The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Gordon keeps 400m tradition alive with NCAA title
06.10.2017 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Women's Track & Field finishes 7th at NCAA Championships
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EUGENE, Oregon – Texas Women's Track & Field made it four straight years finishing in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships as the Longhorns scored 32 points. Texas climbed up the leaderboard all day with sprinters and hurdlers stepping up big in their finals on the last day of action at Historic Hayward Field.
Senior Chrisann Gordon won her first individual national championship as she led the entire way and held off a strong charge at the end to win the 400 meters in 50.51 seconds. The victory adds to the long history of success and recent dominance in the event for the Longhorns.
Gordon's win is the third in four years for Texas in the women's outdoor 400 meters and the seventh overall. No school has won more NCAA titles in the event with the closest school being Alabama and Florida State with three.
"It means a lot to me. I want when they talk about Texas and the 400, that they mention Chrisann Gordon's name," Gordon said. "It feels really good to be in the same league as Sanya Richards and Courtney Okolo."
Associate Head Coach Tonja Buford-Bailey said she believed in Gordon going into the meet and is happy to see her carry on the legacy at Texas in the 400 meters, as she will now try to make the Jamaican national team to compete at the IAAF World Championships this summer.
"In the last month we started to see the true champion that she is," Buford-Bailey said. "The timing is perfect for her to now go to Jamaican Trials and fight for a spot on the world championship ship team. It's great for her. It's great for Texas and the program."
Head Coach Mario Sategna also said the win by Gordon is important for the program to keep the tradition alive and gives Gordon a charge heading into the next stage of her career.
"You talk about tradition at The University of Texas with all the quarter-milers and she just duplicated great performances with what she did in the prelim to get her first NCAA title," Sategna said. "Those are some great things as she now concludes this chapter of her time at Texas and just doing it the right way. I know she's going to represent The University of Texas and her country for many years to come."
The day started off for Texas in the 100 meter hurdles where Rushelle Burton became the fastest freshman in NCAA history as she stormed out to a third-place finish for the Longhorns in the 100 meter hurdles. The Jamaican crossed the finish line in 12.65 seconds with a legal wind to be the top freshman in collegiate history. Her time also ranks her third in school history and makes her the No. 11 performer in NCAA history.
"She was a bit nervous and not as confident going in, but I know Rushelle, and she's a gamer," Buford-Bailey said. "As soon as the gun went off, she was going for it. She was going for the win. And for her to have the fastest time ever by a freshman that is really impressive."
Sophomore Teahna Daniels closed her season with her best two runs of the year with another personal record in the 100 meters to finish in third place. Daniels ran 11.06 seconds to rank fourth in school history and mark her second PR of the week after she ran 11.17 in the semifinals. The third-place finish matches the placement of Morolake Akinosun last year at the national championship meet.
"Teahna Daniels was primed and ready," Sategna said. "Talking with her before the meet and seeing her in our team camp area knowing that she was keeping things loose, you could tell she was ready to run fast."
The impressive showings did not end there for Texas.
Junior Ariel Jones improved on her ranking from the semifinals to finish in fourth place in the 400 meter hurdles. She went over the 10 hurdles and one lap of the track in 56.52 seconds to take fourth with a pair of Olympians finishing 1-2. It marks the first time in Jones' career that she has scored at the NCAA Championship in an individual event.
"Ariel did a phenomenal job coming from behind in her race. Those were huge team points for us," Sategna said. "I was really happy for Ariel to run as fast as she did. We knew that it was going to be extremely tough because it's such a short format to come back in the 4x4 and she ran her heart out."
An hour after winning the 400 meters, Gordon stepped on the track to run the anchor leg for the 4x400 and again showed her strength as the Longhorns finished fifth.
Gordon closed the race with a split time of 49.41. That split ranks as the second-fastest 4x400 split in NCAA history.
The Longhorns clocked in at 3:27.27 with Jones opening up and handing to Zola Golden. Freshman Serenity Douglas ran the third leg before handing to Gordon.
The team title came down to the final event of the meet with the Longhorns potentially involved in the outcome. Oregon came from behind and then held off USC's anchor leg to win the 4x400 and claim the team title over Georgia by just 1.8 points.
With their point total of 32 points the Longhorns tied for seventh in the team standings. It marks the fourth consecutive year Texas has finished in the top 10.
Texas Quotes
Head Coach Mario Sategna
On Rushelle Burton: Outstanding job today right out the gate with Rushelle in the hurdles. She handled herself and kept her composure. To run the fastest time by a freshman with a legal wind I think speaks volumes for her future.
On sprints coaches Tonja Buford-Bailey and Zach Glavash: I can't say enough about the preparation that Tonja has done for our sprints, her and Zach both, for the men and women.
Associate Head Coach Tonja Buford-Bailey – Sprints/Hurdles
On her sprints/hurdles group: Every single person that stepped on the track gave their all. Today, I feel like it was just gutsy, gutsy performances all around.
On Ariel Jones: You can't say enough about Ariel. She stepped up huge. She didn't make the final in the 400 hurdles last year and then this year to get fourth out of lane 8, just huge performances.
Senior Chrisann Gordon – NCAA 400m Champion
On her mentality during a race: I have a tough mind, I'm very determined. I think I have the same mindset every time I race whether it's competitive or not.
On her next step: I'm going to Jamaica for their trials. I'm trying to make the world championship team to London. And I'm feeling very excited about it. I'm excited to go back to my country and perform well. This gives me a lot of confidence.
On potential to break 50 seconds soon: I think I'm ready. I still have a lot more work to do. I think I'm far away, from where I can be. I'm just going to trust in coach's workouts and work hard until that 49 comes.
On holding off Miami's Shakima Wimbley at the finish: It was a tough race. On the straightaway, I felt her coming and I was like, "God, please let me reach that finish line first." I really, really want this win for my last year. She won indoors, and I wanted outdoors. I kept swinging my arms, and when I realized I got to the line first I thanked God that I got it. I was praying while I was running.
Players Mentioned
