March 30, 2010
AUSTIN - This week Texas A&M track and field returns to the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, where they were named the outstanding team a year ago with six victories. Two of those wins last season included a sweep of the men's and women's 4 x 200 relays as A&M became the first school to achieve victory in both relays during the same year.
Action in the 83rd Texas Relays begins Wednesday morning for a trio of multi-event athletes from Texas A&M as well as a crew of distance runners. The meet will run through Saturday at the Mike A. Myers Track Stadium. Live results can be found at on the www.texassports.com website.
Following two weeks of action in the outdoor season, the Aggies have collegiate leading marks in seven events. They top the nation in the 4 x 100 relay with a 39.35 for the men and a 43.62 for the women, who also have the world leading time, as well as the women's 4 x 400 with a 3:35.37.
Other wind-legal collegiate leading marks for A&M in 2010 include Curtis Mitchell in the men's 200 (20.54); and Sam Humphreys in the javelin (247-0).
After achieving the honor as the outstanding team at the Texas Relays last April, the Aggies went on to claim a pair of NCAA team championships in June. Along the way they produced the fastest times in the nation for four relays - a collegiate record of 42.36 for the women's 4 x 100, a school record 38.51 in the men's 4 x 100, a school record 1:30.28 in the women's 4 x 200 and a school record 1:20.32 in the men's 4 x 200.
Those relays, along with the 4 x 400, 4 x 800, 4 x 1500 and sprint medley, will be featured this weekend. In the history of the meet Texas A&M has claimed 26 relays titles, with the most occurring in the men's 4 x 400 where the Aggies have eight titles. The A&M men have also won five titles each in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 200.
Trinity Otto will compete in his fourth decathlon at the Texas Relays, where he placed fourth a year ago after leading the field through day one. In the heptathlon the Aggies will be represented by Daphne Fitzpatrick and Bonnie Richardson, who won a pair of State 1A team titles the past two years in Austin as the lone member of the Rochelle track team.
Otto has improved his score in the Texas Relays decathlon from 6,988 points as a freshman back in 2006 to his 7,355 total he scored a year ago. His career best score of 7,655 came in a third-place effort at the Big 12 Championships in 2009. Otto placed seventh at the Texas Relays in 2006, then 10th (7,082) in 2007.
The decathlon field is highlighted by defending NCAA Champion Ashton Eaton of Oregon, who recently set a world record indoors when he won the NCAA Indoor heptathlon with a score of 6,499 points. This year's decathlon field will include 20 athletes with Isaac Murphy of Texas the only other Big 12 decathlete.
The heptathlon field includes 22 athletes with Fitzpatrick and Richardson joining Rebecca Neville of Kansas as the only Big 12 competitors. The defending NCAA champion Brianne Theisen, also from Oregon, is the top entrant.
Wednesday's events will also include the 5,000 meters along with B division races in the 800 and 1500. Scheduled to compete for Texas A&M in those events, which get started at 6 p.m., are:
Decathlon: Trinity Otto
Heptathlon: Daphne Fitzpatrick, Bonnie Richardson
800 (w): Kellie Trinkaus
800 (m): Joe Snelick
1500 (m): Wes Caceras
5000 (w): Kasey McNorton, Natosha Rogers
5000 (m): Jimmy Welin
Thursday at the Texas Relays will have the continuation of the decathlon and heptathlon along with prelims in the 400 hurdles, which start at 4:30 p.m., and the final in the 4 x 800 relay, which begins at 5:30 p.m. Entrants in those events for A&M include:
Decathlon: Trinity Otto
Heptathlon: Daphne Fitzpatrick, Bonnie Richardson
400H (w): Courtnie Allen, Andrea Sutherland
400H (m): Seth Mabry
4x800 (m): Eric Gosset)
Friday will be a full slate of action, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with the prelims of the 4 x 100 relay. The final event of the night, the 4 x 1500, is scheduled to start at 9:45 p.m. Aggies in action will include:
4x100 (w): Texas A&M
4x100 (m): Texas A&M
100H (w): Donique' Flemings, Natasha Ruddock, Vashti Thomas
110H (m): De'Lon Isom, Travon Johnson
100 (w): Elizabeth Adeoti, Gabby Mayo, Jeneba Tarmoh
100 (m): Gerald Phiri
4x400 (w): Texas A&M
Javelin (w): B - Hillary Pustka
Pole Vault (w): B - Laura Asimakis
Long Jump (m): Tyron Stewart
Long Jump (w): Sasha-Kay Matthias, Vashti Thomas
Sprint Medley (m): Texas A&M
4 x 1500 (m): Texas A&M
Collegiate action begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday and will conclude with the 4 x 400 relay at 5 p.m. A&M will have the following athletes compete on Saturday:
High Jump (m): Cameron Alexander
Javelin (w): Laura Asimakis, Emalie Humphreys
400H (w): Finals
400H (m): Finals
4x200 (w): Texas A&M
4x200 (m): Texas A&M
Javelin (m): Sam Humphreys
Triple Jump (w): Sasha-Kay Matthias, Tiffany Peters, Vashti Thomas
Triple Jump (m): Zuheir Sharif, Tyron Stewart
4x100 (w): Finals
4x100 (m): Finals
100H (w): Finals
110H (m): Finals
100 (w): Finals
100 (m): Finals
4x400 (w): Finals
4x400 (m): Invitational - Texas A&M