The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Tyson Invitational
Strong performances cap Track and Field’s indoor regular season
02.15.2014 | Track & Field / Cross Country
No. 1 women, No. 13 men had groups at Tyson Invitational and Iowa State Classic on Friday and Saturday; Women’s 4x400m relay posts national-leading time on Saturday
TYSON INVITATIONAL
• When: Friday-Saturday, Feb. 14-15
• Where: Fayetteville, Ark. (Randal Tyson Track Center)
• Results: Complete | Complete
IOWA STATE CLASSIC
• When: Friday-Saturday, Feb. 14-15
• Where: Ames, Iowa (Lied Recreation Center)
• Results: Complete
One day after posting top national times in the women's 60, 400 and 5,000 meters, as well as the men's 60 and 400 meters, the Texas track and field team capped off the indoor regular season Saturday at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., and the Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa, with more impressive performances, including a stellar 4x400-meter relay time.
"It was mission accomplished this weekend," head coach Mario Sategna said.
In the final event of the day at the Tyson Invitational, the top-ranked Texas women posted the best 4x400-meter relay time in the nation this season and a mark just outside the all-time indoor collegiate top 10. The foursome of Kendall Baisden, Briana Nelson, Courtney Okolo and Ashley Spencer crossed the finish line in 3 minutes, 30.12 seconds, well ahead of second-place Texas Tech (3:34.15) and eclipsing Oregon's national-leading 3:30.52a (adjusted for altitude) recorded Friday at the Don Kirby Elite meet in Albuquerque, N.M. Texas A&M's time of 3:29.93 at the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships ranks No. 10 on the all-time performance list.
With that time, the Longhorns are nearly assured of a trip to nationals in the 4x400m relay, with the schools posting the top 12 times earning bids.
Okolo also finished second in the 200 meters Saturday in a personal-best 23.48, a time which places her among the top 15 on this year's NCAA performers list. The top 16 in each individual event advance to next month's NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque.
Spencer entered the meet ranked tied for 11th nationally in the 200m (23.46) and Friday she posted the second-best 400-meter time in the nation (52.33), surpassing Okolo's 52.51a, which is third.
"We had seasonal or personal-bests across the board for the men and women," Sategna said. "That was just what we were looking for in the last competition before the Big 12 meet."
For the 13th-ranked UT men, Zack Bilderback followed up Friday's personal-best 46.47 in the 400 meters (No. 12 on the 2014 NCAA performers list and No. 6 on the all-time UT performance list) with a career-best 21.18 in the 200. Saturday's time was eighth in a deep 63-man field, but ranks fifth on the school's all-time indoor 200-meter performers list and moves him into the top 30 on this year's collegiate list.
There were also a number of other personal bests in the men's 200 with four freshmen - Senoj-Jay Givans (21.36), Charles Anumnu (21.66), Carlton Anumnu (21.83) and Montrel Meander (21.88) - each eclipsing their previous best.
"Zack and Senoj-Jay were lights out for the men this weekend," Sategna said.
While 38 men and women made the trip to Arkansas, a contingent of 22 (mostly distance runners) headed to Iowa State.
The Longhorn men won two of their six races at the ISU Classic. Freshman Robert Uhr captured Saturday's 1,000 meters in 2:27.75. Pieter Conradie, who was second in Saturday's 400 meters in a personal-best 48.10, won the 600 yards on Friday in a career-best time of 1:10.94.
On the women's side at ISU, Marielle Hall, the 2013 Big 12 Cross Country champion, clocked a time of 4:41.19 to finished eighth in the mile, but third among collegians. That time is second best in school history and ranks among the top 40 nationally this season. She also competed in the 3,000 Saturday and posted a time of 9:41.82.
In the field events at the Tyson Invitational, Texas got a third-place finish in the championship pole vault from Reese Watson with a clearance of 17 feet, 7 inches (5.36m) and second-place effort from Logan Brittain in the college high jump with a mark of 6-11 (2.11m).
