Highlights
-UConn took its second victory of the men’s indoor season at the Columbia Challenge, scoring 82 points to outlast UCLA and Harvard. The DMR lineup of Eric Van Der Els, Noah Woodman, Tyler Gleen and Kyle Brackman raced to victory with a time of 9:51.09. Van Der Els placed second in the mile with a time of 4:08.45, while Sebastian Castro added a runner-up showing in the weight throw with a PR of 19.02m (62-5.0). Daniel Claxton was the runner-up in the high jump by clearing 2.05m (6-8.75). Brackman finished third in the 3000-meter run with the top conference time of the season (8:10.29). On the women’s side in New York, Emma Chee secured a third-place showing in the high jump by clearing 3.90m (12-9.5).
-Houston opened the weekend with a host of top-20 national times on Friday at the Texas Tech Red Raider Invitational in Lubbock, Texas. Naomi Taylor was the runner-up in the 60-meter hurdles (8.21), but her prelim time of 8.14 was good sixth in the NCAA. Travis Collins added a second-place finish in the 60-meter dash, logging the 17th-fastest national effort in 6.65. Brianne Bethel logged a blistering time of 23.55 in the women’s 200-meter dash to tie for eighth in Division I this season. Taylor Scaife added a win in the women’s weight throw with a top attempt of 20.18m (66-2.5) just ahead of teammate Mikaila Martin (19.33m, 63-5). Miles Marhofer posted a PR in the men’s weight throw (20.85m, 68-5) to take third place. The following day at the FasTrak Collegiate Invitational in Houston, Christian Hamberlin notched third in the men’s 60-meter final with a time of 6.81 before winning the 200-meter dash in 21.65.
-Memphis boasted three double-event winners in its first action of the spring semester at the KMS Invitational in Birmingham, Alabama. Kolbeinn Gunnarsson was victorious in the 200-meter dash (21.37) and raced alongside Hunter Miniard, Adam Yakobi and Josh Owten to a win in the 4x200-meter relay (1:29.65). Zachary Wyatt brought home the 3000-meter run title with a time of 8:32.43, and raced alongside Tate Wyatt, Emmanuel Cullins and Payton Gleason in a triumphant DMR with a time of 10:29.07. DeeNia McMiller swept both the shot put (14.43m, 47-4.25) and the weight throw (21.84m, 71-8) to power the Tigers on the women’s side in the meet, with Ladasia Walton adding a win in the high jump (1.76m, 5-9.25).
-Cincinnati took part in the Rod McCravy Memorial in Lexington, Kentucky, and added to its record book once more during the 2019-20 season. Caisja Chandler registered the second-fastest time in Cincinnati history in the 60-meter dash in 7.41, placing fourth in the event final. Kennedy Marable placed third in the triple jump, ranking third in program history with an effort of 12.64m (41-5.75). Damien Berthenet was the top collegiate performer in the men’s heptathlon, scoring 5,502 points in a runner-up showing. Berthenet won the 1000-meter run in 2:44.72 and was the runner-up in the pole vault (4.60m, 15-1.00) and the 60-meter hurdles (8.49).
-East Carolina enjoyed a standout performance by taking part in the Virginia Tech Hokie Invitational in Blacksburg, Virginia. Mackenzie Whitaker posted a dominant showing in the pentathlon, scoring 3,834 points to establish a program record in the event victory. Whitaker won the 800-meter run (2:22.09), the high jump (1.66m, 5-5.25), the long jump (5.92m, 19-5.25) and the shot put (10.34m, 33-11.25) in the triumph. Melicia Mouzzon placed second in the 60-meter dash, registering a share of the league lead in the distance this season in 7.30. Other top finishes for ECU included Nuria Tillo-Prats in the 3000-meter run (second place, 9:52.21), Ryan Davis with a school record in the weight throw (third place, 21.78m, 71-5.5) and Blake Matthews in fourth place in the 600-meter run (1:20.22).
-Wichita State sent competitors to both the Jayhawk Classic in Lawrence, Kansas, and the Prairie Wolf Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska. In Lawrence, Rebekah Topham broke the facility record in the 1000-meter run with a winning time of 2:49.87. JD Prinsloo made an impactful Wichita State debut with a school-record time of 1:20.94 in the 600-meter run in Lincoln. Joseph Holthusen took the win in the 60-meter hurdles with an effort of 8.01, and Mason Buckmaster claimed the high jump by clearing 2.10m (6-10.75) at Kansas. Paula Garcia was a double-winner in the 60-meter dash (7.67) and the 200-meter dash (24.57) at the Nebraska-Wesleyan meet, and Daysha Bullocks turned in a winning performance in the 600-meter run (1:37.06).
-UCF was one of three American squads to take park in the Rod McCravy Memorial and notched five top-10 finishes during the meet. Shian Hyde established a PR in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.38, the third-fastest in the conference this season, to take the event win. Ciara Holback placed fifth in the 60 final with a time of 7.45. Charlotte Crook crossed the line in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:13.10 for sixth place, and Katie Pinnell was ninth in 2:15.62.
-Adriana Janic became the USF program leader in the women’s 60-meter hurdles competing at the Rod McCravy Memorial. Janic finished sixth in the field with a finals time of 8.29 to secure the top time in the event in Bulls history. Melvin Briley established a PR in the triple jump with a 48-9.00 effort to place fourth, and the women’s DMR entry of Alexandra Weir, Shenica Bazile, Alivia Bienz and Natalie Walsh placed sixth in the event with a time of 12:03.08.
-Temple joined UConn at the Columbia Challenge in New York. Helene Gottlieb led the Owls in third place in the mile with a time of 4:51.19. Millie Howard (2:08.41) and Alanna Lally (2:08.44) placed sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 800-meter run, and Grace Moore led the way for Temple in the 3000-meter run to finish in 10th place (9:32.47). Aisha Brown took runner-up honors in the high jump by clearing 1.75m (5-8.75), clearing the second-highest mark in the conference this season.