The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Michael Johnson Dr Pepper Classic
Track and Field wins 16 events at Saturday’s Michael Johnson Dr Pepper Classic
04.19.2014 | Track & Field / Cross Country
No. 3 women and No. 16 men claim eight titles apiece, including a number of nationally-ranked marks
WACO, Texas - The Track and Field team, ranked No. 3 nationally on the women's side and 16th on the men's, turned in one of its best performances of the season by claiming 16 individual titles at Saturday's Michael Johnson Dr Pepper Classic.
In the final-ever collegiate meet at Baylor's Hart-Patterson Track Complex, the Texas men and women each won eight events at the non team-scored affair that included athletes from Angelo State, George Mason, SMU (women), TCU, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Tulsa, and UT Arlington, as well as a strong contingent of professionals.
"It was a really good day for the both the men and women," head coach Mario Sategna said. "We had some impressive performances with a number of seasonal and lifetime bests. There was also great turnout of family and friends on the Easter weekend."
Texas was particularly strong in the sprints, including the 400 meters where a pair of young Longhorns shined, each eclipsing an Olympian.
Sophomore Zack Bilderback won the evening session of the 400 meters in a personal-best 45.73 seconds, ahead of a number of collegians and professionals including Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Wariner, formerly of Baylor. Bilderback's time ranks No. 9 on the 2014 NCAA performers list. He was also second in the 200 meters in 20.76.
The Longhorns showed their depth in the women's 400 meters. Freshman Kendall Baisden won the evening session in a personal-best time of 51.72, which edged Olympic silver medalist Lyudmila Litvinova (52.06) and teammate Briana Nelson who was third in a career-best 52.27. Baisden and Nelson's times rank third and fifth, respectively, on the 2014 NCAA performers list.
Courtney Okolo posted a nation-leading time of 51.36 in the 400 at last week's Texas Invitational and Ashley Spencer, the two-time defending NCAA outdoor champion in the event, has yet to compete in a 400 this season.
Spencer did lead a 1-2-3-4 Texas finish in the 200 meters in a personal-best time of 22.92, which ranks No. 6 on the 2014 NCAA performers chart. Morolake Akinosun was second in a career-best 23.10, a time that is tied for 13th on this year's national performers chart. Okolo was third in a personal-best 23.17 and Christy Udoh was fourth (23.36).
Junior Ryan Crouser won the discus (193-2/58.88m) and nearly eclipsed his own school record in capturing the shot-put title. Crouser won with a toss of 69 feet, 8 1/4 inches (21.24m), the second-best shot-put performance in school history and a mark that is No. 2 on the 2014 world performance list. His UT-record toss of 69-9 1/2 (21.27m) at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays is No. 1.
Will Spence finished second to Crouser in the discus (188-1/57.33m) and third in the shot put with a personal-best toss of 63-2 (19.25m), which is 12th nationally on this year's NCAA performers list.
Other event winners on the men's side included Basil Fares, who won the long jump in personal-best mark of 24-2 1/2 (7.38m), Eduardo Rodriguez, who claimed the 5,000-meter title (14:44.09), and Chris Irvin, who was victorious in the afternoon session of the 200 meters in 21.84. Most of the running events consisted of afternoon and evening sessions, with those later in the day featuring the higher-seeded entries.
Kaitlin Petrillose continued to show she is among the elite pole vault competitors. The 2014 NCAA indoor champion easily defeated the 14-women field with a clearance of 13-9 1/4 (4.20m).
The women also had victories from Megan Siebert in the 5,000 meters (16:50.99), Melissa Gonzalez in the 400-meter hurdles (59.94) and Shanay Briscoe in the high jump with a clearance of 5-8 3/4 (1.75m).
A number of Longhorns who didn't win also had solid performances.
Senoj-Jay Givans clocked a personal-best time of 10.36 in the evening session of the 100 meters and 20.92 in the 200. Josh Brudnick had a season-best 52.38 in the evening session of the 400-meter hurdles.
"It was great for Senoj-Jay to run some solid times," Sategna said. "I thought Josh had a nice race and looks ready to run a lot faster."
Baylor will be opening the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium for the 2014-15 season so were saying goodbye Saturday to its current venue, which served as the host site for the 2013 Big 12 Outdoor Championships. The Longhorn men won the title last year, while the women were second.
Texas has just two regular season meets remaining before the 2014 Big 12 Outdoor Championships, which will be held May 16-18 in Lubbock, Texas. UT will send a number of sprint and distance runners to next week's Penn Relays (April 24-26) and then serve as host to the Longhorn Invitational on Saturday, May 3.
Longhorn Notes
• Zack Bilderback's personal-best time of 45.73 in the 400 meters was just outside the top 10 on the Texas all-time performance list, but did place him fourth on the performers chart. Bilderback set the UT indoor 400-meter record of 46.03 at the 2014 Big 12 Championships. Du'iane Ladejo set the Texas outdoor 400-meter record of 45.25 at the 1992 NCAA Championships.
• With Ryan Crouser's shot put toss of 69-8.25 (21.24m) – No. 2 in school history – the junior now has the top three performances on UT record and four of the best eight.
• Former UT All-American Kendra Chambers won the evening session of the 800 meters in 2:05.03.
