WACO — Tarleton State Track and Field yet again saw several records fall, including an all-time WAC record, an all-conditions National Record, two school records as well as securing three event titles at the Michael Johnson Invitational at the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium on Friday and Saturday.
The Texans saw the women’s 4×100 meter relay team break their own WAC All-time record in one of the first event son Saturday. Malak Rashwan broke the Egyptian all-conditions national record in both the prelims and finals. Lauren Roy and JayBrion Jones each ran a top 20 NCAA team in the 100 meters to close out the day. In addition Davi Torres and Sir Jonathan Sims won their events on Saturday.
“It was a tremendous two days for our Texans,” said head coach Bobby Carter. “I’m so proud of how our team responded to this weekend’s competition. We are headed in the right direction. There were many school records broken and many personal bests set as well. As I always, say, the job is not finished. Back to the drawing board we go. Greater is Coming!”
Saturday
The women broke the all-time WAC record for the second time in two years and set the school record in the women’s 4×100 meter relay clocking in at 43.33 seconds. Nellie Wartanian led off and handed to Roy who handed to Amandine Estival who handed to Victoria Cameron who anchored the winning relay for the Texans. The squad broke the record the Texans set last season at the WAC First Rounds in 43.66 seconds.
Rashwan set the Egyptian all-conditions national record in the 100 hurdles. She started the day off placing sixth in the women’s 100-meter hurdles prelims clocking in at a new personal best of 13.43 seconds. The wind was just higher than 2.0 meters per second, or it would have been a new program and Egyptian National Record. However, she crushed that time once again racing in 13.29 seconds in the finals. With that mark, she set the Texans program all-conditions record as well as the Egyptian All-Conditions record. The wind once again was slightly over 2.0 meters per second, so it is unable to count as the school and Egyptian wind-legal records.
Jones set the school record in the men’s 100 meters after clocking in at 10.10 seconds. Jones beat his previous personal best of an all-conditions 10.16 seconds. The freshman now ranks in the top 20 in the NCAA and fifth in the West Region this season. Jones placed second in his heat and third overall in the event. David Mvundura placed seventh overall in 10.22 seconds. Mvundura now owns the third fastest time in program history. The senior is also in the top 25 in the NCAA West Region with the mark.
Emma Holmes set the school record in the women’s 400 meters clocking in at 53.69 seconds. She broke the previous program record set by Texan alum Hanna Dudley last season of 24.06 seconds. Holmes placed fourth in her heat and finished in fourth overall. She then ran a sub-53-second split in the 4×400 meter relay for the Texans less than an hour later, the fastest by an athlete in the competition.
The Texans went 1-2 in the men’s triple jump in one of the only field events for the Texans on Saturday. Sir Jonathan Sims won the event with a best leap of 15.92 meters. With his leap, he now ranks in the top 20 in the NCAA. His best attempt came on his second jump, with his third jump just over an inch shorter. Johnathon Rodgers took runner-up honors with a best leap of 15.73 meters coming on his second attempt as well. Three of his four marked jumps were all above 15.50 meters.
Torres won the high jump and secured a top 48 spot in the West Region with a best clearance of 2.11 meters. Torres now ranks in the top 30 of the region, in which the top 48 will earn a bid to the NCAA West First Rounds. With his new personal best, he ranks fourth in program history. Torres cleared each of his first three bars on his first attempt, the only one in the competition to do so. Colton Andress placed fourth overall with a best clearance of 2.01 meters. Andress made his first bar on his first attempt, and it only took him two attempts to clear the 2.01-meter mark.
Roy opened her 100-meter outdoor season in flying colors. Roy took off down the straightaway clocking in at 11.08 seconds and finishing second only to professional athlete Nayla Harris. She shattered her all-time personal best that was previously 11.43 seconds. Roy now holds one of the top 20 times in the NCAA this season. Nellie Wartanian turned in the fourth best mark in program history. The transfer crossed in a personal best 11.52 seconds.
Christian Simmons broke his personal best by 25 hundredths of a seconds in the 800. Simmons clocked in at 1:51.73 ahead of his 1:51.98 from earlier in the season. The senior improved his fifth-best mark in program history. He placed sixth in the event.
The men’s 4×100 meter relay of Mvundura, Jalen Cadet, Hawkins and Jones posted the third best mark in program history in the men’s relay the squad placed fourth in the event crossing in 39.84 seconds.
Friday
Prestina Ochonogor placed second posting a top 10 NCAA performance in her second competition in the long jump this season. The sophomore improved on each of her first three jumps to begin her day. She opened with a first jump of 6.23 meters followed by a second jump of 6.47 meters to take the lead after two jumps. On her third jump she leapt 6.50 meters but was passed by Baylor’s jumper. Ochonogor was unable to leap further in her final three jumps holding onto second place for back-to-back meets.
Sims placed second in the men’s long jump with a season-best leap of 7.73 meters. Sims’ best leap came on his first attempt. His second-best mark of 7.65 meters came on his third attempt. Jalen Cadet placed fourth with a best leap of 7.71 meters. His best leap came on his second attempt, but his only wind-legal mark came on his fourth attempt at a jump of 7.53 meters. Sims and Cadet each notched marks within the top 25 in the NCAA this season. With that mark, he improves his seventh best mark in program history. Rodgers placed sixth with a best leap of 7.38 meters coming on his first attempt.
Roy placed second overall in the women’s 200 meters. Running in the first heat, she clocked in at 23.07 seconds to finish just behind the eventual winner of the event from Baylor. Holmes was also in her heat placing sixth in the first heat and eighth overall. Holmes crossed in 23.67 seconds.
Cam Hawkins placed sixth in the men’s 200 stepping across in 21.06 seconds, improving his sixth best mark in program history. He placed sixth overall in the event.
In the men’s 400 hurdles, Jordan Ferguson improved his seventh-best time in program history racing in 52.77 seconds. The sophomore won his heat and placed sixth overall in the event.
Jace Poole placed won his heat and placed sixth overall in the men’s 1500. He notched the top time in the second heat of the day clocking in at 4:00.91.
Kaitlyn Gale placed fifth in the women’s 5000 meters. Gale crossed in 17:42.32 to place fifth in the field of 29. On the men’s side, Diego Flores clocked in at 15:39.20 to finish seventh in the 5K.
Tarleton State Track and Field will head to the SMU Invitational for their regular season finale next weekend, May 1-2.
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