Aggies open outdoor campaign at 20th annual Baldy Castillo Invitational

Friday, March 18

Tempe, Ariz.

All Day

Texas A&M

Baldy Castillo Invitational

Mar 17, 2016 | Track and Field

TEMPE, Arizona – Texas A&M's outdoor track and field season begins with the 20^th annual Baldy Castillo Invitational hosted by Arizona State at Sun Angel Stadium this weekend, with events held on Friday and Saturday. Coverage of the meet is available online through the Pac-12 network.

In addition to the Aggies and Sun Devils, the field of teams competing in the meet includes Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Manhattan, Minnesota, North Dakota State, Oklahoma, South Dakota, UC Riverside, and Utah.

Friday's events start with the hammer throw at 2 p.m. followed by the steeplechase and 1,500 meters at 7 p.m. in the evening for the Aggies. Saturday's events begin at 10 a.m. with the women's discus and will conclude by 5 p.m.

Outdoor only events, such as the discus, javelin, hammer, 400 hurdles and steeplechase, are featured this weekend. In relay action the Aggies will contest the 4x100, 4x400 and 4x800.

Two-time NCAA discus champion Shelbi Vaughan aims for another victory at the Castillo Invitational. Last season she opened with a 195-2 effort. In the men's javelin SEC champion John Kyriazis seeks to defend his title after winning with a 245-10 in his A&M debut last year.

SEC bronze medalist Alison Ondrusek, third in the hammer at Castillo last season with a then career best of 193-1, joins teammate Carissa van Beek amid a field that includes Julia Reedy of Oklahoma, who placed fifth in the 2015 NCAA Championships, and Kentucky's Becky Famurewa, the SEC runner-up.

A&M is scheduled to have a group of four in the women's javelin that includes Maggie Malone, Kristen Clark, Audrey Malone and Krystyn Bradley as they challenge the Oklahoma tandem of Elizabeth Herrs and Avione Allgood.

Aikan Graham leads a crew of six Aggies in the men's 400 hurdles, which includes Robert Grant, who went to high school in Phoenix. The meet will have a 3,000m steeplechase after running a 2,000m version the past couple of seasons. Representing A&M in the men's race are Ryan Teel and Elliott Farris.

In the 1,500 the Aggie women's group will consist of Katie Willard, Karis Jochen, Arin Rice and Katie Watson while the men's squad includes Alex Riba, Nathan Ricketts, Austin Wells and Christian Farris. Jochen and Farris are also scheduled to run in the 3,000m on Saturday.

The freshman trio of Krystal Sparling, Diamond Spaulding and Brenessa Thompson will race in the 100m. Sparling and Spaulding are also scheduled to team up with Aaliyah Brown and Jennifer Madu in the 4x100 relay. Another Aggie sprint relay includes Shamier Little and Briyahna Desrosiers, who will both compete in the 200m.

In the men's sprints Devin Jenkins races at 100m with Elijah Morrow in the 200m. They will team up along with Edward Davis and Fred Kerley on one of A&M's 4x100 units. Another relay will include Reggie Garner, Aaron Sims, Deon Hickey and Eric Age. A third sprint relay crew features the Aggie pole vaulters with Audie Wyatt, Jacob Wooten, Chase Wolfle and Carl Johansson teaming up.

The Aggie vaulters are the top four seeds in the pole vault while Lathone Collie and Jeffrey Protho have the top pair of marks in the triple jump and Will Williams is the top entrant in the long jump.

In the men's 4x800 a pair of A&M squads are scheduled to race. One unit consists of JaQwae Ellison, Efrain Hernandez, Ian Cazares and Gaines Kinsey while the other will include Ricketts, Teel, Riba and Farris. All eight are also entered in the open 800m.

Multiple Aggie relays are set for the 4x400 as well. The men's quartet that placed eighth in the NCAA Indoor final, which included Kerley, Grant, Hector Hernandez and Age, will comprise one squad.