The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Penn Relays
Track and Field closes out trip to Penn Relays in style
04.26.2014 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Women’s 4x400-meter relay posts fourth-best time in collegiate history and 4x200 clocks school record during Saturday’s action
2014 PENN RELAYS
• When: Thursday-Saturday, April 24-26 - Schedule/Start Lists | Texas at the Penn Relays
• Where: Philadelphia, Pa. (Franklin Field)
• Results: Thursday | Friday | Saturday
• Live Results: Click here
Updated: April 29, 2014, 1 p.m. CT
PHILADELPHIA – The Track and Field team ended its three-day stay at the prestigious Penn Relays with a pair of impressive performances in the 4x400-meter relay, including one of the best in collegiate history, and a school record in the 4x200.
The women's foursome of Briana Nelson, Courtney Okolo, Kendall Baisden and Ashley Spencer continued its strong 2014 season by cruising to the win in Saturday's 4x400m relay final in 3 minutes, 25.05 seconds. That was not only a meet record, but also the fourth-best time in outdoor collegiate history and second in the UT record book.
That quartet, which came into the meet with a nation-leading time of 3:26.38 (posted at last month's Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays), finished ahead of second-place Oregon by nearly five seconds (3:29.82). Texas A&M was third in 3:29.96.
"That was a lights out performance and a great way to end off the meet," head coach Mario Sategna said.
Texas owns the collegiate record in the 4x400m relay. Sheretta Jones, Raasin McIntosh, Jerrika Chapple and Sanya Richards set the mark (3:23.75) at the 2004 Texas Relays.
The Longhorn women, ranked No. 3 in the nation, won the 4x400 at the Penn Relays for the 11th time, the most in meet history.
The 15th-ranked men capped off the 120th edition of the Penn Relays by finishing second in the 4x400m relay, bettering their season-best time for the second-straight day. On Friday, the foursome of Chris Irvin, Andrew Whyte, Senoj-Jay Givans and Zack Bilderback clocked a 3:05.86 to finish third in the prelim. In Saturday's final, the last event of the meet, the same quartet improved on its best time since the 2008 NCAA Championships by cruising home in 3:05.13, the 10th-best mark in the nation this season. Pittsburgh was first in 3:03.44.
The UT women set a school record in the 4x200-meter relay with Morolake Akinosun, Christy Udoh, Nelson and Spencer crossing the finish line of the final second in 1:30.26, just behind Texas A&M (1:30.21).
Earlier in the day at Franklin Field, Charles Anumnu, Bilderback, Givans and Irvin combined to finish fifth in the final of the 4x100-meter relay in a season-best time of 39.71. Once again improving on a season-best. They posted a 40.00 to finish fourth in Friday's prelim.
But it was the women's 4x400m relay that made a statement in a race featuring some of the foursomes the Longhorns could see at June's NCAA Outdoor Championships. In addition to Texas A&M and Oregon, the Longhorns finished ahead of Texas Tech (sixth in 3:35.61) and Kentucky (eighth 3:39.21). Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Kentucky all entered the meet ranked among the top 10 on the 2014 NCAA performance list, and perennial power Oregon had yet to compete in the event in the outdoor season.
The same UT 4x400 relay quartet was edged at the finish line by Oregon in the same event at last month's NCAA Indoor Championships, enabling the Ducks to claim their fifth-straight indoor national title.
"I wanted to finish for Texas," said Spencer, who ran the anchor leg in 50.67. "We deserve it. We've worked hard this whole weekend, and to leave empty-handed is not something we wanted to do."
Texas snapped the meet record that Oregon set last year. English Gardner, Chizoba Okodogbe, Laura Roesler and Phyllis Francis clocked a time of 3:26.73 in 2013. Okodogbe, Roesler and Francis ran the second, third and anchor legs again Saturday. Claudia Francis ran the opening leg.
Okolo, who owns this year's top 400-meter time in the nation (51.36 at the Texas Invitational), had the best split among any competitor in the 4x400 relay. She ran the second leg in 49.7 seconds.
"It was a great job overall by our relays this weekend and hats off to Tonja (Buford-Bailey)," Sategna said of his associate head coach who oversees the sprint/relay unit. "I think we have put ourselves in a really good position in those events as we get closer to the postseason."
In other action Saturday, senior Marielle Hall, who is from nearly Haddonfield, N.J., finished fifth (first among collegians) in the Olympic development mile in a personal-best 4:35.27 and junior Morgan Snow was third (13.28) in the 100-meter hurdle final.
Texas is back home next week, closing out the regular season on Saturday with the Longhorn Invitational at Mike A. Myers Stadium. Field events begin at 12:30 p.m. and running events at 4:45 p.m.
