TEMPE, Arizona – A 3:45.29 victory in the 1,500m by Alex Riba closed out the first day of the Baldy Castillo Invitational hosted by Arizona State.
When the initial pacer in the race left the field, Riba had command of the lead the rest of the way. On the final lap four Aggies were in the lead pack of six runners. Then with 300m remaining, Northern Arizona freshman Luis Grijalva challenged Riba for the lead.
Riba countered and powered to the finish for his victory, clocking 57.91 on the final circuit, while Grijalva posted a 3:45.75 as runner-up with a 58.08 last 400m.
"There was a big surge with 300m to go, and it was just a matter of matching it there and not letting them get a jump on me," noted Riba, who has a career best of 3:44.14 from last season. "It was a little bit of a struggle in that first 100m of the final 300m, but once I was able to match it I was comfortable.
"All of my previous races I've always closed well. So my mentality going into the last 300m or 400m is that I can beat anybody. So as long as I'm in position, there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to win it."
Aggie Ian Cazares ran 3:48.09, 14th on Aggie all-time list, for third place in the race with teammate Taylor Clayton finishing fourth in 3:49.82 as Cameron Villarreal (3:50.86) followed in sixth place.
Also finishing in the 1,500m for Texas A&M were Brandt Preston (12th - 3:55.79), Jacob Perry (15th – 3:58.46), and Jon Bishop (21st – 4:01.48).
Aggie sophomore Ashton Hutcherson improved her career best in the 2,000m steeplechase to 7:00.08 as she finished second to Arizona State's Courtney Lewis, who won with a 6:59.25 as she passed Hutcherson on the homestretch of the final lap.
Hutcherson led the field throughout the race, as she sped through the first three-quarters lap in 1:03.16 to build a quick two-and-a-half lead over Lewis. The lead by Hutcherson stretched out to six-plus seconds over the next couple of laps. A final circuit of 1:24.53 by Lewis enabled her to close the gap on Hutcherson, who finished with a 1:30.67.
"For some reason my brain thought it would be a great idea to make a rookie mistake and go out seven seconds too fast in the first 400m," noted Hutcherson, who ran a 7:02.14 last season. "While I still ran well and finished second, it wasn't what I wanted to do today. I really wish I would have been a little bit smarter at the start of my race, because it really affected me in the end. I'll never do that again."
Finishing behind Hutcherson were Pipi Eitel of Northern Arizona (7:07.63) and Anna Pruter of Arizona State (7:07.89).
The Aggie women finished second and third in the javelin as Kristen Clark hit a mark of 170-11 (52.10) while Madalaine Stulce followed with a 170-2 (51.88). Alyssa Olin of North Dakota State won the event with a heave of 191-6 (58.36), which is the early season U.S. and collegiate leader that ranks ninth on the 2018 world list and is ninth on the all-time U.S. collegiate list.
Texas A&M multi-event athletes throwing the javelin included Shaina Burns (124-6), Lajarvia Brown (124-6) and Tyra Gittens (111-10).
Hannah Campbell led the Aggie crew in the women's 1,500m as she placed fourth in a 4:33.30. Shannon Porter won the race in 4:27.93 with Maggie Carruth of Northern Arizona the top collegian with a 4:29.66 while Arizona State's Bianca Tinoco placed third in 4:31.86.
The next Texas A&M finisher was Valarie Bradley in eighth place among the second sections and 11th overall with a time of 4:39.15. Ashley Driscoll placed 16th (4:42.36) from the second section while Lauryn Barrientos (18th – 4:45.77) and Karis Jochen (20th – 4:51.68) ran in the first section.
In the hammer throw, Austin Cook opened with a mark of 197-8 (60.26) to place seventh among a field of 30. The women's hammer had Carissa van Beek placing 11th (177-11) with Celine Markert finishing 14th (166-10) as she produced a three-foot career best.
When the initial pacer in the race left the field, Riba had command of the lead the rest of the way. On the final lap four Aggies were in the lead pack of six runners. Then with 300m remaining, Northern Arizona freshman Luis Grijalva challenged Riba for the lead.
Riba countered and powered to the finish for his victory, clocking 57.91 on the final circuit, while Grijalva posted a 3:45.75 as runner-up with a 58.08 last 400m.
"There was a big surge with 300m to go, and it was just a matter of matching it there and not letting them get a jump on me," noted Riba, who has a career best of 3:44.14 from last season. "It was a little bit of a struggle in that first 100m of the final 300m, but once I was able to match it I was comfortable.
"All of my previous races I've always closed well. So my mentality going into the last 300m or 400m is that I can beat anybody. So as long as I'm in position, there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to win it."
Aggie Ian Cazares ran 3:48.09, 14th on Aggie all-time list, for third place in the race with teammate Taylor Clayton finishing fourth in 3:49.82 as Cameron Villarreal (3:50.86) followed in sixth place.
Also finishing in the 1,500m for Texas A&M were Brandt Preston (12th - 3:55.79), Jacob Perry (15th – 3:58.46), and Jon Bishop (21st – 4:01.48).
Aggie sophomore Ashton Hutcherson improved her career best in the 2,000m steeplechase to 7:00.08 as she finished second to Arizona State's Courtney Lewis, who won with a 6:59.25 as she passed Hutcherson on the homestretch of the final lap.
Hutcherson led the field throughout the race, as she sped through the first three-quarters lap in 1:03.16 to build a quick two-and-a-half lead over Lewis. The lead by Hutcherson stretched out to six-plus seconds over the next couple of laps. A final circuit of 1:24.53 by Lewis enabled her to close the gap on Hutcherson, who finished with a 1:30.67.
"For some reason my brain thought it would be a great idea to make a rookie mistake and go out seven seconds too fast in the first 400m," noted Hutcherson, who ran a 7:02.14 last season. "While I still ran well and finished second, it wasn't what I wanted to do today. I really wish I would have been a little bit smarter at the start of my race, because it really affected me in the end. I'll never do that again."
Finishing behind Hutcherson were Pipi Eitel of Northern Arizona (7:07.63) and Anna Pruter of Arizona State (7:07.89).
The Aggie women finished second and third in the javelin as Kristen Clark hit a mark of 170-11 (52.10) while Madalaine Stulce followed with a 170-2 (51.88). Alyssa Olin of North Dakota State won the event with a heave of 191-6 (58.36), which is the early season U.S. and collegiate leader that ranks ninth on the 2018 world list and is ninth on the all-time U.S. collegiate list.
Texas A&M multi-event athletes throwing the javelin included Shaina Burns (124-6), Lajarvia Brown (124-6) and Tyra Gittens (111-10).
Hannah Campbell led the Aggie crew in the women's 1,500m as she placed fourth in a 4:33.30. Shannon Porter won the race in 4:27.93 with Maggie Carruth of Northern Arizona the top collegian with a 4:29.66 while Arizona State's Bianca Tinoco placed third in 4:31.86.
The next Texas A&M finisher was Valarie Bradley in eighth place among the second sections and 11th overall with a time of 4:39.15. Ashley Driscoll placed 16th (4:42.36) from the second section while Lauryn Barrientos (18th – 4:45.77) and Karis Jochen (20th – 4:51.68) ran in the first section.
In the hammer throw, Austin Cook opened with a mark of 197-8 (60.26) to place seventh among a field of 30. The women's hammer had Carissa van Beek placing 11th (177-11) with Celine Markert finishing 14th (166-10) as she produced a three-foot career best.