The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas Invitational
Track and Field sweeps Texas Invitational
04.12.2014 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Third-ranked women win seven events, No. 16 men claim five individual titles
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Video: Recap of Texas Invitational | Longhorn Network highlights of Texas Invite
The Track and Field squad had another strong performance at home Saturday, sweeping the team titles at the Texas Invitational. The No. 3 nationally-ranked women won seven events en route to 213.50 points, while the No. 16 men secured five victories and tallied 184 points.
Houston was second in the men's standings with 124 points and Texas State was third (91). The Baylor women finished second with 98 points and Houston was third with 77.50. Both sides had nine teams and contested 18 events during the one-day meet at sunny and warm, but windy Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Sophomore Courtney Okolo had one of the most impressive performances for the women, easily winning the 400 meters in a nation-leading time of 51.36 seconds. Briana Nelson was second in 52.40, which ranks No. 4 on the 2014 NCAA performers chart.
Junior Morgan Snow won the 100-meter hurdles (13.06w) and ran the opening leg of the victorious 4x100-meter relay. The foursome of Snow, Christy Udoh, Morolake Akinosun and Kendall Baisden clocked a time of 44.65.
Senior Danielle Dowie won the 400-meter hurdles for the second time in three weeks in the Longhorns home venue. Dowie had one of seven victories at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays helping the women earn team of the meet and she cruised to the win Saturday in 57.97.
In the final event of the meet, Kaitlin Petrillose, who set the outdoor school record in the pole vault with a clearance of 14 feet, 9 inches (4.49m) at the Texas Relays, nearly matched that nation-leading effort. The junior easily won the event with a clearance of 14-8 (4.47m). Petrillose entered the 19-women field with just one other competitor remaining – Baylor's Annie Rhodes. Petrillose, the indoor collegiate record holder, cleared her first bar – 14-0 (4.27m) – on her first attempt and then needed just two attempts to go over at 14-4 (4.37m). Rhodes went out at the height and Petrillose cleared her first try on her eventual winning height. She missed three times at 14-11 3/4 (4.57m).
The women also received victories from Brittany Marches in the 1,500 meters (4:39.10) and Alaina Perez in the steeplechase (11:31.31).
"The women performed very good today," head coach Mario Sategna said. "We were over the legal limit with the wind in the fast heat of the women's 200m but at the same time, Kendall Baisden and Briana Nelson in the next heat did a very nice job."
Baisden clocked a time of 23.37 and Nelson went 23.49 with a wind of plus-3.4 meters per second. While that trail wind would not be good for record purposes, it is within allowable wind (less than 4.0 meters per second) for qualifying purposes to the NCAA Preliminary Round.
Reese Watson led the men's team with the best outdoor performance of his career. Watson cleared 18 feet, 1 inch (5.51m), which easily outdistanced the 23-man field and ranks third on the 2014 NCAA performers list. The All-American needed three attempts to clear his first bar of 17-1, but got over 17-5 (5.31m) on his second try and his winning height on only one attempt. He missed three times at 18-4 3/4 (5.61m).
Watson is the eighth Longhorn in school history to clear 18 feet at an outdoor meet.
"That is a huge barrier for any of these guys coming into college," Sategna said of the sophomore. "A lot of them were great coming out of high school. They came in with 17-plus foot marks but that 18-foot barrier is more mental than physical. It is great to see him accomplish that. It's attributed to Reese's great work with (field events) Coach Ty (Seven) and (strength) Coach Trey (Zepeda) in the weight room."
Ryan Crouser, who leads the nation in the shot put, had a career-best performance in the discus. He won the event with a toss of 201-0 (61.27m), which ranks No. 5 on the 2014 NCAA performers chart.
The UT also had victories by Craig Lutz in the 1,500 meters, Basil Fares in the long jump and the 4x400-meter relay unit (3:14.21) of Pieter Conradie, Andrew Whyte, Chris Irvin, Josh Brudnick. Lutz clocked a time of 3:53.42, leading a 1-2-3 finish for the Longhorns. Blake Williams was second (3:57.81) and Nate Moore third (3:58.44). Fares had a career-long leap of 24-3 1/2 (7.40m), but it was negated by a wind of +4.8 meters per second.
