The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Alex Wilson Invitational
Distance Runners head to Notre Dame
02.17.2017 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Longhorns look for NCAA qualifying times at Alex Wilson Invitational
Complete Texas Notes
Meet Info & Links
Alex Wilson Invitational
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AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Track & Field sends a small group of its distance runners to Notre Dame this weekend to compete at the Alex Wilson Invitational. This meet has become the premier meet in the nation for teams to chase fast times and qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships for distance events, particularly the distance medley relay.
The Longhorns will attempt to be one of the top 12 DMR teams in the nation after the Alex Wilson Invite with the men's team running this weekend. Texas will also have Mary Beth Hamilton running in the mile a week after she broke the 17-year-old school record in the event. She is currently No. 28 in the NCAA with the top 16 individuals qualifying for the national championship meet. Freshman Spencer Dodds is slated to run the men's mile as well.
Action starts from Meyo Track at 10 a.m. CDT with UT's first event coming at 11 a.m. Fans can keep up with the meet with live results provided by DeltaTiming.com. Texas fans can also get updates on the Longhorns on the team's official Twitter account @UTexasTrack. Links to live results and heat sheets will be posted prior to the start action as well.
Events to Watch
Alex Wilson Invitational
• Men's DMR: This meet has become the meet where school attempt to qualify their DMR's for NCAA Indoors. Last year more than half of the 12 relay teams to make NCAA's ran their qualifying times at the Alex Wilson Invite. Texas hopes to return to the NCAA meet in this event for the first time since 2010.
• Women's Mile: Senior Mary Beth Hamilton currently stands at No. 28 on the NCAA descending order list in the mile. Shaving just a bit off her school-record time 4:39.11 could bump her up high enough to qualify for the NCAA meet.
Texas Track & Field Notebook
Hamilton Breaks School Record
• Senior mid-distance runner Mary Beth Hamilton set the standard for Longhorns in the future at the Husky Classic, breaking a 17-year-old school record in the mile at the Husky Classic.
• Hamilton ran 4:39.11 to finish 9th in the invitational section at the meet and shaved just over a second off the previous mark held by Liz Diaz since 2000.
• The time ranks Hamilton No. 2 in the Big 12 with the conference championship meet coming up next week.
• Hamilton stands at No. 28 on the NCAA list and with another second or two faster in her next two meets could climb high enough up the rankings to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
4 Meets = 4 PRs for Poth
• In 4 meets this season, redshirt sophomore Barrett Poth has posted 4 personal records and 3 victories.
• Poth started the 2017 season with an indoor PR of 5.23m (17-1.75) from the 2016 Husky Classic.
• His progression this season has been:
> Texas A&M Team Invitational: 5.32m (17-5.50) – 1st place
> Cherry & Silver Invitational: 5.35m (17-6.50) – 2nd place (top collegiate)
> New Mexico Classic: 5.40m (17-8.50) – 1st place
> Husky Classic: 5.50m (18-0.50) – 1st place
• Poth currently ranks No. 7 in the NCAA this season and No. 2 in the Big 12. He stands at No. 3 in school history.
Longhorns Among NCAA Favorites
• Texas is among the elite programs in the NCAA again in 2017 and the women are eyeing their first NCAA indoor title since 2006 as they stand at No. 7 in the USTFCCCA Indoor Rankings heading into this weekend's action. The men's team is No. 11 in the rankings after finishing 5th at the NCAA Championship last year.
• Texas began the season with both teams in the Top 10. It was 1 of 7 schools to have its men's and women's teams ranked in the Top 10 in the preseason.
• The Big 12 Conference has 3 other men's team ranked in the Top 25: Kansas (8), Texas Tech (13), Oklahoma State (22).
• The Big 12 has 2 other women's teams ranked in the Top 25: Baylor (8), Kansas State (13).
• Last year at NCAA Indoors the women won 3 events with Teahna Daniels claiming the 60m with an American Junior record time of 7.11 seconds. She is back for her sophomore season. Courtney Okolo won the 400m and anchored the victorious 4x400m relay and has graduated, but half of the champion relay squad is back in 2017. For the men, Zack Bilderback became the first Longhorn to win the men's 400m, but the then-senior graduated. Ryan Crouser also won his fourth overall NCAA title in the shot put to close his collegiate career.
