The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Alex Wilson Invitational
Track & Field DMR heads to Alex Wilson Invitational
02.19.2015 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Longhorns look to qualify for NCAA Championships at elite meet
Meet Schedule | Live Results | Webcast ($)
Twitter: Texas | Notre Dame
AUSTIN, Texas - While the majority of the Texas Track and Field team rests in preparation for next week's Big 12 Championships, the Longhorns are sending a men's distance medley relay team to the Alex Wilson Invitational hosted by Notre Dame this weekend.
The Alex Wilson Invitational has become a meet known for producing a number of qualifying times for the NCAA Championships in the distance events. The DMR is expected to be the highlight of the meet as half the 2014 men's DMR teams at the NCAA meet qualified at this meet.
In 2013, all 12 DMR squads at the NCAA Championships ran their qualifying times at the Alex Wilson Invitational.
Texas will send the group of Brady Turnbull, Chris Irvin, Robert Uhr and Craig Lutz to the meet to see if the Longhorns can run fast enough to rank among the top 12 in the NCAA and reach the national championship meet.
Fans can watch the action live on FloTrack.org with a subscription to the site's FloCast services. Live results will be provided at deltatiming.com and updates will be available on Twitter by following the handles @UTexasTrack and @NDXCTF.
Texas currently ranks No. 16 in the NCAA this season and the top 12 relay teams advance to the NCAA Championships.
Texas Track & Field Notebook
Longhorns Move into Top Five
• This week the men's and women's teams both moved into the Top Five of the USTFCCCA Rankings
• The rankings this week only take marks into account from the current season, except for the combined events (pentathlon/heptathlon)
• The Longhorn men moved up from No. 9 to No. 5 while the women climbed two spots to No. 4.
• Texas is among four schools that have their men and women ranked in the Top Five.
• The Big 12 Conference is well represented in the Top 25 with seven men's teams and four women's teams ranked this week. Three of the women's teams are No. 9 or better and all four are in the Top 15. Oklahoma State (9) joins Texas in the men's Top 10.
Standard Bearers
• Texas currently holds seven collegiate records combined among the men and women. The nearest competitor is Arizona and Colorado with five.
Bilderback Breaks Record
• Zack Bilderback crossed the line in 45.95 seconds to finish third in the men's 400 meters at the Tyson Invitational.
• He broke his own record of 46.03 seconds set last year.
Lutz Breaks School Record in 5000m
• Craig Lutz was up against stiff competition at the Husky Classic and ran his way to a new school record 13:40.30 and finished third.
• His time also stands at No. 5 in the NCAA this season.
Women's 4x400 Leaves Competition Behind
• In a heat loaded with the No. 2, 3, 4 and 5 times in the NCAA, the Texas Longhorns women's 4x400 meter relay left Clemson, Arkansas and Florida behind to win at the Tyson Invitational.
• The team of Morolake Akinosun, Ashley Spencer, Courtney Okolo and Kendall Baisden combined to run 3:29.36 for the No. 1 time in the nation this year.
• It is the No. 1 time by nearly three seconds and ranks No. 10 in NCAA history.
Fares & Phynn Leap into Contention
• Long jumper Basil Fares posted a new personal best mark to win the Tyson Invitational.
• His jump of 7.79 meters (25-6.75) leads the Big 12 and moved him into the top 10 in the nation this year.
• Triple jumper Nick Phynn won the Tyson Invitational with a PR of 15.89 meters (52-1.75).
• Phynn posted personal bests on each of his first three jumps.
• Phynn leads the Big 12 Conference and ranks 12th in the NCAA this season.
Longhorns Surprise Field in Men's 4x400
• The men's 4x400 meter relay team of Byron Robinson, Zack Bilderback, Senoj-Jay Givans and Chris Irvin wowed the crowd at the Tyson Invitational with a dominating win in their heat.
• The time of 3:06.76 was just .11 of the school record and is now the No. 1 time in the Big 12 this year and is No. 7 in the NCAA.
