The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Conference Clash - Power Five Invitational
Track & Field Preview: Power Five Invitational, Cherry & Silver Invite
01.21.2016 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Longhorns team up with top programs for conference challenge
Conference Clash Power Five Invitational
Heat Sheets | Schedule | Live Results
Cherry & Silver Collegiate Invitational
Heat Sheets & Schedule | Live Results
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Track & Field continues its indoor season this weekend with a pair of meets, including one that will pit the Longhorns against some of the top team in the nation as Texas tests out the track at the site of this year's NCAA Championships.
The majority of the Longhorns' squad is headed to Birmingham, Alabama, for the Conference Clash Power Five Invitational. This meet will be co-hosted by Auburn and Tennessee and is being touted as the SEC vs. The Power Five teams with a dual meet scoring format.
Texas is sending its throwers and pole vaulters to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for the Cherry & Silver Collegiate Invitational. Meets hosted by the New Mexico Lobos have become a prime spot for pole vaulters over the last few years, and the Longhorns look to capitalize on previous success there.
Action at the Power Five Invitational is set to begin Friday where Texas will team up with the likes of Arizona, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Purdue and USC. Teams from the SEC competing against the Power Five group includes Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt's women.
Four of the SEC's men's teams competing are ranked in the Top 25. Both contingents have two women's teams in the Top 25. The meet will also feature a number of the top individuals in their event, making the Power Five Invitational one of the top meets of the weekend.
The Cherry & Silver Collegiate Invitational will feature a number of teams from the Southwest region of the country and a handful of event specialist groups similar to Texas bringing throwers and pole vaulters. The women's pole vault will be one of the top events of the meet with more than five vaulters ranked in the Top 25 in the nation so far this season.
Neither meet Texas is participating in this weekend will have live video coverage but fans can keep up with the action via live results online. The Power Five Invitational will have results at deltatiming.com and the Cherry & Silver results can be found at liverunningresults.com.
Fans can also get updates on the Longhorns by following the team's official Twitter account @UTexasTrack.
Crouser Named Big 12 Athlete of the Week
• Senior thrower Ryan Crouser claimed his first Big 12 Athlete of the Week honor for his win at the Texas A&M 11-Team Invitational. He opened his season with a mark of 20.02 meters (65-8.25).
• He bested the field by nearly two full meters and ranked No. 2 on the NCAA list so far this season.
Women Dominate Season Opener
• Texas opened its 2016 indoor season with some impressive showings from freshmen while coming away with a team win on the women's side at the Texas A&M 11-Team Invitational. The women dominated the meet with 122.5 points to easily grab the team victory. The men's team finished second behind host Texas A&M.
Pair of Freshman Show Strength Early
• Freshman Teahna Daniels made her mark early as she easily advanced to the final in the 60 meters at the Texas A&M 11-Team Invitational then set a new meet record in the final at 7.26 seconds.
• Daniels edged teammate and All-American Morolake Akinosun for the win. They both clocked 7.26, but official timers had to go to thousandths of a second to determine a winner. Daniels ran 7.252 compared to Akinosun's 7.260 to get the win.
• Freshman jumper Asa Garcia proved to be an elite triple jumper in her debut as she traveled 12.83 meters (42-1.25) to victory. She already stands at No. 6 in school history.
Zap Attack
• Redshirt sophomore Alan Zapalac started 2016 off with a victory in the weight throw at A&M. He posted the winning mark on his very first throw of the competition at 19.37 meters (63-6.75).
• His throw moved him into No. 2 in school history in the weight throw.
Texas Track & Field Notebook
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. The USTFCCCA released its Preseason Watch List in early January and three Longhorns are among those up for the award.
• 3-time NCAA champion Ryan Crouser is listed among others receiving votes.
> Crouser finished second indoors in the shot put last season at the NCAA Championships and fifth outdoors. He holds the school record and Big 12 Championship record in and out and ranks just outside the all-time Top 10 in NCAA history.
• Morolake Akinosun is listed among others receiving votes just outside the Top 10 as well after having one of the best seasons in Texas Track & Field history in 2015.
> Akinosun won four events at the Big 12 Conference Championships, qualified for NCAA's in all four and went on to be a first team All-American in all four. It marked the second time in NCAA history a woman scored points in four different events in back-to-back years at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, joining ranks with Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
• Courtney Okolo joins Akinosun on the others receiving votes list. The 2014 Bowerman finalist saw her 2015 hampered by a late-season injury but is still considered one of the best.
> Okolo set the collegiate record in the 400m outdoors at the 2014 Big 12 Championships. She clocked in at 50.03 seconds. Her time of 51.12 indoors last year is a school record and she is poised to move up the rankings indoors as a senior.
Longhorns Both in Top 5 Nationally
• Texas is among the favorites to win NCAA Championships in 2016 on both sides. The Longhorns ranked No. 2 for the men and No. 3 for the women in the USTFCCCA Preseason Rankings.
• This is the highest ranking ever for the men's team, who has never won a team NCAA crown.
• The women are seeking their first team NCAA title since 2006.
• Last year the both teams finished 6th indoors at the national meet.
Players Mentioned
