Track sweeps team titles in Texas A&M Quadrangular

Saturday, January 20

College Station

1:30 p.m.

Texas A&M

Texas A&M Quadrangular

Photo by: Errol Anderson

Jan 20, 2018 | Track and Field

Final results - updated Final results - updated PDF

COLLEGE STATION – A pair of team titles were claimed by the Aggies during the Texas A&M Quadrangular on Saturday. The Aggie men improved to 17-0 in dual scored meets held regularly on this weekend in Gilliam Indoor Stadium, while the women improved to 14-3 in the nine dual scored meets over the past 10 years.

Texas A&M won the men's team title by 3.5 points over Texas, 164-160.5, producing the narrowest victory by the Aggies in an indoor dual scored meet at Gilliam. The previous closest finish for the Aggies was a margin of four points, 81-77, over the Longhorns in 2009 during the first dual meet ever held at Gilliam. This year's Quadrangular field also included Baylor (75.5) and Arizona State (41).

The Texas A&M women, recently ranked No. 1 in dual meet rankings, enjoyed a cushion of 20 points with a winning tally of 150 points. Texas finished second with 130, followed by Baylor (114) and Arizona State (75).

"It's a rehearsal again for a play we're going to have here in about five or six weeks," said Texas A&M head coach Pat Henry. "Today we were better than we were a week ago. That's what this is about. Our focus is on each individual getting better each week. That makes a good team.

"Texas brought over a good team, it was a good track meet today, and I was pleased with our team and our effort."

Jacob Wooten and Audie Wyatt both cleared 18-1 ¼ (5.52) in the pole vault to better the previous meet record of 17-10 ½ (5.45) set by Wyatt in 2017. Wooten, who garnered the win based on fewer misses at 17-11 ¼ (5.47), moves to No. 2 performer and equals the No. 2 performance on the Aggie all-time list.

"It's great, I'm on an emotional high," said Wooten, who won his third consecutive meet of the season. "This meet was so much fun. Audie and I were definitely in a competition mode, going back and forth. Today was just going back to seven steps and getting on as big a pole as I could. We're here to try and score points, and it's a good feeling to do that."

Wyatt, the school record holder at 18-2 ½ (5.55), finished second as Texas A&M produced 16 key points. Going into the final event, the 4x400 relay, the Aggies were only ahead of the Longhorns by half a point, 155-154.5.

"It was our first time off a long run," noted Wyatt. "We were a little rusty, but clearing 18-1 was good based on that. I think it's going to be a great season for us. It was a good meet, but really tough to get going. I feel like I am finally back in my groove."

On the women's side a collegiate-leading effort of 23.10 in the 200m was turned in by Danyel White as she defeated a field that included Baylor's tandem of Taylor Bennett (23.53) and Kianna Horton (23.59). The Aggies also had four more sprinters place 4^th through 7^th with Brenessa Thompson (23.70), Amber Ivy (23.93), Julia Madubuike (24.16) and Diamond Spaulding (24.17).

"Honestly it was a blessing coming from an injury last year, coming out and running a good time in the 200," stated White, who ran 23.00 as a freshman indoors last year. "Running on the 4x400 (splitting 53.61) was icing on the cake to finish the meet off strong. Everything is about getting ready for SECs and the NCAA. I expect better for the rest of the season. I'm ready."

In the men's 400m the tandem of Mylik Kerley and Robert Grant finished 1-2 with times of 46.10 and 46.22, respectively, the second and third fastest times in the world so far this indoor season. Kerley has an indoor best of 45.68, while 400m hurdler Grant improved his previous best of 46.61 in moving to No. 8 on the Aggie all-time list.

"It's good that we both (with Grant) ran fast, but I feel like I could have run a bit quicker in the open today," said Kerley.

Later the pair teamed up for a meet record victory of 3:04.38 in the 4x400 relay to secure the team victory. Grant led off with a split of 46.48 and Kerley blistered a 45.34 on the second leg. Devin Dixon maintained the Aggie lead with a 46.60 and Ilolo Izu anchored in 45.96.

