78) rounded out the top five.
"I am so impressed with how our kids responded to the level of this meet," said interim head coach Rose Brimmer. "They came to compete this weekend and they scored every opportunity that they could. One point can make all the difference, and it often does during the championships season. They weren't intimidated by anyone and they stepped up like warriors."
Texas' 4x400-meter relay team of senior Kendra Chambers, juniors Briana Nelson and Christy Udoh and freshman Courtney Okolo highlighted the second day of competition for UT. The team finished second in 3:31.69, the sixth-fastest time in school history, just one-hundredth of a second behind first-place Florida, with Nelson and Okolo both recording sub-52.00 splits. It was the first time the quartet had run together in competition this season.
UT's 4x400m relay was one of 11 top-five finishes in 17 scored events over the two-day meet.
Okolo's day started in the open 400-meter dash, where she posted a third-place, season-best mark of 53.10. Okolo was one of six Longhorns to compete in the 400m, with Nelson (sixth, 53.77) and junior Danielle Dowie (eighth, 54.05) also scoring for UT in the event. Freshman Melissa Gonzalez and senior Alicia Peterson also ran, crossing 13th and 30th overall, respectively.
Texas also had a pair of scorers in the 60-meter hurdles in sophomore Morgan Snow and junior A'Lexus Brannon. Snow, who yesterday qualified for the semifinals in both the hurdles and the 60-meter dash, earned sixth in the hurdles final in 8.47, while Brannon was eighth in 8.64. Gonzalez, in her second event of the day, placed 12th in a time of 8.87.
Udoh led the Longhorns in the 60m with a third-place finish (7.48) after qualifying seventh out of the semifinals. Snow (10th) and Goodman (11th) finished just one-tenth of a second apart in 7.58 and 7.59.
The Longhorns had three more scorers in the meet competing in a trio of Invitational events. In the 3,000-meter, senior Mia Behm clocked a personal-best 9:22.68 for fifth place. Chambers posted a 2:12.81 for sixth in the 800-meter invite race, and junior Marielle Hall recorded a seventh-place finish in the invite Mile with a time of 4:48.65.
In the open 800m, junior Katie Hoaldridge crossed fourth in 2:13.68, while junior Brittany Marches (personal-best 4:56.56) and redshirt freshman Connor Ward (season-best 5:02.07) placed sixth and 12th in the open Mile.
The Longhorns will train for two weeks before returning to Arkansas for the Tyson Invitational Feb. 8-9. The 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships will also be held in Fayetteville March 8-9.
TEXAS INDIVIDUAL RESULTS - RAZORBACK TEAM INVITATIONAL
q - qualified for next round | * - denotes personal best
SATURDAY, JAN. 26
400m
3. Courtney Okolo, 53.10*
6. Briana Nelson, 53.77
8. Danielle Dowie, 54.04
13. Melissa Gonzalez, 55.36
30. Alicia Peterson, 57.08
60m hurdles (semifinals)
4. Morgan Snow, 8.33q
8. A'Lexus Brannon, 8.62q
12. Melissa Gonzalez, 8.85
60m hurdles (final)
6. Morgan Snow, 8.47
8. A'Lexus Brannon, 8.64
60m (semifinals)
7. Christy Udoh, 7.50q
10. Morgan Snow, 7.58
11. Chalonda Goodman, 7.59
60m (final)
3. Christy Udoh, 7.48
3,000m (Invitational)
5. Mia Behm, 9:22.68*
800m (Invitational)
6. Kendra Chambers, 2:12.81
800m (Open)
4. Katie Hoaldridge, 2:13.68
Mile (Invitational)
7. Marielle Hall, 4:48.65
Mile
6. Brittany Marches, 4:56.56*
12. Connor Ward, 5:02.07*
4x400m relay
2. Chambers, Nelson, Udoh, Okolo, 3:31.69
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
1. Florida, 101 points
2. LSU, 100 points
3. TEXAS, 87 points
4. Arkansas, 80 points
5. Georgia, 78 points
6. Arizona, 48 points
7. Florida State, 46 points
8. Oklahoma, 32 points
9. Baylor, 30 points
9. Nebraska, 30 points
11. Oklahoma State, 11 points