TEXAS RESULTS – Michael Johnson Dr Pepper Classic
Waco, Texas • Hart/Patterson Track and Field Complex • All Times Central
Saturday, April 19
Women
• 100 Meters – Afternoon Session: 3. Bernice Bamgbade, 12.17
• 100 Meters – Evening Session: 10. Christy Udoh, 11.78
• 200 Meters – Afternoon Session: 3. Nia Dorner, 24.76
• 200 Meters – Evening Session: 1. Ashey Spencer, 22.92; 2. Morolake Akinosun, 23.10; 3. Courtney Okolo, 23.17; 4. Christy Udoh, 23.36; 7. Kendall Baisden, 23.66; 8. Briana Nelson, 23.77
• 400 Meters – Evening Session: 1. Kendall Baisden, 51.72; 3. Briana Nelson, 52.27; 11. Nia Dorner, 56.18
• 800 meters – Evening Session: 12. Mary Beth Hamilton, 2:14.38; 13. Samantha Anderson, 2:15.26
• 1,500 Meters – Afternoon Session: 1. Rachel Harper, 4:42.21; 4. Kaitlyn Barry, 4:50.33; 13. Lauren Fritz, 5:06.22
• 1,500 Meters – Evening Session: 4. Meghan Shea, 4:32.63; 9. Katie Burford, 4:35.28; 10. Jessica Harper, 4:35.87
• 5,000 Meters: 1. Megan Siebert, 16:50.99; 6. Kaleigh Ervin, 17:22.72; 10. Hannah Novelli, 17:47.53
• 100-Meter Hurdles – Evening Session: 2. Morgan Snow, 13.34; 7. Melissa Gonzalez, 14.28
• 400-Meter Hurdles – Afternoon Session: 5. Cody McCrary, 1:06.24
• 400-Meter Hurdles – Evening Session: 1. Melissa Gonzalez, 58.94
• 3,000-Meter Steeplechase: 2. Lexie Hood, 11:26.06; 4. Claire Andrews, 11:41.31
• 4x100-Meter Relay: 1. Morgan Snow, Courtney Okolo, Morolake Akinosun, Ashley Spencer, 43.62
• High Jump: 1. Shanay Briscoe, 5-8.75 (1.75m)
• Pole Vault: 1. Kaitlin Petrillose, 13-9.25 (4.20m); 7. Alyssa Gullo, 11-5.75 (3.50m); 8. Anne Harwig, 10-11.75 (3.35m); -- Peri Howser, NH
• Long Jump: 11. Pamela Uchebo, 18-2.25 (5.54m)
• Shot Put: 3. Nekia Jones, 47-4.50 (14.44m)
Men
• 100 Meters – Afternoon Session: 3. Chris Irvin, 10.83; 13. Darnell Porter, 11.20
• 100 Meters – Evening Session: 4. Senoj-Jay Givans, 10.36; 14. Charles Anumnu, 10.71; 15. Carlton Anumnu, 10.72; 16. Basil Fares, 10.84
• 200 Meters – Afternoon Session: 1. Chris Irvin, 21.84; 12. Darnell Porter, 22.69
• 200 Meters – Evening Session: 2. Zack Bilderback, 20.76; 4. Senoj-Jay Givans, 20.92; 10. Charles Anumnu, 21.70; 13. Carlton Anumnu, 22.23; 14. Jake Wohlford, 22.65
• 400 Meters – Afternoon Session: 3. Pieter Conradie, 48.52; 6. Wolf Mahler, 48.76
• 400 Meters – Evening Session: 1. Zack Bilderback, 45.73; 10. Andrew Whyte, 47.48
• 800 meters – Afternoon Session: 1. Derrell Manhertz, 1:53.16
• 800 meters – Evening Session: 4. David Anamosa, 1:52.07
• 1,500 Meters – Evening Session: 2. Brady Turnbull, 3:51.63
• 5,000 Meters: 1. Eduardo Rodriguez, 14:44.09; -- Blake Williams, DNF
• 110-Meter Hurdles – Afternoon Session: 1. Wolf Mahler, 15.30
• 110-Meter Hurdles – Evening Session: -- Jake Wohlford, DNF
• 400-Meter Hurdles – Evening Session: 3. Josh Brudnick, 52.38
• 3,000-Meter Steeplechase: 2. Collin Smith, 9:32.21
• 4x100-Meter Relay: -- Charles Anumnu, Zack Bilderback, Senoj-Jay Givans, Chris Irvin, DNF
• High Jump: 2. Jordan Larkins, 6-6.75 (2.00m)
• Pole Vault: 2. Casey Wicker, 16-6.75 (5.05m); 3. Hayden Clark, 16-0.75 (4.90m); 5. Noah Zorsky, 15-7 (4.75m); -- Reese Watson, NH
• Long Jump: 1. Basil Fares, 24-2.50 (7.38m)
• Shot Put: 1. Ryan Crouser, 69-8.25 (21.24m); 3. Will Spence, 63-2 (19.25m)
• Discus: 1. Ryan Crouser, 193-2 (58.88m); 2. Will Spence, 188-1 (57.33m); 5. Blake Jakobsson, 175-1 (53.37m)
• Hammer: 4. Blake Jakobsson, 151-8 (46.22m)
• Javelin: 6. John Trucilla, 187-0 (57.00m); 7. Wolf Mahler, 180-10 (55.13m)
* Fast sections of running events were competed in the evening.
