The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas Invitational
No. 6/4 Track and Field concludes Texas Invitational
05.01.2021 | Track & Field / Cross Country
The Longhorns won 13 events in total this weekend at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
AUSTIN, Texas – The No. 6/4 Texas Track and Field program wrapped up the Texas Invitational on Saturday, bringing an end to the Longhorns' slate of home meets for the 2021 season. Saturday's action was highlighted by six event wins, bringing UT's total to 13 wins for the weekend.
Elena Bruckner swept the women's discus and shot put competitions. It was her fourth time sweeping the discus and shot put at a meet this season. Previously, she did so at the Longhorn Invitational, a dual meet vs. No. 6 Texas A&M and at the Michael Johnson Invitational in Waco. On Saturday, Bruckner first launched the discus 54.97m/180-4 to out-throw the field by more than five meters. She followed it up with a 17.05m/55-11.25 mark in the shot put to lead a trio of Horns atop the standings.
Warren Miller won the men's pole vault with the best performance of his career to date, clearing the bar at a personal-best 5.41m/17-9 en route to victory. His clearance moves him into the 10th spot on Texas' top performers list and into a tie for 17th in the NCAA this season. Miller has cleared the five-meter mark in all six appearances this season to date.
The Longhorns swept the 800-meter races at Mike A. Myers Stadium on Saturday, with Kathryn Gillespie and Brendan Hebert claiming victory. Gillespie, who won the women's 5,000-meter run on Friday night, clocked a 2:07.03 – just off her personal best – to win the race. In the men's counterpart, Hebert and Cruz Gomez each clocked personal-bests, with the former winning in 1:50.63 and the latter clocking 1:50.81 in second place.
Micaiah Harris picked up a victory in the sprints for Texas, clocking a 10.20 (+2.6) in a triumphant effort in the 100-meter dash. Harris' time, had it been wind-legal, would've moved him up to No. 6 on Texas' top performers list. It was tied for the 13th-fastest all-conditions time by a collegiate athlete this year.
Texas also got record-book performances from a pair of women's hurdlers, Chanel Brissett and Tara Davis, as well as quarter-miler Jonathan Jones.
Davis and Brissett finished second and third in the 100-meter hurdles, clocking 12.75 and 12.79 (-0.3) in the competition's opening heat. Davis' time moves her into a tie for fourth on Texas' top performers list, while Brissett's locks her into the seventh spot among UT's top hurdlers. The duo were bested in the race only by Texas volunteer assistant coach Keni Harrison, the current world-record holder in the event.
Later in the afternoon, Jones clocked a 45.35 in the 400-meter dash, his signature event, to place second in a strong field of sprinters. He finished as the top collegian in the field and was bested only by Will London, who is a two-time world champion in relay competition. Jones' time ranks as the seventh-fastest on Texas record, and he now owns four of the top seven times overall in school history.
While Saturday marked the conclusion of the Longhorns' home slate this spring, Texas will still forge ahead into postseason action in the months of May and June. First, however, the Longhorns make a stop in College Station, Texas next Saturday to compete at the Aggie Invitational. After that, the Big 12 Outdoor Championships begin on Friday, May 14, in Manhattan, Kan. followed by the NCAA West Preliminary Round and NCAA Championships later in May and June.
Players Mentioned
