Women’s
Senior Dana Mecke won the mile and posted a runner-up showing in the 800 meters to lead a solid effort by the UTSA women’s track & field team at the Houston Invitational/Multis held Friday-Saturday at Bill Yeoman Field House.
The Smithson Valley High product registered a personal record in her victorious mile run, stopping the clock in a time of 4:54.77 to better her previous best of 4:56.64 turned in at the same meet one year ago. Mecke beat Nicole Mericle, running unattached, to the line by less than a second (4:55.36), while senior Pernilla Savestrand was fourth in 5:05.96.
Mecke was the second collegian to cross in the 800m, contested about two hours later. She timed a 2:13.19 for third overall in the race won by Rice’s Keltie John in 2:10.65.
In the field, freshman Brooke Townzen matched her school record in the pole vault for the third consecutive week, clearing 11-1 ¾ to finish third. Freshman school record-holder Katie Bragg also picked up a bronze medal in the weight throw, measuring 53-4 ¼.
Freshman Zaquita McClanahan nearly put her name at the top of the UTSA shot put list with her fourth-place throw of 45-1 ¾, which at 13.76 meters was just shy of Kim Bush’s school standard of 13.79m posted in 1993.
Freshman Jessica Edwards leaped to a 17-0 ½ measure to finish fourth among collegians and ninth overall in the long jump, while freshman Shartanae Swearengin tallied 3,230 points for a third-place finish in the pentathlon. Junior Aimee Jonas was eighth in the pentathlon with 3,037 points and junior Shavonne Armbrister clocked a 58.66 for fourth in the “B” section of the 400m.
The Roadrunners will split their squad next weekend between the New Balance Invitational in New York City (Feb. 5-6) and the Houston All-Comers (Feb. 6).
Men’s
Senior All-American Teddy Williams improved his ranking on the NCAA’s 60-meter dash leaderboard to highlight the UTSA men’s track & field team’s two days of action at this weekend’s Houston Invitational/Multis.
Williams raced to a season-best and NCAA provisional 6.68 in finishing as the top collegian (third overall) on Saturday and that performance moved him from 12th to sixth nationally. Earlier in the day, the Tyler native peeled off a 6.75 in the prelims, which was the third-fastest qualifying time.
Meanwhile, freshman Tyler Williamson won the long jump B flight on Friday with the third-longest performance in program history. The Houston native broke the sand with a leap of 23-9/7.24m to win the event by more than four inches. The measurement ranks second on this year’s Southland Conference leaderboard.
Freshman Richard Garrett Jr. continued his hot start to begin his career. The Garland native hurled the shot put 56-9 ½/17.31m on Saturday and was a mere four-and-three-quarter inches behind winner Adonson Shallow of Southeastern Louisiana. The current Southland leader now has placed second or better in all three meets this season.
The Birds saw two of their entries earn medals in the 800m on Saturday, as juniors Brandon Chiuminetta (1:56.23) and Canel Cole (1:56.51) finished second and third, respectively.
Junior Kyle Kaase cleared a personal-best 15-7/4.75m in Saturday’s heptathlon pole vault competition and moved from 10th on the league’s ledger to second.
UTSA returns to the track next weekend at the prestigious New Balance Invitational in New York City (Feb. 5-6) and Houston All-Comers (Feb. 6).
