The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Michael Johnson Invitational
No. 7/3 Track and Field opens Michael Johnson Invitational
04.16.2021 | Track & Field / Cross Country
The Longhorns took center-stage in Waco with throws and distance competition on Friday.
WACO, Texas – On a damp and chilly Friday, the No. 7/3 Texas Track and Field program opened competition at the Michael Johnson Invitational at Clyde Hart Stadium with strong performances in throws and distance competition.
Texas swept the men's distance portion of the night, winning the 1,500- and 5,000-meter races in impressive fashion. The Longhorns had the top four finishers in the 1,500-meter run, led by winning Yusuf Bizimana, who clocked a 3:42.70 en route to victory. Behind him, Crayton Carrozza (3:42.80) took second, Cruz Gomez (3:45.00) took third and Brendan Hebert (3:48.80) finished fourth. In the 5,000-meter race, John Rice won with a stadium-record (14:09.58) and Haftu Knight (14:23.19) placed second.
The Longhorns also got strong outings from Gracie Morris and Madeline Vondra in women's distance competition, with Morris (4:33.35) earning a sixth-place finish in her 1,500-meter race while Vondra took second in the 5,000 meters. Vondra ran the race in a personal-best time of 16:23.12 – more than 10 seconds faster than her previous career-best.
Moving into the field, Texas posted a 1-2 finish in the women's javelin with Rhiley Fritz (47.74m/156-7.5) and Gabby Kearney (47.55m/156-0) topping the field as a headwind whipped in Waco. Bennett Inoff took seventh in men's javelin action with a best throw of 53.34m/175-0 on his first attempt.
Kiana Lowery, Texas' first competitor of the day, placed 12th in the women's hammer throw. She posted a best mark of 45.38m/148-11 in the competition.
The Longhorns are scheduled to wrap up competition in Waco on Saturday, with a loaded day of racing and field events. Texas is also slated to have vertical jumpers compete at the Roadrunner Invitational in San Antonio on Saturday.
Players Mentioned