• The men finished the indoor season in fifth place at the NCAA Championships with 25 points.
• The women finished fourth at the NCAA Indoor Championships with a total of 44 points.
2017 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 gone on to win multiple Olympic medals. One Longhorn is on the February Watch List among those up for the award.
• Senior Byron Robinson won the 400m hurdles at the Big 12 Championship in May, posted the fastest time in the NCAA and ran for Team USA in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games to help garner his spot on the list.
> This year Robinson currently ranks No. 9 in the 400m with a time of 43.64
> At the Tyson Invitational, Robinson ran the opening leg as the Longhorns posted 3:04.95 to rank No. 3 in the NCAA this season and No. 2 in school history.
> Robinson ran No. 1 time in collegiate season last year in 49.10 seconds at the LSU Alumni Gold
> Claimed Big 12 Conference title in 49.39 seconds
> Ran personal best 48.79 to finish 2nd at U.S. Olympic Trials and qualify for Team USA
> Advanced through prelims at the Olympic Games with time of 48.98
> Improved his PR in the semifinals to 48.65 for the No. 8 time but missed advancing to the final by .01.
> During 2016 indoor season, Robinson broke the school record in the 600 yards to win the Big 12 Championship.
> His time of 1:07.99 also broke the Big 12 meet record.
Men's 4x400m Relay Makes Statement at Tyson Invitational
• Texas proved to be a player in the relay this year with an impressive time of 3:04.95 at the Tyson Invitational.
• The team of Byron Robinson, Senoj-Jay Givans, Chris Irvin and Aldrich Bailey Jr. put the Longhorns at No. 3 on the NCAA list this season and nearly broke the school record.
• All 4 runners are senior for the Longhorns. Another option to run on the 4x400 is fellow senior Carlton Anumnu.
• The time is just .54 off the record set last year at the Tyson Invitational.
• Texas is looking for its 3rd straight scoring performance at the NCAA Championship this season after finishing 4th in 2016 and 3rd in 2015.
Gordon, Golden Keep 400m Tradition Alive
• Senior Chrisann Gordon and sophomore Zola Golden are giving Texas a 1-2 punch in the women's 400 meters again in 2017. Both rank in the Top 10 in the NCAA this season with Gordon standing at No. 3 and Golden at No. 9
• Gordon ran 51.71 to win the Olympic Development section at the Tyson Invitational defeated an impressive list of Olympians in the process: Chrishuna Williams (2016 USA: 800m 35th place); Dominique Blake (2012 Jamaica: 4x400m Bronze); Sparkle McKnight (2016 Trinidad & Tobago: 400m Hurdles 30th).
• Gordon came to Texas in 2016 after a pair of impressive years at South Plains College that saw her win NJCAA titles in the 400m, 600m, 800m, 4x400m and DMR.
• Golden has improved her PR in the event multiple times this season and is threatening to crack the all-time Top 10 list at UT.
• No school has won more NCAA titles in the 400m with the Longhorns boasting a total of 5 indoors.
• With Gordon and Golden running on the 4x400m relay, Texas also looks for a 3-peat in that event at NCAA's this year. A victory for the Longhorns would be their 10th indoors.
• Junior Ariel Jones and freshman Serenity Douglas teamed up with Gordon and Golden to run 3:33.71 at the Tyson Invitational to currently rank No. 10th in the NCAA this year.
Burton Debuts in Hurdles
• Freshman hurdler Rushelle Burton made her collegiate debut in the 60m hurdles at the Tyson Invitational and left the competition behind in her preliminary heat, clocking 8.06 seconds in her first run ever at the distance.
• Burton's time ranks her No. 8 in the NCAA this season and leads the Big 12 by .18.
• Burton came to Texas after winning silver in the 100m hurdles at the IAAF World Junior Championships this summer for Jamaica.
Texas Trio Leads Big 12
• The women's hurdlers are among the deepest groups on the roster for Texas this year and in the Big 12 Conference.
• Rushelle Burton, Alexis Duncan and Ariel Jones currently rank 1-2-3 in the Big 12.
• If they hold their rankings at the Big 12 Championship, the Longhorns could have a major point grab in the event with 24 points.
• With sophomore Mariam Abdul-Rashid ranked No. 8 in the conference, Texas could potentially score 4 runners in the 60m hurdles at the conference championship meet.
Players Mentioned
