Bryce Deadmon runner-up in fast 400, Aggies sweep distance medley relays

Jan 25, 2019 | Track and Field

LUBBOCK – On the first day of action for the Aggies in the Texas Tech Classic, Texas A&M swept the distance medley relays at the Sports Performance Center while claiming runner-up honors in the men's and women's triple jump. In addition to the relay victories, Aggies also produced fast times in the 400m.

Action continues Saturday with field events starting at 10 a.m. while running events begin at noon.

Bryce Deadmon clocked a career indoor best of 45.82 as a narrow runner-up to Baylor's Wil London, who won the 400m in 45.73. Deadmon led the field through the first 200m with a 21.60 split while London countered with a 21.92.

The pair produced the top two times in world so far this indoor season as Deadmon moved to No. 7 performer on the A&M all-time list.

Freshman Tierra Robinson-Jones established a career best in her first 400m race as an Aggie, winning her section in 53.18 over USC's Bailey Lear (53.54). Robinson-Jones placed fourth overall as USC's Kaelin Roberts topped the field with a 52.25.

On the Aggie all-time list Robinson-Jones matched teammate Syaira Richardson's time from last week as they are equal No. 8 performers.

In the women's distance medley, the Aggies won in 11:45.01 to better a field of six teams as they ran the fifth best time among collegiate teams heading into this weekend. Runner-up in 11:50.78 were the host Red Raiders with Baylor third at 12:07.11.

Anchor leg Hannah Campbell held off the challenge from Texas Tech during her 1,600m portion. Campbell split 5:01.76 compared to a 5:03.74 for Tech. Leading off with a split of 3:37.34 by Jazmine Fray over 1,200m, Texas A&M held a slight edge at the first exchange. Richardson provided a 53.88 split on her 400m carry, to better the rest of the field by a couple of seconds. Jean Jenkins handled the third leg of 800m with a 2:12.03 split.

The Aggie men won among a field of three teams in the distance medley with a clocking of 10:07.04. Runner-up in 10:20.39 was Texas Tech while North Texas placed third in 10:42.14.

Wes McPhail ran the opening 1,200m leg for A&M with a split of 3:06.29 to top the field by nearly two seconds. Colby Zamzow split 47.82 on the 400m carry while JaQwae Ellison provided a 1:55.09 split for 800m. Jon Bishop anchored in 4:17.84 as the Aggies cruised to the victory.

Tahar Triki generated a pair of 54-foot efforts in the triple jump as he placed second to a 54-10 ¼ (16.72) by Florida State's Armani Wallace. Triki reached a distance of 54-1 ¾ (16.50) in round three and improved to 54-2 ½ (16.52) in round five.

The mark for Triki breaks the national indoor record for Algeria and moves him to No. 4 performer with the No. 8 performance on the Aggie all-time list. The previous Algerian indoor record of 54-1 ¼ (16.49) was set by Lotfi Khaida, who competed at LSU in the early 1990s when Pat Henry was the head coach. Khaida's mark was established at the 1992 NCAA Indoor Championships held in Indianapolis.

Finishing third in the talented triple jump field was TCU Chengetayi Mapaya with a 53-6 ¼ (16.31) while Texas Tech's Odaine Lewis placed fourth at 53-1 (16.18). A&M freshman CJ Stevenson finished ninth with a mark of 49-1 (14.96).

Wallace and Triki are currently the second and third best collegians in the triple jump this season behind a 55-2 (16.81) by John Warren of Southern Mississippi.

Viershanie Latham, competing unattached, won the women's triple jump with a mark of 42-9 ½ (13.04) as Aggies Ciynamon Stevenson and LaJarvia Brown were second and third while finishing as the top collegians among very close competition in the field of 19 jumpers.

Stevenson reached a distance of 42-3 ¼ (12.89) while Brown hit a mark of 42-2 ¼ (12.86). The next collegian, in fourth place, was Arizona State's Jessica Barreira with a 42-2 (12.85) while Baylor's Alex Madlock placed fifth at 42-1 ½ (12.84).

Tyler Guillory ran a season best of 7.99 for third place in the 60m hurdle final after an 8.11 runner-up in his prelim heat. Norman Grimes of Texas Tech won the final in 7.83 as UTA's Victor Fincher went 7.94 as runner-up.

Others racing at 400m for the Aggies in the men's field A&M also ran Ilolo Izu (47.06), Kyree Johnson (47.17) and Richard Rose (47.37) as they finished fifth, eighth and 11^th, respectively. In the women's 400m were Jaevin Reed (54.24) and Jarra Owens (54.26) to place ninth and 10^th overall.

The tandem of Gabe Oladipo and Josh Brown were fourth and fifth in the men's weight throw. Oladipo hit a mark of 63-1 ½ (19.24) while Brown produced a career best of 62-4 ½ (19.01), which moves him to No. 4 performer on the Aggie all-time list. In the women's B section weight throw Celine Markert placed second with a 53-7 (16.33) that was just off her career best 53-8 ¼ (16.36) from last season.

Prelims in the 60m and 60m hurdles included a few other Aggies. Jace Comick won his prelim heat in the 60 with a 6.78, but a false start knocked him out of the semifinal. In the women's 60m hurdles Taryn Milton clocked 8.49 while Kennedy Smith ran 8.60 as they placed ninth and 13^th.