The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Multi-event entries announced for 90th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, presented by Spectrum
03.15.2017 | Texas Relays, Track & Field / Cross Country
Heptathlon, Decathlon feature top collegiate athletes
90th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays presented by Spectrum: Schedule | Tickets | Entry Information
Meet Qualifiers: Decathlon | Heptathlon
AUSTIN, Texas – With the 90th running of the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, presented by Spectrum just two weeks away, the first qualifiers are now being unveiled. The meet is scheduled for Wednesday, March 29 through Saturday, April 1 at Mike A. Myers Stadium. Meet Director James Barr announced the accepted entries for the University/College decathlon and heptathlon fields on Wednesday.
Both multi-events feature deep fields with the heptathlon having four athletes who competed as last weekend's NCAA Indoor Championships, including the defending Texas Relays champion Taliyah Brooks of Arkansas. The decathlon has one Olympian and four men who competed at the indoor NCAA meet as well, plus one NCAA Division II All-America athlete.
Five current Longhorns will compete in the multi-events over the first two days of the meet. Three-time All-American Wolf Mahler leads a trio of Longhorns into the decathlon after redshirting during the 2016 season. He finished seventh at the NCAA Indoor Championships last week. He will be joined by Big 12 Indoor champion in the heptathlon, Steele Wasik, who will compete in his first decathlon as a Longhorn after transferring from UCLA. True freshman George Patrick, whose father Jason was an All-American for Texas in the decathlon in 1993, is also expected to compete.
Junior Ashtin Zamzow will face a group of strong women in the heptathlon, as will redshirt freshman Virginia Preiss, who will make her debut for the Longhorns as well after converting to a multi-athlete. Zamzow broke the UT school record at the Texas Relays last year to finish in fourth place.
This year's heptathlon field includes last year's Texas Relays champion Taliyah Brooks of Arkansas. The Razorbacks have four entries in the heptathlon, three of which have been All-Americans in their careers.
Three of the Razorbacks competing also all just finished in the top nine in the pentathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships: Brooks (2nd), Leigha Brown (5th) and Kelsey Herman (9th). Miami's Michelle Atherley, who just finished fourth in the pentathlon at the NCAA indoor meet, will also compete.
BYU's Kevin Nielsen, who just finished 10th in the heptathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships, is the lone returner from last year's Texas Relays decathlon field.
In addition to the trio of Longhorns in Mahler, Wasik and Patrick, the decathlon field is highlighted by Texas A&M's Lindon Victor. A native of Grenada, Victor finished 16th in the decathlon at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games this summer. He is the defending NCAA champion, scoring 8,379 points to win his first national title. His score of 8,446 points from last year's SEC Championship ranks fourth in collegiate history, just 19 points shy of Trey Hardee's collegiate record of 8,465 set at the 2006 Texas Relays. Victory and Georgia's Maicel Uibo both came up short in their threats to break the record over the last two years, making the decathlon one of the top events to watch at this year's meet if that mark is under threat again.
Longhorn Network will provide coverage of the meet with the multi-events featured the first two days.
Important Upcoming Dates (All times Central):
• Monday, March 20: High School Online entry page closes (noon)
• Tuesday, March 21: University/College/Invitational Online entry page closes (noon)
• Thursday, March 23: List of High School/ University/College/Invitational Relays qualifiers released (10 p.m.) on TexasSports.com
• Thursday, March 23: Online declaration process opens for University/College/Post-Collegiate relays qualifiers at directathletics.com (10 p.m.)
• Monday, March 27: Online declaration closes (noon)
• Tuesday, March 28: Final Texas Relays competitors posted on TexasSports.com (noon)
• Wednesday, March 29: 90th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, presented by Spectrum begin
Players Mentioned
