The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
NCAA Indoor Championships
Two Longhorns claim All-America honors on final day of NCAA Indoor meet
03.09.2013 | Track & Field / Cross Country m, Track & Field / Cross Country
March 9, 2013
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Four members of the Texas men's track and field team competed in the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships and three came away with hardware.
Johannes Hock and Keiron Stewart both secured All-America honors Saturday during the final day of competition at Arkansas' Randal Tyson Track Center.
Stewart finished fifth in a deep 60-meter hurdles field in 7.72, which was off his own school record of 7.63, set in Friday night's semis. His finish gave the Longhorns four points.
Hock ended up sixth in the heptathlon with a personal-best total of 5,873 points, earning three points.
Both of those events were won with two of the best marks in collegiate history.
Eddie Lovett of Florida captured gold in the 60mh in a meet-record time of 7.50.
"Keiron is a little disappointed," head coach Bubba Thornton said. "He didn't get through the second hurdle clean and it caused him to rail back. But he fought back and got fifth."
Stewart earned his fifth first team All-America honor (top eight at national meet), including second indoors. He finished fourth in the 60mh in 2011.
The last two days were Hock's first taste of the American national scene. The freshman, who joined the team this semester, was fourth after Friday's opening day with 3,279 points.
He set personal bests in two of three events Saturday, but the 16-man field was extremely deep.
Kevin Lazas of Arkansas won the event with 6,175 points, which is the fourth-best total in collegiate history. Japheth Cato of Wisconsin was second, just 10 points behind Lazas.
Hock, one of only two freshmen in the field, had career-best times in both the 60mh (8.28) and 1,000m (2:46.62). He was also just an inch off his career best in the pole vault with a clearance of 16 3/4 (4.90m), but six competitors went 16-8 3/4 (5.10m) or better.
He dropped for fourth to sixth after the pole vault, but hung on to that spot by posting the eighth-best 1,000m time.
"It was a great effort," Thornton said of the native of Germany. "He left yesterday a little deflated. He woke up this morning and said `I'm going get through this, we're going to be all right.' But it's hard at this level of competition."
Hock came into the meet with the fifth-best nark after collecting 5,858 points while winning the Big 12 title last month.
"You can see that he is going to be one of those decathletes down the road that people are going to have to beat to get the medals," Thornton said. "This was really a great start for him."
Texas ended the two-day meet with nine points, which placed it in a tie for 23rd.
Arkansas won the 17-event meet with 74 points. Florida was second with 59 and Wisconsin third (33).
Hayden Baillio earned two points and All-America honors Friday when he finished seventh in the shot put. Joe Stilin competed in Friday's mile prelims, but did not advance to the finals.
"We had a few things happen to us indoors out of our control and we'll try to work that out when we get back home," Thornton said. "But we're excited about going into outdoors. We're coming off a Big 12 Indoor Championship and now we'll add Ryan Crouser [in the shot put] and Isaac Murphy [in the decathlon], along with the pole vaulters."
The Razorbacks have served as host to the NCAA Indoor Championships 11 times in the last 14 seasons.
"I enjoyed watching our men and women compete here," Thornton said. "This is a fun meet in a great atmosphere."
A tape delay of the championship will air Sunday, March 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. CST on ESPNU.
Notes:
- Hock became the fourth Longhorn to score in the heptathlon at the NCAA meet. Donovan Kilmartin won the event in 2004, 2006 and 2007, and was second in 2005. Trey Hardee was third in 2005 and Petter Olson was seventh last year.
- Stewart ends his indoor career with 10 of the top thirteen 60-meter hurdle times in school history. He is one of three Longhorns to claim All-America honors in the 55/60-meter hurdles and the second to do it twice. Jermaine Cooper was an All-American in the 60mh in 2002 and 2004. Derek Spears was an All-American in 55-meter hurdles in 1996.
TEXAS RESULTS- NCAA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Fayetteville, Ark. - Randal Tyson Track Center
Friday, March 8 - Results
- Mile Semis: 11. Joe Stilin, 4:02.04
- 60-Meter Hurdles Semis: 3. Keiron Stewart, 7.63
- Shot Put: 7. Hayden Baillio, 62-6 (19.05m) - 2 points
- 60 Meters (Heptathlon): 5. Johannes Hock, 7.03 (872)
- Long Jump (Heptathlon): 3. Johannes Hock 24-2.50/7.38m (905)
- Shot Put (Heptathlon): 2. Johannes Hock, 49-1.50/14.97m (788)
- High Jump (Heptathlon): t-11. Johannes Hock, 6-2.75/1.90m (714)
- Heptathlon - Through Four Events: 4. Johannes Hock, 3,279
Saturday, March 9 - Results
- 60-Meter Hurdles Final: 5. Keiron Stewart, 7.72 - 4 points
- 60-Meter Hurdles (Heptathlon): t-9. Johannes Hock, 8.28 (913)
- Pole Vault (Heptathlon): t-8. Johannes Hock, 16-0.75/4.90m (880)
- 1,000 Meters (Heptathlon): 8. Johannes Hock, 2:46.62 (801)
- Heptathlon - Seven-Event Total: 6. Johannes Hock, 5,873 - 3 points
