WACO – Tarleton State Track and Field had a successful weekend at the Michael Johnson Invitation setting four new school records and two individual champions at the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium at the Michael Johnson Invitational hosted by Baylor.
The Texans broke three program records on Friday and the women’s relay added a fourth new record on Saturday in the 4×100 relay. Lokesh Sathyanathan and Angel Gomez each took home the individual titles in the long jump and 5000 meters on Friday. Overall, the Texans set 18 new all-time program top 10 performance bests across the two days.
“We had a pretty good meet this weekend,” said head coach Bobby Carter. “As I’ve stated before, it’s always good when you have school records broken. I believe that we are in a great position going into the conference championships. My message to the team is to focus on the little things and to continue to trust the process. Whether they had great performances or not so great performances, I always encourage them to think about how to get better. These young student-athletes are ready, and I’m excited for what’s to come in a few weeks!”
The men’s long jump battle on Friday was one of the best competitions of the entire weekend. A pair of Texans, Sathyanathan and Sir Jonathan Sims battled each other in a battle of the ages. The wind-legal school record on 7.78 meters set by Terry Talton in 1988 was broken five times by the pair. However, Sims jump of 7.93 meters was the only leap recorded with a wind less than 2.0 meters per second, handing Sims the new school record status. But that jump was the fourth best between the two. Sims’ 7.94 leap set the tone coming on his first attempt of the day but was aided by 3.8 meters per second wind. Sathyanathan responded with a 7.99-meter jump on his second attempt to take the lead in the event, but his jump was not wind-legal for school record purposes. The duo topped the leaderboards heading into the finals and they were just getting started. On their fourth attempt Sims posted a wind-legal 7.93-meter leap to claim the school record and the Clyde Hart Stadium Record as well. But the biggest jump of the day came on the fifth attempt. Sathyanathan seemed to soar in the air landing at 8.14 meters with a 2.8 meters per second to win the event. The mark was too wind aided for a school record but is under the 4.0 meters per second threshold for NCAA qualifications. The Karnataka, India, native, now owns the current NCAA Division I season best and one of the top 20 in the world. Sathyanathan’s jump is marked as the new Tarleton Stat All Conditions School Record, since his jump was not win legal, but still the best jump ever by a Texan.
Tayler Wessely broke the first school record of the meet in the hammer throw on Friday. Wessely became the first woman hammer thrower to eclipse the 50-meter mark with a 51.55-meter toss on her third throw. The mark brought her into the final spot in the finals. In the finals, her fourth through was just three centimeters short at 51.52, the second throw ever over 50 meters in program history. Finally, the junior transfer broke her own record again, this time with a throw of 53.21 meters. She finished fifth in the event but owned the farthest throw by a WAC athlete in the competition.
Lauren Roy started the track events with a bang, breaking the school record as the first Texan to hit the track. Roy finished eighth overall in a stacked event crossing in 23.27. Not only did she break the program record, but she also notched the Irish national record. In the very next heat, Amandine Estival would have broken the school record crossing in 23.74. The previous record was set by DeAijha Boyce-Hicks in 2016 in 23.76 seconds.
On Saturday, the women’s 4×100 relay broke the school record and finished third in the event clocking in at 43.70. the quartet of Hanna Dudley, Roy, Estival and Victoria Cameron posted the 13th fastest relay performance in the NCAA this season.
In Friday’s nightcap, Angel Gomez won the final event of the night, the men’s 5K run. The senior was in the lead pack of five for the majority of the race, leading to a five-man sprint for victory on the final lap. Down the home stretch, three remained and in one of the most thrilling 5K-finishes ever, Gomez took the victory on a photo finish by a finger. Gomez ran a new personal best and now ranks second all-time in program history crossing in 14:33.12.
The women’s 5K featured two Texans in the top four. With the North Texas runner taking a long lead a pair of Texans battled in a four-women group for second. Kaitlyn Gale finished third in her outdoor collegiate 5K debut, crossing in 17:28.38. Gale now ranks third in the 5K in program history. The freshman also holds the indoor 5K school record. Sage Lancaster crossed right behind her in 17:29.59. Lancaster now ranks fourth in program history in the event surpassing her previous personal best by over 20 seconds.
Roy entered the meet with the second fastest personal best in the 100 and she improved it by .01 seconds on Saturday. Roy clocked in at 11.44 seconds to finish fifth in the meet and now rank 39th in the NCAA.
The Men’s 4×100 relay nearly broke the school record on Saturday afternoon. The squad consisting of Tanatswa Mukute, David Mvundura, Camden Hawkins, Aidan Matthews clocked in at 40.17 seconds, the second fastest time in program history and their fastest this season.
Sofia DeGroot notched the third best triple jump in program history. She placed sixth overall in the event with a best leap of 12.70 meters.
Davi Torres cleared four heights to set a new personal best at 2.09 meters. His new mark ranks sixth in school history in the outdoor high jump. He was the bronze medalist in the high jump at the WAC Outdoor Championships last season. Senior transfer Joren McKeever cracked the program top 10 in the high jump clearing 2.04 meters.
Estival, the 400-meter indoor school record holder, posted the seventh best time in program history at the meet. She crossed in 55.59 seconds to crack the top 10 list in the 400 outdoors for the first time in her Texan career.
Kellen Frickel and AJ Alfaro each notched top ten program history performances in the 3000 steeplechase. Frickel now ranks seventh by a Texan crossing in 9:44.87. Alfaro owns the tenth best mark in school history at 10:09.34.
Amelie Monzie improved her ninth best long jump in program history by a centimeter improving to 5.73 meters with her best jump in the prelims.
Camden Hawkins claimed the 10th fastest 200 meter run in school history. The freshman clocked in at 21.50 seconds to make his first program top 10 event performance list appearance.
Kebede Kerlin notched the 10th best mark in the 1500 in program history. He crossed in 3:55.41, just ahead of current teammate Gomez’s personal best.
Tarleton State will be back in action next weekend for their first and only home event of the season. The Texans will host the Joe Gillespie Invitational on Friday and Saturday at the Tarleton State Track Complex. Admission will be free to all fans to come out and support the Purple and White during their historic season.
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