The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Mt. Sac Relays/Bryan Clay Invitational
No. 1/6 Track and Field breaks two program records in split weekend
04.14.2023 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Julien Alfred and Valery Tobias go back-to-back competitions setting school records.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 1/6 Texas track and field program returned to road competition in a weekend of split meets. The sprints, jumps and throws events traveled to Florida for the Tom Jones Memorial while the distance squads made their way west to California for the Mt. Sac Relays and Bryan Clay Invitational.
It didn't take long for Julien Alfred or Valery Tobias to break another program record in their individual event outdoor openers.
Alfred, the 2023 NCAA Indoor 60-meter and 200-meter champion, made her season debut in the 200m and became the second fastest collegian ever with her time of 21.91. Only Abby Steiner has ever run faster last season going 21.80 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Alfred is now just the third woman to break 22 seconds, while setting both the Texas and St. Lucia national record.
Senior Lanae-Tava Thomas finished close behind in second with a personal-best time of 22.30, with Rhasidat Adeleke smashing the Ireland national record with her time of 22.34. The time also moves Adeleke up to No. 4 on the Texas All-Time list. Kevona Davis finished fifth at 22.47 and Ezinne Abba closed out the top-10 finishers for Texas in eighth with her personal-best time of 22.66.
Freshman Kody Blackwood also made noise on the track as he climbed up to No. 10 on the Texas 400m hurdles performer list with his time of 50.46 in just his second collegiate 400-meter hurdles race. Fellow freshmen Chris Brinkley Jr. finished 12th with a time of 50.71, while Kendrick Smallwood made his outdoor collegiate debut finishing with a time of 51.59.
Back in California, Tobias became the first ever Longhorn to run the 800-meter under 2:01 minutes. Her time of 2:00.31 ranks as the UT record and the Mexican national record.
Haftu Knight was crowned the 2023 Mt. Sac Relays 10,000-meter champion on Thursday night after just missing his personal best time. His winning time of 28:32.53 ranks as the fourth-fastest time in Texas history and gives him three of the top-15 times in school history. Sophomore Isaac Alonzo took 28 seconds off his personal best and finished fifth at 28:47.82, moving up to No. 5 on the All-Time list.
On the women's side, Beth Ramos had quite the night erasing one minute off her previous best time in the 10K to 33:35.84. She moved up seven spots on the Texas all-time list to No. 3 with her fifth-place finish. Monica Hebner finished seventh after shedding seven seconds off her best time and lowered it to 33:45.76 to move to No. 6 all-time.
Players Mentioned