"I'm really excited for Logan and Reese who solidified themselves with those marks," Sategna said. "They have been consistent at a good level which is exciting heading into the conference meet."
Senior Mark Thomas was sixth in the pole event with a personal-best 17-3 (5.26m).
"Mark has worked extremely hard and we're happy for him to get that mark today," Sategna said.
The UT men and women's team entered the weekend ranked in the top 10 nationally in eight events, including five with a top-five mark, and added to that total the last two days.
The Longhorns unofficially have four athletes among the top 13 on this season's women's 400-meter national performers list. Nelson, who was also competing in her first 400m race of the year Friday, clocked a time of 53.15, which ranks tied for 12th this season. Baisden, just a freshman, had a career-best 53.23 in that race (No. 13 in the nation).
Givans had a breakout performance Friday at Arkansas against some of the top sprinters in the nation. He improved his personal best time in all three 60-meter races, including a 6.64 in the finals, a time tied for the sixth-best performance in school history and No. 16 on the 2014 collegiate performers list.
Sara Sutherland shined at Iowa State Friday. She clocked the eighth-best 5,000-meter time in the nation at 15:53.98, which was just off her career best and UT record 15:50.04 (2013). Sutherland has the four best times in school history on any-sized track.
The Longhorns are off next weekend and will prepare for the Big 12 Indoor Championships which is set for Feb. 28-March 1 at ISU's Lied Recreation Center.
"We're excited to have the next week off to prepare for the conference meet, especially with the weather scheduled to get back to normal," Sategna said.
TEXAS RESULTS – Tyson Invitational
Fayetteville, Ark. • Randal Tyson Track Center
Friday, Feb. 14
Women
• 60 Meters - Prelims: 3. Morolake Akinosun, 7.38; 16. Morgan Snow, 7.52; 21. Bernice Bamgbade, 7.54; 35. Christy Udoh, 7.64
• 60 Meters – Semifinal: 2. Morolake Akinosun, 7.32; 20. Bernice Bamgbade, 7.60; 21. Morgan Snow, 7.62
• 60 Meters - Final: 2. Morolake Akinosun, 7.25
• 400 Meters: 1. Ashley Spencer, 52.33; 2. Courtney Okolo, 52.54; 6. Briana Nelson, 53.15; 8. Kendall Baisden, 53.23; 14. Danielle Dowie, 53.47; 25. Nia Dorner, 55.15
• 60-Meter Hurdles - Prelims: 9. Morgan Snow, 8.41; 32. Melissa Gonzalez, 8.79; 40. Shanay Briscoe, 9.04
• 60-Meter Hurdles – Semifinal: 4. Morgan Snow, 8.23
• 60-Meter Hurdles - Final: 7. Morgan Snow, 8.33
• Pole Vault – College: 10. Anne Harwig, 11-9.75 (3.60m); 11. Alyssa Gullo, 11-9.75 (3.60m)
• Pole Vault – Olympic Development: t3. Kaitlin Petrillose, 13-9.25 (4.20m)
• Long Jump – College: 22. Melissa Gonzalez, 17-0 (5.18m)
Men
• 60 Meters - Prelim: 6. Senoj-Jay Givans, 6.73; 27. Charles Anumnu, 6.91; t31. Carlton Anumnu, 6.93; 42. Montrel Meander, 7.02; 52. Adrian Colbert, 7.12; 55. Chris Irvin, 7.15; 60. Johannes Hock, 7.21; -- Basil Fares, FS
