Longhorns close Nike Texas Relays with four more wins

Saturday, March 28

Austin, Texas

8:15 a.m.

University of Texas

88th Nike Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays

Longhorns close Nike Texas Relays with four more wins

03.28.2015 | Track & Field / Cross Country

Akinosun named Most Outstanding Performer

AUSTIN, Texas – The Nike Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays ended with Longhorns fans cheering as the women's 4x400 meter relay team closed the meet with a victory to cap off the 88^th edition of the meet.

The team of Morolake Akinosun, Ashley Spencer, Kendall Baisden and Courtney Okolo combined for the win in 3:29.65 to make it back-to-back wins for the Texas women in the event. This also was the first year the women's university/college invitational 4x400 meter relay was named in honor of a Texas legend. The event has been renamed the Sanya Richards-Ross Invitational 4x400 Meter Relay.

It was an impressive meet for Akinosun as she won three events for the Longhorns. In addition to running on the 4x400 team, she ran the anchor leg of the 4x100 meter relay and won the 100 meters.

Texas won four events on the final day of the Texas Relays as Ryan Crouser showed he is in mid-season form in his first outdoor meet of the season.

Crouser won the men's shot put with a toss of 21.11 meters (69-3.50). That mark was less than a foot off his school record set last year at the Big 12 Conference Championships.

It was a successful final day for Texas in many events. The women took runner-up in a pair of events and claimed bronze in one of those.

Sandie Raines finished second in the women's 1,500 meters with a time of 4:20.63. Meanwhile, a pair of freshman ran strong in the 200. Caitland Smith took second with her time of 23.35 seconds and Shania Collins followed close behind in third at 23.47.

The men notched a third-place finish in the Jerry Thompson Mile thanks to Brady Turnbull. Texas also took third in the men's 4x200 meter relay.

More than 7,000 athletes competed at the Nike Texas Relays this week from 699 high schools, 214 colleges, representing 34 states and nine countries.

Akinosun Wins Three Events
Morolake Akinosun put on a show at the Texas Relays as a Longhorn by winning three events. The junior opened the day by running the anchor leg of the 4x100 meter relay to win with a time of 43.70 seconds.

She then won the 100 meters, clocking in at 10.94 seconds. That time would be fast enough to tie the school record but it cannot count toward records because it was wind-aided.

And Akinosun closed the meet by helping Texas win the final race of the competition. She ran the opening leg to win the Sanya Richards-Ross Invitational 4x400 Meter Relay. Akinosun also ran the opening leg of the 4x200 relay team that finished second in 1:32.53, right behind Texas A&M's time of 1:32.41.

For her efforts she was named the Texas Relays Most Outstanding Performer.

Raines Continues Running Hard
Sandie Raines earned first team All-America honors indoors this season and she is taking that wave of momentum with her outdoors. On Saturday, she finished second in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:20.63 in her debut in the event outdoors.

Raines was in a battle with a pair of professional runners and bested Laura Roesler, former Oregon Duck standout and 2014 winner of The Bowerman.

Crouser Repeats
Ryan Crouser also shined in his final Texas Relays wearing Burnt Orange. The NCAA champion won the men's shot put for a third consecutive year with his toss of 21.11 meters (69-3.25). It also marks the fourth win in a row for the Longhorns in the event.

Freshmen Show Talent
Two freshman sprinters displayed their speed on Saturday for the women's squad as Caitland Smith and Shania Collins finished second and third in the 200 meter invitational. Smith crossed the line in 23.35 seconds with Collins right behind her in 23.47.

Smith and Collins were up against three post-collegiate runners in the field, besting Ngozi Onwumere of Nigeria and Allison Peters from the Elite Performance Track Club.

Women's Relays Claims Crown
The women's relay teams have been on a mission to reclaim titles and records once held by the Longhorns in the past. The latest reclamation came in the 4x100 meter relay.

Texas crossed the line first in 43.70 seconds with the tandem of Morgan Snow, Ashley Spencer, Courtney Okolo and Morolake Akinosun. It marked the first time Texas had won the women's 4x100 at the Texas Relays since 2007.

The Longhorns also won the Sanya Richards-Ross Invitational 4x400 Meter Relay with a time of 3:29.65. It gives Texas back-to-back wins in the event and ensures the Longhorns win the event the first time it is held after being renamed in honor of the Olympic champion and legendary Texas sprinter.