April 11, 2008
Six victories for the Aggies highlighted the Friday portion of the UCLA Rafer Johnson / Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invitational.
Earlier in the afternoon Zuheir Sharif claimed the long jump title while Elizabeth Adeoti won the 200. Both will compete again when action continues on Saturday at Drake Stadium with Invitational races and field events.
In the evening, with ideal conditions for distance racing, Texas A&M claimed three titles in the 5,000 and 10,000 while Hillary Pustka was the top collegiate finisher in the javelin.
Distance victories were achieved by Kevin McNab (5,000), Christina Munoz (5,000) and Elizabeth Slaughter (10,000), while Andrew Montes was runner-up in the 10,000.
McNab ran a time of 14:23.18 to win his race by eight seconds. He moves to No. 8 on the Aggie all-time list. Munoz raced to a 27-second victory in the women?™s 5,000 clocking a 16:42.97 win. In addition to claiming a NCAA regional mark, Munoz also is the No. 2 performer on the A&M all-time list.
Slaughter rolled to a convincing victory in the 10,000 meters, winning by a minute and 20 seconds with her time of 36:45.91. In the men?™s 10,000 Montes finished in 31.09.44, becoming the No. 9 performer on the A&M all-time list.
Pustka led a 1-3-5-8 effort by the Aggie women in the javelin. She recorded her third career best mark of the season, hitting a distance of 162-7 (49.56) as she remains at No. 8 on the Aggie all-time list.
Jessica Wingfield finished third with a 152-9 (46.56), Emalie Humphreys placed fifth with a 142-7 (43.47) and Hali Henderson was eighth with a 132-6 (40.39). Former USC NCAA champion Inga Stasiulionyte topped the collegiate field with a toss of 175-10 (53.59).
With a mark of 23-8 (7.21) Sharif won the long jump while teammate Tyron Stewart placed third. Stewart reached a mark of 23-2 (7.06) as the host Bruins had jumpers finishing second and fourth behind the Aggies.
Running her first 200 of the outdoor season Elizabeth Adeoti recorded a time of 23.86 to claim the top mark of the day in the split-section final. Ashika Charan was runner-up to Adeoti in 24.40 and placed third overall.
Joe Sauvageau earned his regional qualifying mark in the steeplechase. He ran 9:04.07 to place eighth and moved to No. 6 on the Aggie all-time list with his career best mark.
Yasmine Regis finished fourth in the women?™s long jump with a distance of 18-8 (5.69) while Tiffany Peters turned in a mark of 18-0 ?˝ (5.50).
Morquise Cleveland placed fourth in his heat of the 400, running 47.67. Kyle Dykhuizen finished runner-up in his heat with a 48.72. Jonathan Collins posted a time of 48.92 for fourth in another heat. Cleveland led the trio in the combined results, placing fifth overall. Dykhuizen was 11th and Collins finished 14th.
Trinity Otto, an Aggie decathlete, was a heat winner in the men?™s 200, running a 21.76 to place fifth overall. Otto also placed 12th in the long jump with a mark of 21-7 ?Ľ (6.58).
In the men?™s javelin Chad Brown placed fifth and was the third best collegian with a toss of 198-10 (60.61). Josh Posten was one position back of Brown with a mark of 188-7 (57.49) while Jacob Rodriguez finished eighth overall and as the fifth collegian with a 188-3 (57.38).
Brenna Williamson, who led her race for five laps, placed seventh in the women?™s steeplechase with a time of 10:59.78.
Heat winning marks were recorded by Regis (12.19) and Whitney Holmes (12.27) in the 100 meters. They placed seventh and eighth, respectively, in the combined results. Ashley McCarty posted a 12.40 to place fifth in her heat and was 14th overall.
In the hurdles Echard was runner-up in his heat with a 14.50 behind Washington State?™s Jeshua Anderson, the current collegiate 400-hurdle leader, who posted a 14.24. Echard placed ninth overall and later ran the 200 in 22.78.
Sharif also won his heat in the 100 meters with a clocking of 11.08. Julian Reid placed second in his heat with an 11.20. They finished 14th and 16th overall, respectively.
Texas A&M heptathlete Sarah Pierson threw the shot put 35-6 ?˝ (10.83) and ran the hurdles in 15.52. Pierson then won a heat of the 400 hurdles, running 63.39 to place 10th overall.