Jan. 11-13 Results:
Men’s Results
| Cincinnati |
Jim Greene Invite/UK Invite |
RECAP |
| UConn |
Beantown Challenge |
RECAP |
| Houston |
Corky Classic/Leonard Hilton Invite |
RECAP |
| ECU |
Dick Taylor Carolina Cup |
RECAP |
| Tulsa |
Arkansas Invite |
RECAP |
| Wichita State |
Hawkeye Invite |
RECAP |
Women’s Results
| Cincinnati |
Jim Greene Invite/UK Invite |
RECAP |
| UConn |
Nittany Lion Challenge |
RECAP |
| Houston |
Corky Classic/Leonard Hilton Invite |
RECAP |
| ECU |
Dick Taylor Carolina Cup |
RECAP |
| SMU |
Arkansas Invite |
RECAP |
| Temple |
Great Dane Invite |
RECAP |
| Tulsa |
Arkansas Invite |
RECAP |
| Wichita State |
Hawkeye Invite |
RECAP |
Highlights
- Podium finishes, personal records, school records and top marks in the nation highlighted The American’s indoor track and field action over the weekend, as eight teams opened their 2019 seasons. Cincinnati, UConn, ECU, Houston, SMU, Temple, Tulsa and Wichita State each got their new-year slates underway.
Cincinnati opened its 2019 season at the Jim Green Invitational in Lexington, Ky. Two of the Bearcats’ top weekend finishes came on Friday when All-America high jumper Loretta Blaut cleared 1.81m and placed second in the event, behind former NCAA Champion Erika Kinsey (1.91m). Sam Meece earned a second-place finish in the men's weight throw, heaving a toss of 18.17m on his first effort of the meet. On Saturday, Irati Mitxelena had a pair of top-5 finishes, taking second in the triple jump with a best leap of 12.42m and fifth in the long jump with her effort of 5.81m.
Saturday's Beantown Challenge was UConn’s men’s team first meet of 2019, as the Huskies brought the trophy back to Storrs. UConn captured the Beantown title by taking down a field of 11 teams at Harvard's Gordon Indoor Track with 114 points. Five UConn athletes won individual events in addition to winning the 4x880 relay. Noah Woodman (500m dash), Ian Bergere (pole vault), Malik Snead (triple jump), Daniel Claxton (high jump) and Kyle Barber (3,000m run) each placed first in their respective events.
The UConn women’s squad opened their 2019 campaign at Penn State’s annual Nittany Lion Challenge. Their trip included numerous personal bests in addition to eight top-five and 20 top-10 finishes with several first-place marks. Senior Susan Aneno nabbed UConn's initial first-place finish of the meet in the mile run with a time of 4:53.57. Fellow senior Amaris Blount and junior Divine Oladipo secured the next pair of first-place finishes in the weight throw (19.04m) and shot put (16.37m), respectively. All three student-athletes' finals were personal bests.
Houston hosted the Leonard Hilton Invitational on Friday, while also sending athletes to Lubbock, Texas, to compete at the Texas Tech Corky Classic on Saturday. Senior transfer Obi Igbokwe made his Houston debut in the 200m dash. Igbokwe set the fastest time in the world in the early season when he crossed the line in 20.84 to win the event. Amere Lattin finished right on Igbokwe's heels in 20.99 to take second and move to No. 6 in the world this season. Lattin also cleared the obstacles in the 60m hurdles and crossed the line in 7.85 to take the gold. For the women, Brianne Bethel clocked the nation's 12th-fastest time in the 60m hurdles this season when she crossed the finish line in 7.41 for the victory.
The Cougars won seven events as they debuted their new 200-meter indoor banked track with the Leonard Hilton Invitational on Friday. Kahmari Montgomery turned in the biggest show of the day on the track, when he won the 200m dash. Montgomery eclipsed the meet record in the event and finished one lap around the track in 20.98 to post the then-No. 1 time in the world before Igbokwe broke it the next day.
SMU competed in its first indoor event of the season on Friday at the Arkansas Invitational highlighted by senior Daniella Murchison's first-place finish in the shot put. Murchison successfully defended her title from 2018 at the meet, as the senior threw 13.53m on her first attempt, which was good for nearly a meter better than the next closest competitor. In the high jump, Cassie Ackemann cleared 1.70m, good for a second-place finish.
Temple had a solid day at the Great Dane Invitational to open the 2019 portion of the indoor season. McKenzie Gelvin had a breakthrough 800m race to bring home a first-place finish with her time of 2:17.03. Aisha Brown finished third in the high jump with her 1.65m clearance.
Tulsa got the new year off to a convincing start, taking home nine top-five finishes in a packed field at the indoor Arkansas Invitational. Two second-place finishes highlighted the day for the Golden Hurricane, beginning with Bailey Stewart in the men's 400m, running a 48.39 for second. Not to be outdone, thrower Aleks Rapp managed a toss of 18.77 meters (61-7 feet) to earn silver in the weight throw.
Wichita State recorded 12 all-time top-10 school records Saturday at the Hawkeye Invitational. The Shockers came away bettering or equaling 25 personal records. Wichita State started off strong in the field events Friday night, recording three top-5 finishes including, Isaiah Evans finishing second in the weight throw (18.81m/61-8.5). Sidney Sapp won the women's high jump in a jump-off, equaling the fourth-best clearance in school history at 1.76m/5-9.25. On the men's side Rayvon Allen led the way, winning the long jump with a mark of 7.55m/24-9.25. Mason Buckmaster led the men in the high jump equaling his personal best of 2.05m/6-8.75. Destini Eskridge won the 3000m (unseeded) with a personal-best time of 10:42.0, and Rebekah Topham won the women's mile with a time of 4:53.06.
ECU opened its indoor slate on Saturday at the Dick Taylor Carolina Cup inside Eddie Smith Fieldhouse on North Carolina’s campus. The men had six podium finishes with Ethan Hageman and Andrew Ciaccia putting up the fourth and fifth-fastest American Athletic Conference times in the 3,000, posting converted marks of 8:38.71 and 8:41.44. The women had five podium finishes and won two events on the track. Sophomore pole vaulter Sommer Knight recorded a school-record mark of 4.00 meters to take second place. Courtney Warner, D'Nia Freeman, Shellbi Chapman and Naomi Whitaker ran the fastest time in the 4x400m relay (3:49.14) to clinch gold, while Courtney Warner won the 60m dash after clocking 7.52 seconds.