April 4, 2009
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AUSTIN - Six victories on the weekend for the Texas A&M track and field squad earned outstanding team honors for the Aggies at the 82nd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, which capped a sun-filled Saturday in front of 20,055 fans at Myers Stadium.
It marks the first time since 1980 Texas A&M has been selected the most outstanding team at the Texas Relays.
University action started at midday and the Aggies set Texas Relays history by winning both the men's and women's 4 x 200 relays in the same year. A&M added a pair of victories in the triple jump by Yasmine Regis and Julian Reid. Then Gabby Mayo sped to a career best in claiming the University 100 meters.
"Both sprint groups were ready to run today," Texas A&M head coach Pat Henry said. "Of course you don't run the 4 x 200 very often, so you've got to have great exchanges. We ran very well today."
In the 4 x 200 relay the Aggie men claimed its first Texas Relays title in the event since 1986 while the A&M women successfully defended their 2008 title with a convincing win.
The men's crew of Chris Dykes and Justin Oliver cruised to a 1:22.06 time to finish ahead of defending champion Baylor (1:22.98), Mississippi State (1:23.28), Texas Tech (1:23.39) and Arkansas (1:23.47).
"That was great on a couple of levels," Oliver said. "This was the first time for me to be part of a real strong 4 x 200 team that was really serious in a serious meet.
"Then I also won my first title at the Texas Relays. I've been here four years working hard and coming up short all the time. To get a victory here, and being a senior, at an event like this is a great feeling."
With a squad of Khrystal Carter, Elizabeth Adeoti, Dominique Duncan and Jessica Beard, the Aggie women defended its Texas Relays title by rolling to a 1:32.31 victory. Oklahoma was runner-up in 1:33.50 with Southern Mississippi third at 1:36.27.
"We had a lot of anxious people ready to run out there and show them what A&M is about," Beard said. "We knew we could go out there and prove that we could defend our title and be champions again."
The Aggie women won last year's Texas Relays title with a 1:33.46 and then went on to capture the Penn Relays 4 x 200 in 1:31.21 after setting a school record 1:30.96 in the prelims.
The Aggie women also become the third school, joining Texas and LSU, to win the 4 x 200 in consecutive years at the Texas Relays.
Gabby Mayo sped to a then world leading 11.13-second victory in the University 100 meters. She bettered an elite collegiate field of Baylor's Tiffany Townsend (11.13), Samantha Henry of LSU (11.19), and Jessica Young of TCU (11.25). Teammate Duncan finished eighth in 11.50.
"It was exciting, but I was kind of shocked at the time," said Mayo, who had a previous best of 11.16 and a windy 11.14. "I'm glad I ran my best and set a PR."
The difference between Mayo (11.123) and Townsend (11.130) was 0.007 of a second. It's the second consecutive year for an A&M sprinter to win the University 100 after Porscha Lucas claimed the 2008 title in 11.20.
A couple of races later Texas' Alexandria Anderson and Lucas squared off in the second section of the Invitational 100 and posted times of 11.09 and 11.12, respectively, to take over the top two wind legal times in the world this season.
Laverne Jones won the first section of the Invitational 100 in a windy 11.03 (2.7 wind) for the overall victory while Anderson was second and Lucas third.
"I was really proud of Gabby, especially since I won that race last year," Lucas said. "It's good to keep an Aggie winning that race."
"I was also really happy with my race, it was a PR for me and at sea-level instead of altitude like my 11.15 mark from Colorado at the Big 12 meet."
Placing third in the second section of the Invitational 100 was Jeneba Tarmoh, who is a redshirt at Texas A&M. She clocked an 11.33 and finished fourth overall.
Those efforts were career best times for Lucas and Mayo, who rank No. 2 and No. 3 on the A&M all-time list behind the school record of 10.95 set by Simone Facey last year. Duncan moves to No. 8 on the Aggie all-time list.
Regis earned the women's triple jump title with a wind-aided 44-5.5 as Reid captured the men's triple jump with a 53-11.75 effort.
Reid led a 1-3-5 effort by the Aggies as Zuheir Sharif hit a mark of 52-10.25 and Tyron Stewart reached a distance of 52-8.
"I'm surprised at the jump I produced today," Reid said. "Last year I wasn't at my best during the Texas Relays. I'm happy with the distance and very pleased with the win."
Finishing behind the winning mark set by Regis were UTEP's Blessing Okagbare, who hit 44-4.25, and Jeomi Maduka of Cornell, who finished third at 43-9. A&M's Ashika Charan finished sixth in the triple jump with a 42-11.5 mark while Vashti Thomas placed 11th with a 41-9.25.
"After seeing Angela win on Friday, that pumped us up to do our best today," Regis noted. "I'm a senior and I've never won at Texas Relays, so that was my aim today. I'm very excited about getting this win."
Texas A&M women, who were selected to run in the Invitational 4 x 100 relay after not reaching the final of University 4 x 100 due to a dropped baton in the prelims, sped to a collegiate leading 42.91 as runner-up among the professional sprint relay teams.
"Yesterday we were all kind of upset about what happened in the prelims of the 4 x 100," Lucas said. "We turned over a new leaf today and got it done."
USA Elite, the post collegiate squad that bettered A&M in the Invitational 4 x 100, posted a time of 42.62 with the foursome of Alene Baily, Bianca Knight, LaDedra Guy and Olympian Marshevet Hooker.
Finishing behind Texas A&M was a relay group called Texas Connection (43.53), which included Ebonie Floyd, Olympian Muna Lee, A&M multiple All-American Simone Facey and former USC sprinter Carol Rodriguez.
Running for the Aggies, who are two-time defending NCAA Champions, were Carter, Lucas, Allison George and Mayo. The 42.91 clocking ranks No. 4 on the A&M all-time list and currently ranks second in the world to the USA Elite mark of 42.62.
"We ran faster than we did at this time last year so we are doing really well," Mayo noted. "I'm happy the team did as well as they did this weekend."
Florida State won the women's University 4x1 in 43.62 while LSU finished second in 43.99 and Oklahoma claimed third in 44.26.
The men's 4 x 100 relay featured another close battle between Texas A&M and Florida State with the Seminoles claiming the win in a collegiate leading 38.75 while the Aggies were runner-up in 38.85 with the same running order they ran in the 4 x 200 victory - Howell, Phiri, Dykes and Oliver.
Finishing behind the sub-39's posted by FSU and A&M were LSU (39.10), Baylor (39.25) and Mississippi State (39.52).
In the hurdles De'Lon Isom ran a season best time of 13.71, which was wind-aided, as he placed third in the 110 hurdles behind Texas Tech's Omo Osaghae (13.42) and Stanford's Myles Bradley (13.55).
Vashti Thomas was entered into the Invitational 100 hurdles and she responded with a windy 13.05 clocking for runner-up in her heat and fourth overall from the two-section final. Thomas has a personal best of 13.03, which set a national prep record in the event, from her junior season in high school.
A&M volunteer assistant Aries Merritt ran a 13.58 for runner-up in the men's Invitational 110 hurdles.
Laura Asimakis reached a season best of 163-3 (49.75) to place fourth in the javelin. Emalie Humphreys finished seventh with a toss of 153-2 (46.68).
The 4 x 400 relays wrapped up the Texas Relays with the Aggies placing fifth in the men's race with a 3:06.40 while the women were sixth in 3:35.54.