American Athletic Conference Performances List
NCAA Division I Performances List
American Athletic Conference indoor track and field programs competed in a number of high-level meets last weekend, with four individuals posting event wins to take the fourth weekly awards. Houston’s Cameron Burrell was named Male Track Athlete of the Week, with SMU’s Stephanie Kalu taking Female Track Athlete of the Week honors. Louisville’s Ben Williams took his second Male Field Athlete of the Week award of the season, while Cincinnati’s Kaitlyn Good earned Female Field Athlete of the Week distinction.
Burrell posted two lightning-fast performances for the Cougars at the Cherry & Silver Collegiate Invitational on Jan. 25, hosted by the University of New Mexico. The freshman won the 60-meter dash in a conference and national best 6.55, breaking the Houston record set previously this season by teammate Leshon Collins. Burrell also took fifth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.37, which tops The American rankings.
Kalu led the way for SMU at the Vanderbilt Indoor Invitational on Jan. 25, winning the 60-meter dash in 7.34 and running the 200-meter dash in 24.92. Her 60-meter time ranks ninth in Division I, tops the conference and reset the junior’s own school record in the event.
Williams, a Louisville sophomore, also competed at the Vanderbilt Invitational and walked away with a victory in the triple jump, his second win in as many meets this season. His distance of 15.96m (52’-4.5”) matched his jump from earlier this season, which remains atop The American bests list and sits fifth in the nation.
Good took first in the pentathlon for the Bearcats at the Rod McCravy Invitational last Friday, hosted by Kentucky. She totaled 3,799 points to take the event, in which she won the high jump and shot put portions. Her toss of 12.63m (41’-5.25”) was a personal best for the shot put. Good has the conference’s highest mark in the pentathlon, and ranks 12
th nationally.
Weekend Highlights
High-level meets dotted the schedule for American Athletic Conference teams last weekend, with the conference’s programs competing against some of the nation’s top teams and also against each other.
Following the prestigious Cherry & Silver Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., the Houston men received the highest ranking from the USTFCCCA in program history, sliding in at No. 24 in the organization’s second rankings of the season. The Cougars made a splash with Burrell’s performance and several top-five finishes, including Leshon Collins in the 60-meter dash, Issac Williams in the 60-meter hurdles, Dominique Brisco in the triple jump and the women’s 4x400-meter relay. UConn’s Emily Durgin also competed at the event and took two top-ten finishes: fourth in the 3,000-meter run and seventh in the mile.
Four programs, UCF, UConn, Rutgers and Temple, participated in Boston University’s Terrier Invitational. On the women’s side, four conference athletes took home event wins. UCF’s Briana Vaughn won the 60-meter dash in 7.44, while teammate Destinee Romain took first in the weight throw with a toss of 19.54m (64’-1.25”). UConn’s Melodee Riley won the triple jump in 12.24m (40’-2”), while the 500-meter dash went to Asha Ruth of Rutgers with her time of 1:12.54.
Another three programs, Louisville, Memphis and SMU, descended upon Nashville, Tenn. to compete in the Vanderbilt Indoor Invitational. Along with Williams, Louisville senior Sam Bombaugh won the weight throw with a season-best distance of 18.94m (65’-1.75”).
Cincinnati represented the conference at the Rod McCravy Invitational, competing against the likes of several SEC, ACC, Big Ten and Big XII opponents. The Bearcats completed the event with nine personal records.
Wrapping up conference representation last weekend was USF, who participated in the Jack Johnson Classic in Minneapolis, Minn. Natasha Stewart recorded an event win, taking the long jump with a height of 5.93m (19’-5.5”), while the Bulls clinched eight top-three finishes. The men placed fifth with 56 points and the women seventh with 50 points.
Top Conference Marks
|
EVENT |
MEN |
WOMEN |
|
60m |
Cameron Burrell, HOU (6.57)* |
Stephanie Kalu, SMU (7.34) |
|
60h |
William Gibbs, HOU (7.94) |
Sade-Mariah Greenidge, HOU (8.48)* |
|
200m |
Cameron Burrell, HOU (21.44)* |
Deysha Smith-Jenkins, UCONN (24.13) |
|
400m |
Kyle Twombly, UCONN (47.78) |
Celina Emerson, UCONN (54.05) |
|
800m |
Alvaro Chavez, UCONN (1:51.30) |
Maya Williamson, MEM (2:08.74) |
|
Mile |
Brian Barraza, HOU (4:11.74)* |
Tova Magnusson, SMU (4:51.96) |
|
3,000m |
Oliver Book, CIN (8:27.80) |
Emily Durgin, UCONN (9:37.69) |
|
5,000m |
Matthew Kacyon, TEM (14:51.56)* |
Agnes Sjostrom, SMU (17:15.23) |
|
4x400m relay |
Rutgers (3:13.58) |
Houston (3:39.85)* |
|
DMR |
Louisville (10:05.18) |
Louisville (11:54.63) |
|
High Jump |
Darius Lynwood, MEM (2.08m) |
Natasha McLaren, UCONN (1.80m) |
|
Pole Vault |
Pauls Pujats, MEM (5.30m) |
Karley King, HOU (4.15m) |
|
Long Jump |
Corey Crawford, RU (7.79m) |
Brittany Owens, LOU (6.03m) |
|
Triple Jump |
Ben Williams, LOU (15.96m) |
Dominique Brisco, HOU (12.73m) |
|
Shot Put |
Brad Vivace, LOU (18.18m) |
Helena Perez, SMU (15.34m) |
|
Weight Throw |
Sam Bombaugh, LOU (18.94m) |
Patrice Gates, LOU (19.54m) |
|
Pentathlon |
|
Kaitlyn Good, CIN (3,799 pts) |
|
Heptathlon |
Kyle Kubera, CIN (4,868 pts) |
|
NCAA Top 16 Performances
|
EVENT |
MEN |
WOMEN |
|
60m |
Cameron Burrell, HOU – 2nd (6.57)*
Leshon Collins, HOU – 5th (6.60) |
Stephanie Kalu, SMU – 9th (7.34) |
|
400m |
|
Celina Emerson, UCONN – 15th (54.05) |
|
4x400m relay |
|
Houston – 13th (3:39.85)* |
|
High Jump |
|
Natasha McLaren, UCONN – 13th (1.80m) |
|
Pole Vault |
Pauls Pujats, MEM – 16th (5.30m) |
Karley King, HOU – 15th (4.15m) |
|
Long Jump |
Corey Crawford, RU – 1st (7.79m) |
|
|
Triple Jump |
Ben Williams, LOU – 5th (15.96m)
Shane Lewis, USF – 14th (15.49m) |
Dominique Brisco, HOU – 12th (12.73m) |
|
Pentathlon |
|
Kaitlyn Good, CIN – 12th (3,799 pts) |
*converted on TFRRS lists for track size or altitude
The Week Ahead
Jan. 31-Feb. 2
Cincinnati – Indiana Relays (Bloomington, Ind.)
UConn – Penn State National Open (State College, Pa.), Coaches’ Tribute Invitational (Kingston, R.I.)
Houston – Howie Ryan Invitational (Houston, Texas)
Louisville – Indiana Relays (Bloomington, Ind.)
Rutgers – Armory Collegiate (New York, N.Y.)
SMU – Red Raider Invitational (Lubbock, Texas)
Temple – Penn State National Open (State College, Pa.)