Kats secure 25 top-five finishes at UTSA
3/20/2016 9:26:00 PM | Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
The Sam Houston State men's and women's track and field programs combined to notch 25 top-five finishes at the two-day UTSA Invitational, as several athletes saw their first action of the outdoor season, which began one weekend ago.
The women finished fourth with 103.5 points while the men took fifth at 81 points. The Wichita State women claimed the team title at 148 points and the Stephen F. Austin men took first at 174 points.
On the women's side, Camry Grigsby and Courtney Lord each logged first-place finishes. Grigsby did so with a mark of 4:46.04 in the 1,500-meter run, her first time running the event at the collegiate level, while Lord took the top spot in the long jump with a career-best leap of 19 feet.
The Kats squads notched three runner-up finishes a piece. Ashley Thompson reached 13 feet, 1 ½ inches in the pole vault while Ashley Jenkins began her outdoor campaign in the hammer throw with a toss of 201 feet, 2 inches and Elizabeth Lyssy went 152 feet, 11 inches in the javelin throw.
For the men, Justin Jenkins secured second in the 100-meter dash with a blazing 10.51 while Jeffrey Moore raced a career-best 4:01.75 in the 1,500-meter run and Garrett Larson picked up where he left off in the pole vault with a height of 16 feet, 4 ¾ inches.
Four Sam Houston women finished third on the weekend including Briana McCall's career-best in the 1,500-meter run (4:47.33), Tristyn Allen's best of 39 feet, 8 ½ inches in the triple jump, Melicha Smith's 11.79 in the 100-meter dash and Jamie Eckford best of 2:17.18 in the 800-meter run.
Aaron Akens also took home the bronze in the discus throw with a toss of 165 feet, 5 inches, while a pair of men took fourth highlighted by Anthony Garcia's 195 foot javelin throw. Both men's and women's 4x100-meter relay squads finished fourth. The women's tandem of Jasmine Lewis, Elizabeth Ene, Melicha Smith and Paula Smith ran 47.16 and Kevin Beasley, Robert Monticone, Jeffrey Moore and Eric Pouncey secured a mark of 3:20.17.
Paula Smith also logged a fourth-place finish in the 100-meter dash (11.84), as did Margaret LaSalle in the pole vault (11 feet, 7 ¾ inches), who matched her finish at McNeese a weekend ago, and Hanks in the discus throw (142 feet, 3 inches). Anthony Garcia also went fourth in the javelin (195 feet).
Five Sam Houston athletes took fifth with Evan Arambula doing so in the 1,500-meter run (4:05.38), William Stark in the 100-meter hurdles (14.68), Colton Stoker's career-best in the 5,000-meter run (15.29.90), Ashton Summers in the pole vault (15 feet, 11 inches) and Kalvin Singletary in the discus (165 feet).
The Bearkats return on Friday in Houston at the two-day Victor Lopez Classic, hosted by Rice. Competition begins at 7:00 p.m. with the 1,500 meters, steeplechase, 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters highlighting the opening-day running events. The field events take place Saturday, starting at 9 a.m.