Raines Moves Up in 5000m
• Sandie Raines ran No. 2 time in school history at the Husky Classic. Her time of 15:50.49 is second in UT history and less than half a second from breaking the record in the 5000m.
• Raines finished third against an NCAA Championship caliber field as well and now ranks eighth in the nation this season.
Snow Running Hot
• In a field stacked with elite hurdlers, Morgan Snow finished second at Tyson Invitational with a new personal best time of 8.07 seconds.
• Her time of 8.07 seconds also stands No. 2 in the NCAA this season.
Crouser No. 1 in World
• NCAA champion Ryan Crouser entered the UW Invitational ranked No. 2 in the NCAA this season, he left No. 1 in the world. He posted a world-leading mark of 20.95 meters (68-9.00).
• Crouser was named Big 12 Conference Athlete of the Week for his performance at UW.
• He won the invitational shot put competition at the Tyson Invitational with the top six throwers in the NCAA in the field with a mark of 20.66 meters (67-9.50).
400m Depth
• The women's team boasts three returning first team All-Americans in the 400m
• Courtney Okolo is No. 1 in the world currently with her time of 51.35 seconds at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic.
• Okolo was recognized as Big 12 Co-Athlete of the Week for her win at UNM.
• Kendall Baisden is No. 2, clocking in at 51.81 seconds to win at the Rod McCravy Memorial.
• Ashley Spencer ran her first 400m race of the season to finish sixth at Tyson Invitational.
• Spencer's time of 52.46 seconds ranks 10th in the NCAA this season.
• Spencer and Okolo represent the last three NCAA outdoor titles in the 400m.
2015 The Bowerman Watch List
The most prestigious award in collegiate track and field, The Bowerman, is awarded by the USTFCCCA annually to the top male and female track and field star annually. Since its inception in 2009, the winners combined to win three Olympic medals in 2012.
• 3-time NCAA champion Ryan Crouser is on the men's February watch list.
• NCAA outdoor 400m champ Courtney Okolo is on the women's February watch list.
• Kendall Baisden, Ashley Spencer and Johannes Hock are receiving votes for the watch lists.
Givans Named Big 12 Athlete of the Week
• Sophomore Senoj-Jay Givans was named the Big 12 Men's Athlete of the Week (2/11) thanks to his victory in the 60 meters at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic.
• He ran a personal best 6.62 seconds to edge out runners from SEC power LSU.
• His time now stands at No. 14 on the NCAA list this year.
Cross Country Makes the Grade
• Sandie Raines and Will Nation each were named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team this week. Raines was an all-region performer and holds a 3.58 GPA in psychology. Nation also earn all-region honors and carries a 3.36 GPA in computer science.
• Both the men's and women's teams were recognized as USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams by holding a high team GPA. The women boast a 3.49 as a team, which ranks second in the Big 12. The men have a team GPA of 3.07.
Watson Soaring for Longhorns
• Reese Watson has posted a PR three times this season already.
• Most recently he finished seventh in the invitational pole vault at the Tyson Invitational.
• Finished fourth behind three professionals at the UNM Collegiate Classic, clearing 5.51 meters (18-1.00). That mark ranks No. 8 in the NCAA this season.
• Watson won the UW Invitational, clearing 5.46 meters (17-11.00).
Golden Kendall
• Sophomore Kendall Baisden won two gold medals this summer at the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships. She won the 400m and ran a leg of the victorious 4x400m relay for Team USA.
Women Vaulters Move Up NCAA List
• Defending NCAA champ Kaitlin Petrillose had her best performance of the season with a clearance at 4.36 meters (14-3.50) at the UNM Collegiate Classic to finish in fourth place behind Demi Payne of Stephen F. Austin and Arkansas' Sandi Morris and one post-collegiate athlete.
• With her move to 4.36 meters, Petrillose now stands at No. 5 on the NCAA list this year.
• Freshman Kally Long finished fifth as she tied her personal best of 4.26 meters (13-11.75). She is No. 13 on the NCAA list this year.
• Texas has four of the top six women's vaulters in the Big 12 Conference.
Players Mentioned
