The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Alex Wilson Invitational
Sutherland sets 5,000m school record, Snow and Brannon post career bests at Last Chance meets
03.01.2013 | Track & Field / Cross Country w, Track & Field / Cross Country
March 1, 2013
Alex Wilson Results - Friday 
| Ark. Final Qualifier Results
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Junior Sara Sutherland improved upon a 5,000 meters school record she already owned and entered herself into the NCAA Indoor Championships conversation on Friday at the Alex Wilson Invitational, hosted by the University of Notre Dame.
Following this weekend's meets across the country, the top 16 times in each individual event and top 12 marks in the distance medley and 4x400-meter relays will earn qualification for the national indoor meet, which will be held March 8-9 in Fayetteville, Ark.
Sutherland, who was ranked 30th nationally after setting a season-best time of 16:12.02 at last weekend's Big 12 Championships, notched a career-best 5,000m time of 15:52.99 on Friday night. The mark bettered the previous school record of 15:53.73 that she set at the 2012 NCAA Indoor meet, where she placed fifth.
"I am so excited to have run a personal best at such a key point in the season," Sutherland said. "It's a great feeling to know that the training is paying off and I'm blessed to have gotten to run against some solid competition that really pushed me today."
Mia Behm also raced in the 5,000m for Texas, placing seventh with a time of 16:33.28, while UT's distance medley relay team of Jessica Harper, Kendra Chambers, Katie Hoaldridge and Marielle Hallclocked a 12:02.77 for eighth.
On Saturday, Chambers and Hoaldridge will compete in the 800 meters while Hall will run the 3,000 meters.
Arkansas Final Qualifier
No. 11 Texas also sent 10 competitors in the sprints and field events to the Arkansas Final Qualifier. The meet was held at the Randal Tyson Track Center, the same venue that will host the NCAA Championships next weekend.
Junior A'Lexus Brannon and sophomore Morgan Snoweach posted personal bests in their respective events. Brannon, who leading up to this weekend stood tied for 16th nationally in long jump, leaped a career-long 20 feet, eight inches (6.30 meters).
Racing in the 60-meter hurdles, Snow clocked a time of 8.17 in the prelims, besting her previous record of 8.26, which she set in the first meet of the 2013 season. Snow came into last chance weekend ranked 20th in the event.
"This was a very successful day for us," interim head coach Rose Brimmersaid. "I told the girls before they entered competition today that they really needed to focus on the positives that they have accomplished up to this point in the season as opposed to the negatives. And we had three girls in Morgan, A'Lexus and Sara who put themselves in terrific position to compete next weekend at nationals, so it was worth the trip."
Also racing on Friday were five Longhorns who entered the weekend already ranked in the national top 16 in their events.
The Texas trio of freshman Courtney Okolo and juniors Danielle Dowie and Briana Nelsoncontended in the 400 meters, coming into Friday's meet armed with the 10th (52,72), 12th (52.82) and 15th (53.02) best times in the nation, respectively. The threesome finished within a hundredth of a second of one another, with Nelson leading the way in 53.08 for second and Okolo (third, 53.09) and Dowie (fourth, 53.10) close behind.
Junior Christy Udoh and senior Chalonda Goodmancompeted in the 200 meters after running personal bests of 23.34 and 23.36 at the Big 12 Championships to land them 12th and 14th nationally. On Friday, Udoh was the top finisher in 23.50 while Goodman was third in 23.80.
Goodman also raced in the 60 meters, clocking 7.51 in the prelims and 7.52 in the final.
