The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Big 12 Outdoor Championships
Brannon, Peterson pace No. 10 Women's Track & Field on second day of Big 12 Outdoor Championships
05.04.2013 | Track & Field / Cross Country w, Track & Field / Cross Country
May 4, 2013
Results | Results 
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WACO, Texas - The No. 10 Texas Women's Track & Field team continued its pursuit of a second straight Big 12 Outdoor title on Saturday at Hart-Patterson Track & Field Complex and sits in third place as a team heading into tomorrow's final day of competition.
The Longhorns were led on Saturday by the long jump duo of junior A'Lexus Brannon and senior Alicia Peterson in UT's only scored event of the day. On the heels of her 100-meter hurdles prelim race in which she qualified for Sunday's final, Brannon leaped 20 feet, 7 inches (6.27 meters) for third place and All-Big 12 honors. She was joined on the podium by Peterson, who jumped an outdoor personal-best 19-9.5 (6.03 meters) to claim fifth.
The two collectively earned 10 points for Texas, whose 31 team points sit third behind Kansas (53) and Iowa State (41) after two days of competition.
The Longhorns spent the remainder of the day qualifying 14 competitors out of the seven running event prelims. In total, UT will have 27 individual entries along with the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relays on Sunday.
"This was really a solid day of qualification for us," interim head coach Rose Brimmer said. "I was particularly impressed with the 400 hurdles and 200, where we had three girls step up and get into the final. We had great team energy today that, if we continue to feed off of it, will keep the ball rolling for us. If we keep feeding that flame, tomorrow is going to be a really positive day."
In the 400-meter hurdles, Texas was led by junior Danielle Dowie, who breezed through the prelim with the top overall qualifying time of 57.55. Peterson and freshman Melissa Gonzalez, who notched personal bests of 59.332 and 59.334 respectively, finished second and third behind Dowie in the second heat and advanced fourth and fifth overall.
UT will also have three finalists in the 200 meters. Senior Chalonda Goodman was the Longhorns' top finisher in the prelim with a time of 23.64, the second-fastest in the first heat and fifth-fastest overall. Junior Christy Udoh was close behind in 23.66, advancing sixth, and freshman Courtney Okolo ran a 23.79 to earn the eighth spot.
Both Goodman and Okolo moved on in two events on the day. Goodman also qualified in the 100 meters with a fourth-place, 11.63 finish in the prelim. Okolo crossed second in the 400 meters prelim in 52.44, her outdoor collegiate best and the fastest time for a Longhorn this season, and will be joined by junior Briana Nelson (third, 53.47) in the event final.
In the 100-meter hurdles, sophomore Morgan Snow posted the fastest qualifying time (13.28) and Brannon advanced on time in the seventh spot in a personal-best 13.72.
A pair of Longhorns punched their tickets to the 800 meters final in senior Kendra Chambers and Katie Hoaldridge. Chambers earned an automatic qualification with the second-fastest time of 2:08.08, while Hoaldridge advanced on time with a mark of 2:09.84.
Texas will also have a representative in the 1,500 meters with junior Sara Sutherland running a 4:26.81 to earn the automatic advance in the second position.
Sunday's session kicks off for Texas at 11 a.m. Central with Gonzalez contending in the triple jump. Natasha Masterson (javelin), Shanay Briscoe (high jump) and Peterson (high jump) will also compete in field event finals along with Brittany Marches in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase and eight Longhorns in the 5,000 meters.
Briscoe, a junior and four-time Big 12 high jump champion, seeks to defend her outdoor title, which she took home both her freshman and sophomore years.
TEXAS RESULTS - BIG 12 OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
SATURDAY, MAY 4 | * - denotes collegiate best | Q - qualified automatically for final | q - qualified for final on time
TEAM RESULTS (points after six scored events)
1. Kansas (53)
2. Iowa State (41)
3. TEXAS (31)
4. Kansas State (28)
5. Oklahoma (26)
6. Baylor (17)
7. TCU (15)
8. Texas Tech (8)
8. Oklahoma State (8)
10. Oklahoma State (7)
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Long jump
3. A'Lexus Brannon, 20-7 (6.27m)
5. Alicia Peterson, 19-9.5 (6.03m)
1,500m- prelim
2. Sara Sutherland, 4:26.81Q
10. Anne Jones, 4:38.21
11. Marielle Hall, 4:40.61
12. Katie Burford, 4:44.37
100m hurdles- prelim
1. Morgan Snow, 13.28Q
7. A'Lexus Brannon, 13.72q*
12. Melissa Gonzalez, 14.32
15. Chamique Francis, 15.05*
400m- prelim
2. Courtney Okolo, 52.44Q*
3. Briana Nelson, 53.47Q
100m- prelim
4. Chalonda Goodman, 11.63Q
9. Morgan Snow, 11.73*
15. Christy Udoh, 11.89
18. Bernice Bamgbade, 12.12
800m- prelim
2. Kendra Chambers, 2:08.08Q
8. Katie Hoaldridge, 2:09.84q
400m hurdles- prelim
1. Danielle Dowie, 57.55Q
4. Alicia Peterson, 59.332Q*
5. Melissa Gonzalez, 59.334Q*
13. Chamique Francis, 1:02.61
200m- prelim
5. Chalonda Goodman, 23.64Q
6. Christy Udoh, 23.66Q
8. Courtney Okolo, 23.79q
10. Briana Nelson, 24.02
20. Bernice Bamgbade, 25.76
