The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Longhorns win six medals at Pan Am Junior Championships
08.03.2015 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Future looking bright for Texas Track & Field
EDMONTON, Canada – A handful of current and future Longhorns represented Team USA this weekend at the Pan American Junior Championships in Canada and proved their future is bright in Austin. Longhorns competing at the meet combined to win six medals, three of them gold, for Team USA and helped the Red, White and Blue set a Pan Am Junior Championships record with 30 gold medals.
"We had some outstanding performances by both our returning student-athletes as well as our soon to be freshmen," said Texas Head Coach Mario Sategna. "No matter what place or performance, the most important part of the Pan American Junior Championships is the wealth of experience each of these athletes gained by going up against top level international competition. We are very proud of each one of them."
Redshirt freshman Connor Hendrickson executed a perfect final two laps of the 10,000 meters to win gold for Team USA with a time of 30:46.66. He traded the lead multiple times during the race and put the hammer down over the last 800 meters and pulled ahead by a large margin with 250 meters to go for the victory.
Texas athletes dominated the combined events for Team USA as incoming transfer Ashtin Zamzow won gold in the heptathlon. Incoming freshman Travis Toliver won silver in the decathlon to show the Longhorns will continue to be a force in the event area.
Zamzow's win was the first for the USA in the heptathlon at the Pan Am Junior Championships since 2005. Toliver's silver medal ensured another 1-2 finish for Team USA with Stanford's Harrison Williams took gold as America has been strong in the decathlon at this meet.
Two incoming Longhorns won medals in the relay events as well.
Teahna Daniels ran the opening leg of the women's 4x100 meter relay to win gold in 43.79 seconds. Zola Golden helped Team USA win gold in the women's 4x400 meter relay as well, running the opening leg. Team USA's time of 3:31.49 is the fastest in world this year for juniors.
Individually, Daniels finished third in the 100 meters to bring home gold with a time of 11.54 seconds. Golden crossed the finish line fifth in the 400 meters.
Rising sophomore Caitland Smith was also in action at Foote Field this weekend. She ran 24.21 seconds in the prelims of the 200 meters to finish ninth and miss making the final by one spot.
These Longhorns will now turn their attention to the 2015-16 season when classes begin in a few weeks. There will be more track and field action later this summer for a few Texas Exes at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing.
Pan American Junior Championships - Texas Results
Gold Medal Performances – 4
Connor Hendrickson – 10,000m – 30:46.66
Ashtin Zamzow – Heptathlon – 5462 pts
Teahna Daniels – 4x100m Relay – 43.79 seconds
Zola Golden – 4x400m Relay – 3:31.49
Silver Medal Performances – 1
Travis Tolliver – Decathlon Silver Medal – 7346 points
Bronze Medal Performances – 1
Teahna Daniels – 100m – 11.54 seconds
Other Performances
Zola Golden – 5th place – 400m – 53.12 seconds
Caitland Smith – 9th place – 200m – 24.21 seconds
Players Mentioned
