March 29, 2008
Enjoying their time in the Florida sunshine, the Texas A&M track and field squad claimed another dozen victories during the second day of the Florida State Relays to total 24 for the weekend.
In the process the Aggies, ranked No. 4 among the women and No. 16 among the men, produced three world-leading times and one world junior leading mark. Multiple meet and facility records at Mike Long Track were altered by A&M as well.
Texas A&M won five of six relays held in the college division on Saturday, winning both 4x1s and 4x4s while also taking the men?™s sprint medley. In addition they swept the 100-meter titles as well as the triple jump. Victories were also recorded in the men?™s discus and 1,500 along with the women?™s 100 hurdles.
The Aggie lowered their current world-leading mark of 43.40 seconds in the women?™s 4 x 100 to 43.18 with the crew of Elizabeth Adeoti, Porscha Lucas, Simone Facey and Gabby Mayo. They have the second fastest time in school history, only trailing the 43.05 that won the NCAA title last year.
In breaking a 24-year-old facility record in the race, Texas A&M ran faster than the 43.90 set by the Florida State foursome of Finn, Payne, Cliette and Givens back in 1984. The Aggies also bettered the meet record of 44.02 set by Auburn Elite in 2005.
In the men?™s 4 x 100, the Aggies turned their NCAA leading 39.66 into a 39.17 world-leading clocking with the foursome of Richard Adu-Bobie, Gerald Phiri, Chris Dykes and Justin Oliver. A&M bettered the previous world leader of 39.22 set by Jamaica and this squad is No. 10 on the Aggie all-time list.
Florida State, defending NCAA champions in the 4 x 100 and two-time defending NCAA team champions, finished second to the Aggies with a 39.38. A second A&M group placed fifth in 40.90 with the foursome of Brandon Lowe, Julian Reid, Dominique Stafford and Cade Liverman.
The winning time by the Aggies just missed the facility record of 39.15 set by an All-Star squad in 1984 that consisted of Butler, Krulee, Calvin Smith and Mel Lattany. Texas A&M did claim the meet record in bettering a 39.57 set by the Seminoles last season.
Lucas also recorded a world-leading time of 11.20 seconds in winning the 100 at the FSU Relays. She improved upon her previous career best of 11.42 in the process. Lucas also broke a 24-year-old facility record of 11.27 held by Randy Givens of Florida State since 1984 and lowered the world best for 2008 from the 11.27 run by Jamaica?™s Schillonie Calvert in early March.
On the A&M all-time list, Lucas improves her No. 2 performer position and improves to equal No. 4 on the performances list, trailing three marks set by Facey last year (11.16 and two 11.19s) and matching her 11.20.
In taking away the collegiate leading mark away from teammate Zuheir Sharif, Tyron Stewart also now holds the top triple jump mark on the world junior list as he established a career best of 52-9 ?˝ (16.09) to finish as the top collegian in the FSU Relays.
Stewart added a foot and three inches to his previous PR and bettered the world junior leading mark of 52-3 ?ľ (15.94) by Cuba?™s Ernesto Reve in February. He finished third overall in the competition, behind a world-leading 56-6 (17.22) effort from former Seminole Rafeeq Curry and a 55-5 (16.89) by Brandon Rhouloc.
Both of A&M?™s 4 x 400 relays established collegiate leading times for the 2008 outdoor season.
A strong anchor leg by A.C. Robinson sealed the men?™s victory as he split 45.6 on the 3:04.09 winner. Fort Valley State (3:07.38) and Florida State (3:07.54) were well back of A&M at the finish.
Nick Robinson (46.7) handled lead off duties for the Aggies with Justin Oliver (46.1) and Bryan Miller (45.7) filling in the middle exchanges. Texas A&M is currently third on the 2008 world list and this unit is the No. 8 team on the Aggie all-time list.
A second A&M relay crew ran a regional qualifying time of 3:09.09 to place fourth. The squad consisted of Morquise Cleveland (47.1), Kyle Dykhuizen (46.9), Jonathan Collins (47.1) and Cade Liverman (48.0).
The women utilized a sterling 50.5 split from Jessica Beard to produce a winning time of 3:35.38 to hold off Florida State?™s 3:36.02. Adeoti (55.7) led off the relay for the Aggies with Beard running the second leg as Jennifer Williams (54.7) and Katie Baker (54.5) handled the final two carries.
Running on the winning sprint medley for the Aggie men were Brandon Lowe, Dominique Stafford, Morquise Cleveland and Kevin Ondrasek. They won the race in 3:20.98 with Troy the nearest competitor at 3:29.65.
A&M ran Ashika Charan, Katie Baker, Lindsey Adams and Evelyn Wing in the women?™s sprint medley and the crew placed third in 4:04.40.
A slew of impressive wins on the day included Gerald Phiri in the 100 (10.25), Ashley McCarty in the triple jump (41-7 ?ľ / 12.69), Josh Tiemann in the discus (177-7 / 54.14), Nick Toohey in the 1,500 (3:56.71), and Jennifer Williams in the 100 hurdles (13.59).
Phiri, the school record holder at 60 meters indoors, moves to No. 8 on the A&M all-time 100-meter list with his first venture in the race this outdoor season. He set a meet record in bettering a 10.29 set by LSU?™s Chris Cummings in 1997.
Lowering his PR from 10.48, Phiri moved ahead of a 10.27 set by Billy Fobbs in 1996 and is just behind a 10.22 run by Derrick Florence in 1988. Andre Cason, who holds the A&M school record at 10.04, also still has the facility record at Florida State with a 10.08 from 1988.
Finishing behind Phiri was Adu-Bobie with a 10.41 clocking while Lowe placed eighth with a 10.66.
Behind Lucas in the women?™s 100 the Aggies placed 2-4-5-8 with the sprint crew of Mayo (11.47), Adeoti (11.55), Khrystal Carter (11.72) and Charan (11.85).
McCarty produced her best mark since the 2006 season when she won the triple jump. Tiffany Peters finished fourth with a 39-5 (12.01) effort that established a new outdoor career best.
Melvin Echard set another personal best in the men?™s triple jump with a 50-0 ?˝ (15.25) as he placed fifth overall and was the second collegian to teammate Stewart. Terry Dike finished seventh as the fourth collegian with a windy mark of 48-8 (14.83).
Tiemann led a 1-2-3 finish for the Aggies in the discus. His winning distance of 177-7 put him ahead of Dylan Conway (162-9 / 49.62) and Javier Olivas (161-2 / 49.12). In the women?™s discus Anteneshia Lindsey placed third (159-1 / 48.48) while Emalie Humphreys finished ninth (126-9 / 38.63).
Nick Toohey overtook the leader in the 1,500 with 110 meters left in the race and sprinted to finish for the win, running a 3:56.71 to place ahead of two runners from Florida, Jeremy Miller (3:57.32) and Anthony Morales (3:57.36), as well as FSU?™s Justin Harbor (3:57.52).
Jennifer Williams won the 100 hurdles in 13.59 with Lindsey Adams placing third in 13.75 and Whitney Holmes taking fourth in 13.96. In the men?™s 110 hurdles Liverman finished fourth with a 14.43 while Echard placed second in his section and sixth overall with a 14.58.
Wes Caceras lowered his best time in the 800 for the second consecutive week with a clocking of 1:53.22 to place sixth. Chad Stoermer tied for sixth in the pole vault, clearing 15-7 (4.75). In the women?™s 1,500 Christina Munoz ran 4:41.70 for eighth place.
Texas A&M returns to Austin next week for the 81st running of the Texas Relays, which starts on Wednesday and runs through Saturday.