April 17, 2010
Results
WACO - On a wet Saturday at the Michael Johnson Classic hosted by Baylor, the Aggies produced six victories before heavy rains ended the remainder of the meet.
Morning showers and a breezy day greeted the field of 25 teams to the Hart/Patterson Track and Field Complex. Another downpour arrived 20 minutes prior to the start of the 5 p.m. evening session finals.
Then intermittent showers, which provided a couple more downpours midway through the final session, fell for the remainder of the meet. Following the women's 1,500 the remainder of the meet was cancelled due to continued heavy rains.
Earning Texas A&M's first win in one of the evening session's Invitational finals was Jessica Beard in the women's 400 with a time of 51.65. Beard entered the meet with a collegiate leading 51.64 and nearly matched that time amid wet and cool conditions.
In the 100 hurdles, which had prelims earlier in the morning, the Aggies finished 1-2 with Donique' Flemings posting times of 13.69 and 13.90.
Field event winners on the day included Deidre Tarver in the hammer. Cole Knuth led the discus at 158-0 (48.16) when the event was suspended.
Humphreys won the women's javelin with a toss of 154-5 (47.06) with Hillary Pustka claiming third with her mark of 142-9 (43.52). Tarver won her first hammer title after a pair of runner-up finishes this season. Her mark of 175-9 (53.56) bettered the field by over 10 feet.
A feature race in the men's Invitational 400 had A&M's Tabarie Henry lining up against Wallace Spearmon and former Baylor Bear LaJerald Betters.
Henry ran his fastest time of the season with a 45.75 as Betters won the section in 45.28 (45.274) while Spearmon clocked 46.76. They placed 2-5-7 overall when combined with the first section, won in 45.28 (45.271) by Rondell Bartholomew of South Plains.
Texas A&M also had a trio of runner-up finishes in the meet with Melvin Echard, Jon Gomez and the women's 4 x 100 relay, featuring the Aggie jumpers.
Melvin Echard placed second amid a very close finish in the 110 hurdles. Texas Southern's Sheldon Wilkinson won in 14.43 while Echard posted a 14.46 with Scottie Jones of Sam Houston third in 14.48.
In the men's javelin Jon Gomez finished second with a season best toss of 214-1 (65.25) while current collegiate leader Sam Humphreys had the week off. Also in the field producing a mark of 213-3 (65.01) was Luke Marrs, who is on the A&M all-time list with a best of 241-2 from 2003.
Another runner-up performance came from the Aggie jumpers contesting the 4 x 100 relay. The foursome of Sasha-Kay Matthias and Ashika Charan ran 45.68 to place second to a 45.51 from South Plains. Baylor was unable to finish the race as the first exchange was never completed.
The men's main 4 x 100 unit finished third in 39.54 to an All-Star team (39.22) and Baylor (39.28). A&M's foursome included Curtis Mitchell. Running for the All-Star crew were Mike Rodgers, Doc Patton, A&M All-American Chris Dykes and Wallace Spearmon, an Aggie volunteer assistant.
A second group of Aggies posted a time of 41.02 to place fifth overall. That foursome included C.J. Jones, Trinity Otto, Tyron Stewart and Melvin Echard.
Knuth finished third in the hammer, reaching a distance of 169-10 (51.76). Tiffany Peters placed third in the long jump with a leap of 19-4 (5.89). Another field event final included Aly Daily placing fifth in the pole vault with a clearance of 11-11 3/4 (3.65).
In the men's steeplechase the A&M tandem of Ryan Snapp (9:36.09) and Stephen Curry (9:36.20) placed fourth and fifth while Micah Dettmer (9:49.58) finished eighth. Michael Preble ran a 1:51.92 in the 800 to place sixth.
Races that were contested as sections against time during the midday session included the men's and women's 200, 400, 800, and 1,500 meters as well as the 400 hurdles. Texas A&M posted the top time in the women's 200 and 400 hurdles for a pair of victories.
A&M All-American jumper Ashika Charan won the 200 meters in 24.15 with a headwind of -1.6.
Three other Aggie sprinters placed among the top eight of the 200. Donique' Flemings was runner-up to Charan in 24.19 and placed third overall. Chandrell Stephens (24.49) and Vashti Thomas (24.52) finished seventh and eighth. Katy Eudaly placed 14th with a 24.88 to win her section.
Courtnie Allen won the women's 400 hurdles with a career best of 61.42, finishing ahead of Angelo State's Kris Crockett (62.96). The past two weeks Allen had set and matched her personal best of 62.24 during the Texas Relays and Oregon's Pepsi Team Invitational.
Kasey McNorton raced to a third-place finish in the 1,500 with a time of 4:47.56 as a pair of Rice runners - Claire Shorall (4:43.99) and Addie Quinn (4:44.39) - went first and second. The men's 1,500 also had an Aggie placing third with Will Barry clocking 3:57.64.