In bettering the meet record of 3:05.43 set in 2014 by Texas A&M, this year's crew defeated Baylor (3:09.92), Texas (3:12.01) and a second Aggie squad (3:13.55). The 3:04.38 ranks No. 9 performer on the Texas A&M all-time list.

"I know that this team is fast and we are capable of great stuff," added Kerley. "The competition wasn't really there today in the relay, so to run 3:04 was good for the team. We have guys on the B team running fast. It was a really good meet for all of us. I strive to do good in the big moments, when the pressure is on."

Ashley Driscoll powered to a career best of 9:34.85 in winning the 3,000 meters, improving on her previous best by over 33 seconds. Driscoll, who moved to No. 7 on the Aggie all-time list, defeated a pair of Longhorns – Destiny Collins (9:40.20) and Meghan Lloyd (9:45.08) – as well as Arizona State's Samantha Ortega (9:49.01).

"I focused on racing, not the time," said Driscoll. "Right before the race coach was telling us the team score could come down to our race, and I was just trying to help the team out. It's been fun to do more speed work and it's been a good transition from cross country to indoor track. I knew others in the race would take it out fast, and I hoped to hang on and finish as high as I could."

A world-leading time of 52.84 was produced by Aggie alum Shamier Little in the women's 400m Olympic development race. Jaevin Reed won the collegiate 400m in 53.56, equaling her indoor career best from the SEC Championships last year, as she defeated Serenity Douglas of Texas (54.10) and Baylor's pair of Victoria Powell (54.40) and Kiana Hawn (54.54).

Jazmine Fray broke the meet record in the 800m, winning with a time of 2:04.97. She currently ranks second among collegians this season and bettered the meet record of 2:05.71 set in 2009 by Tennessee's Phoebe Wright. Aggie freshman Jean Jenkins improved to 2:10.67 to place sixth in the race, moving to No. 9 on the Texas A&M all-time list.

Fray later supplied a 52.75 second leg split in the 4x400 as the Aggies placed second in 3:36.35 behind Baylor's 3:35.63.

A pair of 1-2 Aggie finishes came in high jump competitions with Garrett Cragin and Alstian Walker both clearing 6-9 ¾ (2.08) in the men's event while Tyra Gittens cleared 5-10 ¾ (1.80) to claim the women's high jump with Kirby Matocha runner-up (5-5 ¾).

Brenessa Thompson (7.43) and Amber Ivy (7.48) finished first and second in the women's 60 meters while Lajarvia Brown won the long jump at 19-6.

Will Williams ran 6.75 as runner-up in the men's 60m to Baylor's Malik Wilson (6.74) and finished second in the long jump. Williams mark of 25-9 ¼ (7.85) matched the winning effort by Steffin McCarter of Texas, but the Longhorn picked up the win based on a better second mark.

A spirited finish in the men's mile had Alex Rogers of Texas (4:07.93) holding off the challenge from Aggies Ales Riba (4:08.31) and Taylor Clayton (4:10.12). In the women's mile, Hannah Campbell the Texas A&M crew with a 4:58.21 to place sixth.

Runner-up performances for the Aggies also included a career best of 7.96 for Tyler Guillory in the 60m hurdles, Sara Kathryn Stevens in the pole vault (13-0 ¼), Efrain Hernandez in the men's 800m (1:51.09), and Austin Cook in the men's weight (59-8 ¼).

Arizona State's Maggie Ewen, a Bowerman finalist in 2017, set two meet records in winning the shot put and weight throw. Ewen improved her own meet record in the shot put with a 61-3 (18.67) performance and claimed the weight throw with a 70-5 ¾ (21.48) heave. Aggie Alison Ondrusek placed second in the weight throw with a toss of 61-5 ¾ (18.74).

Adrian Piperi of Texas bettered the men's shot put meet record with a mark of 63-4 (19.30) with Aggie Gabe Oladipo placing second at 55-9 ¼ (17.00).