The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Leonard Hilton Invitational
No. 4/4 Track and Field shines at Leonard Hilton Invitational
01.17.2020 | Track & Field / Cross Country
The Longhorns won five individual events and two relays on Friday in Houston.
HOUSTON, Texas – The No. 4/4 Texas Track and Field teams opened the new decade with a strong showing at the Leonard Hilton Memorial Invitational, winning five individual events and two relays, on Friday at Yeoman Fieldhouse.
Micaiah Harris put up one of the most impressive marks of the day for a Longhorn, winning the men's 400-meter dash in 46.61 – the No. 2 mark in the world this season. Harris, a 200-meter All-American, burst in front of the pack early, fell back into the group and pulled away again over the final 100 meters to claim the crown.
Steffin McCarter, competing unattached, overwhelmed the field in the men's long jump, winning the event with an 8.02m/26-3.75 mark – an indoor personal-best and the No. 2 mark in the world this season. McCarter's effort also broke the 17-year-old meet record set by Houston's Jason Edwards in 2003. Fellow Longhorn O'Brien Wasome claimed second place with a 7.56m/24-9.75 effort, while Jathan Belaire and George Patrick placed fifth and sixth, respectively.
Warren Miller won his second-straight pole vault competition, both in Yeoman Field, as his 5.20m/17-0.75 personal-best mark topped the field. Miller previously cleared 5.15m at the FasTrak Collegiate Opener back on Dec. 7.
The men's 4x400-meter relay team, consisting of Jon Maas, Jonathan Jones, Harris and Terry Brown, Jr., set a Yeoman Fieldhouse record in the event, clocking 3:09.54. Jones and Harris, running the second and third legs, gave Brown a strong lead in the anchor spot. Brown took advantage of the lead, holding off a late Houston charge to secure the Horns' win.
On the women's side, Kathryn Gillespie led a trio of Longhorns in a 1-2-3 finish for the Horns in the 800-meter dash, crossing the line in 2:08.15 – the top mark in the NCAA this season. Behind Gillespie, Brooke Jaworski took silver (2:10.92) and Alexandria Cruz placed third (2:11.41). Halena Rahmaan, Isabella West and Samantha Shulhan all also finished in the top 10 on Friday.
Destiny Collins ran away from the field in the women's mile, pacing the field by more than six seconds as she completed the race in 4:53.28. Claudine Blancaflor placed third (5:00.38), West took fifth (5:05.31), Beth Ramos finished sixth (5:05.45) and Jaylene Vu was slotted eighth (5:07.77) to round out a quintet of Longhorns in the top eight finishers.
The women's DMR team opened up running events on Friday with the No. 3 mark in the NCAA this season, running the race in 12:00.59. Abby Guidry, Jennelle Jaeger-Darakjy, Valery Tobias and Halena Rahmaan made up the four-person team.
In the men's 60-meter hurdles, four Longhorns qualified for the final, highlighted by John Burt's 8.01 prelim effort. Behind Burt, who was making his first appearance on the track this season, was Isaiah Lucas (8.11), Medric Roberson II (8.15) and Charles Brockman III (8.27). Burt finished second, Brockman fourth, Lucas fifth and Roberson sixth in the final.
Alexandria Cruz put in an impressive shift in the women's 3,000-meter run, completing the 15-lap race in 9:46.23 to place second. Cruz's mark broke the old meet record, set previously by Melissa Gulli in 2002. Kathryn Gillespie finished third in the race, posting a time of 9:54.52. Cruz and Gillespie, as well as Rice's Grace Forbes – who won the event – were the only three competitors to complete the 3,000-meter race in under 10 minutes.
Olivia Buntin posted a personal-best 3.81m/12-6 mark in the women's pole vault, placing second in the event. Martha Hughes finished fourth at 3.51m/11-6.25.
The Longhorns will return to action next weekend with a pair of meets on opposite sides of the country. UT will compete in the John Terrier Thomas Classic in Boston, as well as at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Collegiate Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M. – the site of the 2020 NCAA Indoor Championships. Both meets will be held on Friday, Jan. 24, and Saturday, Jan. 25.
Players Mentioned
