Jacob Wooten vaults over 18-4 1/2 to break his Aggie school record

Friday, February 9

Clemson, S.C.

All Day

Texas A&M

Tiger Paw Invitational

Photo by: Errol Anderson

Feb 10, 2018 | Track and Field

Tiger Paw - Final Results

CLEMSON – Aggie junior Jacob Wooten improved his school record in the pole vault with a winning height of 18 feet, 4 ½ inches at the Tiger Paw Invitational to claim his fifth victory in six meets this indoor season.

"I like to say it's just another day in the office at this point," quipped Wooten. "It's just business as usual. I'm definitely happy to break my record, but I was looking for more today. I went for 18-8 ¼ (5.70) and I really wanted to get that bar. It's coming, just not quite yet."

Wooten, who set the Texas A&M record of 18-3 in January during the Razorback Invitational at Arkansas, led a 1-2 finish for the Aggies as teammate Audie Wyatt, the previous indoor school record holder at 18-2 ½, cleared 17-6 ½ as runner-up.

Opening at 17-6 ½, Wooten had a first attempt clearance and then passed to 18-0 ½, where he cleared on his second attempt to break the facility record of 18-0 (5.49) set earlier this season by Deakin Volz of Virginia Tech.

Wyatt opened at an earlier height, 17-2 ¾¸clearing on his first attempt. Then he needed three attempts to clear 17-6 ½. He joined Wooten in passing to 18-0 ½, but had three misses at that height.

Friday's action at the Tiger Paw Invitational included Keni Harrison equaling the American record of 7.72 in the women's 60m hurdles while Florida's Grant Holloway broke the men's collegiate record in the 60m hurdles with a 7.42.

Then to conclude Saturday's session a threat on the world record in the men's 4x400 relay produced a scintillating race between USC, Florida and Texas A&M as all three schools topped the facility record of 3:03.30 set by the Aggies last year.

USC claimed the victory in 3:01.98, just 0.02 off the world best of 3:01.96. That world best effort was set by an American all-star team in 2006, but wasn't ratified as the world record.

The Trojans did better the recognized world record of 3:02.13 set by the United States national team during the 2014 World Indoor Championships, but one of USC four relay legs, Rai Benjamin of Antigua, is an international athlete so the Trojan's performance will only be classified as a collegiate record.

Florida clocked 3:02.23 as runner-up, which also bettered the previous collegiate record of 3:02.52 set by Texas A&M in 2017, while producing the fourth fastest time ever on the world list. The Aggies claimed third place in 3:02.95, the fourth fastest time (200m banked track) on the Texas A&M all-time list, sixth fastest collegiate time ever, and 11^th fastest time on the world list.

The Aggie relay foursome included Robert Grant (46.40), Ilolo Izu (45.54), Devin Dixon (46.14) and Mylik Kerley (44.87). Kerley posted the second fastest split on the day, trailing only the 44.63 produced by USC's Benjamin as the second leg for USC.

A collegiate debut at 800m produced a 2:03.42 victory for Aggie freshman Sammy Watson. The time ranks No. 2 on the Texas A&M all-time list, only trailing the collegiate record of 2:00.69 established by teammate Jazmine Fray on the Clemson track last season. Watson's mark is the No. 5 performance on the Aggie all-time list behind four faster times by Fray.

"I came into this race a little bit nervous," noted Watson. "I just wanted to prove myself to myself and finish strong. It was nice having a rabbit in the race so I knew if I was staying on pace through 600m."

Brittany Parker and Jean Jenkins also improved their best times in the race, placing sixth and seventh overall. Parker, fifth in the same section with Watson, clocked 2:08.70 (No. 6 A&M) while Jenkins won the second section in 2:09.30 (No. 9 A&M).

Splits for Watson, who followed the pacing of Natoya Goule through 600m, included 29.96, 30.89 [1:00.85], 30.61 [1:31.46], 31.96. Watson bettered the runner-up in the race, Clemson's Fellan Ferguson (2:06.42), by three full seconds with Kayla Johnson of Miami (2:06.54) placing third.

"It was very exciting to open up with a 2:03 in the 800," said Watson. "I know I can only get better, and there's a lot more to come later in the season."

An indoor career best followed in the men's race as Devin Dixon defended his title with a 1:47.37 victory. The time improves the 1:47.85 facility record Dixon produced as a freshman as he moves to No. 5 performer on the Aggie all-time list with the No. 8 performance.

Efrain Hernandez lowered his indoor best at 800m to 1:49.51 (No. 9 A&M) while JaQwae Ellison clocked 1:51.20 as they placed sixth and 10^th overall.

A career best toss of 69-11 ¾ (21.33) earned Alison Ondrusek a runner-up finish in the weight throw. Tennessee's Stamatia Scarvelis won the event with the same distance as Ondrusek, but had a better second mark in her series, a 69-6 ¼ (21.19). Scarvelis generated her leading mark in round three and followed with her second best mark in round four.

Ondrusek produced a solid series of marks in the competition, 67-3 1/4 (20.50), 65-7 1/2 (20.00), 64-9 3/4 (19.75), 67-3 1/2 (20.51), 69-11 3/4 (21.33), and 67-3 1/2 (20.51). Carissa van Beek placed eighth in the event with a toss of 60-3 ¼ (18.37) while Celine Markert generated a career best mark of 53-3 ½ (16.24) to place 19^th.

Danyel White ran 23.08, just off her indoor best of 23.00, as runner-up in the first section of the 200m while teammate Brenessa Thompson finished third in 23.52. Overall the pair placed fifth and 11^th. Elijah Morrow ran 21.40 in the men's 200m, placing 14^th overall.

Texas A&M posted a 2-3 finish in the women's 3,000m race with Ashley Driscoll (9:44.85) and Ashton Hutcherson (9:59.75). In the men's race, an 8:34.90 placed Jacob Perry ninth.

The Aggie women's 4x400 crew placed sixth in 3:37.54 with a line-up of Julia Madubuike (55.18), Glorilisha Carter (54.28), Jarra Owens (55.41) and Jazmine Fray (52.68). Texas A&M contested the first section of the relay, but White was unable to finish the opening leg. So the Aggies regrouped and ran in a later heat.

USC women won the relay event in 3:27.56, improving the facility record of 3:29.74 set by Texas A&M in 2017, with Florida runner-up in 3:32.05. The Trojans, fueled by an anchor leg of 50.11 by Kendall Ellis, ran the fifth fastest time on the collegiate all-time list.

Lajarvia Brown finished eighth in the triple jump (41-10) while Austin Cook placed ninth in the weight throw (66-1 ½). In the women's high jump, Tyra Gittens and Kirby Matocha both cleared 5-7 as they finished eighth and in a tie for ninth, respectively.