Freshman Nekia Jones made her collegiate debut on the track after playing in 25 games this past season on the women's basketball team. Jones, who joined the track and field team this week, finished third in the shot put with a toss of 47-8 1/2 (14.54m).
Senoj-Jay Givans and Zack Bilderback also had career-best times, but like other marks they were negated by winds which gusted to more than 20 miles per hour during the day. Givans was fourth in the 100 meters in 10.27, but the wind was measured at +4.4 meters per second. Bilderback was second in the 200m in 20.61 but the wind was registered at +4.9 meters per second.
"Our performance on the men's side was very good," Sategna said. "It was the first meet back (since the Texas Relays) for everyone that did not go to Stanford that was mainly the distance group. Most importantly we wanted to come back healthy, which is what we did. The winds were kicking pretty much all day. Now we are looking forward to heading up to Waco."
The Longhorns continue the regular season on Saturday, April 19 when they will compete in the Michael Johnson Classic at Baylor.
TEAM STANDINGS - Texas Invitational
Austin, Texas • Mike A. Myers Stadium
Women
1. Texas - 213.50
2. Baylor - 98
3. Houston - 77.50
4. Texas State - 73
5. SMU - 67
6. South Florida - 65
7. UTSA - 62
8. Rice - 19
9. Texas-Arlington - 3
Men
1. Texas - 184
2. Houston - 124
3. Texas State - 91
4. UTSA - 60
5. South Florida - 55
6. Baylor - 51
7. Texas-Arlington - 22
8. Stephen F. Austin - 15
9. Penn - 8
TEXAS INDIVIDUAL RESULTS – Texas Invitational
Austin, Texas • Mike A. Myers Stadium
Saturday, April 12
Women
• 100 Meters: 2. Morolake Akinosun, 11.24 (w2.6); 3. Ashley Spencer, 11.27 (w2.6); 6. Christy Udoh, 11.60 (w2.6)
• 200 Meters: 2. Morolake Akinosun, 22.99 (w4.5); 3. Christy Udoh, 23.19 (w4.5); 7. Kendall Baisden, 23.37 (w3.4); 8. Briana Nelson, 23.49 (w3.4); 33. Shanay Briscoe, 25.78 (w3.3)
• 400 Meters: 1. Courtney Okolo, 51.36; 2. Briana Nelson, 52.40; 6. Nia Dorner, 55.29
• 800 Meters: 2. Katie Hoaldridge, 2:09.33; 6. Samantha Anderson, 2:14.72; 8. Katie Burford, 2:16.11; 11. Mary Beth Hamilton, 2:17.08; 12. Katie Watson, 2:18.10
• 1,500 Meters: 1. Brittany Marches, 4:39.10; 2. Connor Ward, 4:39.71; 3. Meghan Shea, 4:45.12; 5. Hannah Novelli, 4:49.27; 7. Rachel Harper, 4:52.27; 11. Kaitlyn Barry, 5:01.95; 17. Lauren Fritz, 5:12.01; 18. Kathleen Killeen, 5:20.04
• 100-Meter Hurdles: 1. Morgan Snow, 13.06 (w3.9); 6. Melissa Gonzalez, 13.96 (w3.9); 15. Shanay Briscoe, 14.77 (w4.6)
• 400-Meter Hurdles: 1. Danielle Dowie, 57.97; 2. Melissa Gonzalez, 59.39; 3. Ashley Spencer, 59.78; 14. Cody McCrary, 1:08.35