Longhorn Notes
• With Saturday's performance (3:25.05) by the women's 4x400-meter relay of Briana Nelson, Courtney Okolo, Kendall Baisden and Ashley Spencer, the Longhorns have now posted four of the top nine outdoor times in collegiate history, including two this season. That time ranks No. 4 and the Longhorns posted the ninth-best time (3:26.38) with the same foursome at this year's Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. Sheretta Jones, Raasin McIntosh, Jerrika Chapple and Sanya Richards set the collegiate mark of 3:23.75 at the 2004 Texas Relays. Later that year in the prelim at the NCAA Championships, Alyssa Aiken joined Richards, McIntosh and Jerrika Chapple in clocking a time of 3:25.58 (No. 6 in collegiate history).
• Despite getting edged at the finish line in the final of the Championship of America 4x200-meter relay, the Longhorn foursome of Morolake Akinosun, Christy Udoh, Briana Nelson and Ashley Spencer set the school record by posting a time of 1:30.26. That eclipsed the mark of 1:30.67 set by Aleah Williams, Ashlee Williams, Moushaumi Robinson, Sanya Richards at the 2003 Texas Relays.
• Texas-ex and 2012 Olympic silver medalist Leo Manzano competed in the USA vs. the World section of the distance medley relay at Penn. Manzano ran the anchor leg for the USA foursome in 3:57.18, helping the US team gain the victory in the USA vs. the World section.
• Texas-ex and 2004 Olympic gold medalist Moushaumi Robinson and former Longhorn Alexandria Anderson helped the USA team finish first (3:37.94) in the USA vs. the World section of the sprint medley relay. Anderson ran the opening leg and Robinson ran the third leg in 51.8.
• Former Longhorn Stacey-Ann Smith, along with Anderson, ran on the USA 4x100-meter relay in the USA vs. the World Section. The Americans (43.15) finished second to Jamaica (42.81).
TEXAS RESULTS – Penn Relays
Philadelphia • Franklin Field
Thursday, April 24
Women
• 5,000 Meters - College Championship: 3. Olivia Mickle, 16.18.91
• 400-Meter Hurdles - College Championship: 3. Danielle Dowie, 57.93
• 3,000-Meter Steeplechase - College Championship: 6. Brittany Marches, 10:28.86; 21. Alaina Perez, 10:59.66
• 4x100-Meter Relay – Prelim: 3. Morgan Snow, Courtney Okolo, Morolake Akinosun, Ashley Spencer, 44.68q
• 4x400-Meter Relay – Prelim: 1. Briana Nelson, Courtney Okolo, Kendall Baisden, Ashley Spencer, 3:31.93q
• Distance Medley - College Championship: 5. Katie Hoaldridge, Danielle Dowie, Connor Ward, Marielle Hall, 11:16.76
Men
• 5,000 Meters - College Championship: 6. Mark Pinales, 14:04.98: -- Craig Lutz, DNF
• 10,000 Meters - College Championship: 1. Chris Galvin, 29:35.52
• 3,000-Meter Steeplechase - College Championship: 10. Austin Roth, 9:06.41
Friday, April 25
Women
• 100-Meter Hurdles - Prelim: 2. Morgan Snow, 13.15q
• 4x100-Meter Relay - Championship of America Final: 4. Morgan Snow, Courtney Okolo, Morolake Akinosun, Ashley Spencer, 43.95
• 4x200-Meter Relay - Prelim: 2. Morolake Akinosun, Christy Udoh, Briana Nelson, Danielle Dowie, 1:33.43q
• Sprint Medley - Championship of America: 5. Morolake Akinosun, Christy Udoh, Danielle Dowie, Katie Hoaldridge, 3:49.76
• High Jump - College Championship: 6. Shanay Briscoe, 5-7.75 (1.72m)
Men
• 4x100-Meter Relay - Prelim: 4. Charles Anumnu, Zack Bilderback, Senoj-Jay Givans, Chris Irvin, 40.00q
• 4x400-Meter Relay - Prelim: 3. Chris Irvin, Andrew Whyte, Senoj-Jay Givans, Zack Bilderback, 3:05.86q
• Sprint Medley - Championship of America: 11. Charles Anumnu, Carlton Anumnu, Pieter Conradie, John McNamara, 3:24.89
• Distance Medley – Championship of America: 14. Brady Turnbull, Pieter Conradie, Robert Uhr, John McNamara, 9:58.99
Saturday, April 26
Women
• Mile – Olympic Development: 5. Marielle Hall, 4:35.27
• 100-Meter Hurdles - Final: 3. Morgan Snow, 13.28
• 4x200-Meter Relay - Championship of America Final: 2. Morolake Akinosun, Christy Udoh, Briana Nelson, Ashley Spencer, 1:30.26
• 4x400-Meter Relay: 1. Briana Nelson, Courtney Okolo, Kendall Baisden, Ashley Spencer, 3:25.05
Men
• 4x100-Meter Relay - Championship of America Final: 5. Charles Anumnu, Zack Bilderback, Senoj-Jay Givans, Chris Irvin, 39.71
• 4x400-Meter Relay - Championship of America Final: 2. Chris Irvin, Andrew Whyte, Senoj-Jay Givans, Zack Bilderback, 3:05.13
q – qualified for final