• 60 Meters – Semifinal: 5. Senoj-Jay Givans, 6.69
• 60 Meters - Final: 2. Senoj-Jay Givans, 6.64
• 400 Meters: 3. Zack Bilderback, 46.47
• 60-Meter Hurdles - Prelims: 9. Jake Wohlford, 7.99; 18. Spencer Dunkerley-Offor, 8.21; 28. Johannes Hock, 8.41; 31. Wolf Mahler, 8.65; 37. Chris Irvin, 10.03
• 60-Meter Hurdles – Semifinal: 14. Jake Wohlford, 8.10; 19. Spencer Dunkerley-Offor, 8.20
• Long Jump – College: 3. Basil Fares, 24-3 (7.39m); 9. Johannes Hock, 23-5.25 (7.14m); 11. Logan Brittain, 23-3.50 (7.10m); 22. Nick Phynn, 22-5 (6.83m); 30. Wolf Mahler, 21-2.75 (6.47m); 33. Chris Irvin, 20-8 (6.30m)
• Weight Throw: 9. Will Spence, 56-4.75 (17.19m); 11. Blake Jakobsson, 55-0 (16.76m); 12. Clint Harris, 54-3.25 (16.54m)
Saturday, Feb. 15
Women
• 200 Meters: 4. Courtney Okolo, 23.48; 13. Danielle Dowie, 23.90; 17. Christy Udoh, 24.14; 19. Kendall Baisden, 24.16; 36. Nia Dorner, 25.04
• 4x400-Meter Relay: 1. Kendall Baisden, Briana Nelson, Courtney Okolo and Ashley Spencer, 3:30.12
• High Jump – Championship: 3. Shanay Briscoe, 5-9.75 (1.77m)
• Triple Jump – College: 17. Melissa Gonzalez, 36-0.25 (10.98m)
Men
• 200 Meters: 8. Zack Bilderback, 21.18; 19. Senoj-Jay Givans, 21.36; 28. Charles Anumnu, 21.66; 35. Carlton Anumnu, 21.83; 39. Montrel Meander, 21.88; 50. Adrian Colbert, 22.37; 53. Jake Wohlford, 22.46
• 4x400-Meter Relay: 12. Wolf Mahler, Chris Irvin, Spencer Dunkerley-Offor, Carlton Anumnu, 3:14.94
• High Jump – College: 2. Logan Brittain, 6-11 (2.11m); t4. Spencer McCloud, 6-7 (2.01m)
• Pole Vault – College: t12. Noah Zorsky, 15-11.25 (4.86m)
• Pole Vault – Championship: 3. Reese Watson, 17-7 (5.36m); 6. Mark Thomas, 17-3 (5.26m): t9. Hayden Clark, 16-5.25 (5.01m)
• Shot Put: 5. Will Spence, 59-8.25 (18.19m); 22. Clint Harris, 49-10 (15.19m); 25. Blake Jakobsson, 46-8.25 (14.23m)
TEXAS RESULTS – Iowa State Classic
Ames, Iowa • Lied Recreation Center
Friday, Feb. 14
Women
• 5,000 Meters: 2. Sara Sutherland, 15:53.98; 11. Olivia Mickle, 16:20.07; 27. Megan Siebert, 16:51.12
Men
• 600 Yards: 1. Pieter Conradie, 1:10.94; 9. Derrell Manhertz, 1:12.30; 10. Josh Brudnick, 1:12.41
• 5,000 Meters: 12. Mark Pinales, 14:03.17; 23. Will Nation, 14:20.73; 26. Chris Galvin, 14:28.27; 33. Eduardo Rodriguez, 14:39.60; 36. Collin Smith, 14:47.04
Saturday, Feb. 15
Women
• 800 Meters: 22. Mary Beth Hamilton, 2:13.80
• Mile: 8. Marielle Hall, 4:41.19; 21. Brittany Marches, 4:56.70; 33. Connor Ward, 5:03.41
• 3,000 Meters (Unseeded): 2. Brittany Marches, 9:48.79; 5. Connor Ward, 9:56.61; 12. Alaina Perez, 10:08.05
• 3,000 Meters (Seeded): 17. Marielle Hall, 9:41.82
Men
• 400 Meters: 2. Pieter Conradie, 48.10; 13. Josh Brudnick, 49.44; 20. Derrell Manhertz, 50.22
• 1,000 Meters: 1. Robert Uhr, 2:27.75
• Mile: 24. Brady Turnbull, 4:10.12
• 3,000 Meters (Unseeded): 5. Mark Pinales, 8:16.89; 6. Nate Moore, 8:17.75; -- Chris Galvin, DNF