• 3,000-Meter Steeplechase: 1. Alaina Perez, 11:31.31; 3. Claire Andrews, 11:41.62; 4. Lexie Hood, 11:56.05
• 4x100-Meter Relay: 1. Morgan Snow, Christy Udoh, Morolake Akinosun, Kendall Baisden, 44.65
• 4x400-Meter Relay: 2. 'A' - Danielle Dowie, Melissa Gonzalez, Cody McCrary, Nia Dorner, 3:44.28; 4. 'B' – Katie Hoaldridge, Samantha Anderson, Mary Beth Hamilton, Rachel Harper, 3:57.91; 6. 'C' – Alaina Perez, Connor Ward, Katie Burford, Lauren Fritz, 4:10.22
• Pole Vault: 1. Kaitlin Petrillose, 14-8 (4.47m); 9. Alyssa Gullo, 12-0.50 (3.67m); 13. Anne Harwig, 11-6.50 (3.52m); -- Peri Howser, NH
• Long Jump: 7. Shanay Briscoe, 18-5.75/5.63m (w4.9); 13. Pamela Uchebo, 17-10.25/5.44m (w3.7)
• Shot Put: 3. Nekia Jones, 47-8.50 (14.54m)
Men
• 100 Meters: 4. Senoj-Jay Givans, 10.27 (w4.4); 8. Charles Anumnu, 10.45 (w2.8); 13. Basil Fares, 10.50 (w3.9); 16. Carlton Anumnu, 10.58 (w2.8); 22. Darnell Porter, 10.93 (w3.9)
• 200 Meters: 2. Zack Bilderback, 20.61 (w4.9); 8. Charles Anumnu, 21.03 (w3.3); 12. Carlton Anumnu, 21.28 (w3.3); 18. Andrew Whyte, 21.67 (w3.3); 23. Jake Wohlford, 21.95 (w5.9); 25. Darnell Porter, 22.12 (w5.9)
• 400 Meters: 3. Chris Irvin, 47.58; 5. Andrew Whyte, 47.98; 8. Pieter Conradie, 49.12
• 800 Meters: 3. Robert Uhr, 1:54.84; 6. John McNamara, 1:55.92; 7. Derrell Manhertz, 1:56.00; 9. Brady Turnbull, 1:56.66; -- David Anamosa, DNF
• 1,500 Meters: 1. Craig Lutz, 3:53.42; 2. Blake Williams, 3:57.81; 3. Nate Moore, 3:58.44
• 110-Meter Hurdles: 6. Jake Wohlford, 14.22 (w4.9); -- Spencer Dunkerley-Offor, DNF
• 400-Meter Hurdles: 3. Josh Brudnick, 52.42
• 3,000-Meter Steeplechase: 2. Collin Smith, 9:38.71
• 4x100-Meter Relay: 2. Charles Anumnu, Zack Bilderback, Carlton Anumnu, Chris Irvin, 40.20
• 4x400-Meter Relay: 1. 'A' - Pieter Conradie, Andrew Whyte, Chris Irvin, Josh Brudnick, 3:14.21; 5. 'B' - Johannes Hock, Wolf Mahler, Derrell Manhertz, Robert Uhr, 3:21.25; 6. 'C' – John McNamara, Blake Williams, Brady Turnbull, David Anamosa, 3:24.87
• High Jump: 2. Jordan Larkins, 6-8 (2.03m)
• Pole Vault: 1. Reese Watson, 18-1 (5.51m); 10. Casey Wicker, 16-7.25 (5.06m); 14. Wolf Mahler, 16-7.25 (5.06m); 17. Hayden Clark, 15-7.25 (4.76m)
• Long Jump: 1. Basil Fares, 24-3.50/7.40m (w4.8); 3. Nick Phynn, 23-10/7.26m (w3.0); 9. Wolf Mahler, 21-11.50/6.69m (w4.6m)
• Shot Put: 3. Will Spence, 60-4.50 (18.40m); 12. Johannes Hock, 48-6 (14.78m)
• Discus: 1. Ryan Crouser, 201-0 (61.27m); 5. Will Spence, 183-11 (56.06m); 6. Blake Jakobsson, 183-1 (55.80m); 8. Johannes Hock, 173-5 (52.87m); 21. Wolf Mahler, 133-9 (40.78m)
• Hammer Throw: 6. Blake Jakobsson, 164-1 (50.01m)
