HOUSTON, Texas – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi track & field completed its first meet of the indoor season at the Leonard Hilton Memorial Invite at Yeoman Fieldhouse on Friday.
"Coming off Christmas break and only having four days before the first meet is a challenge," head coach Brent Ericksen. "I know the times and marks will come if we continue to bring that same attitude and effort each time."
Beginning the day was high jump, seeing four Islanders compete and three setting new program top-ten records. Sophomore
Jamal Dawson and
Spencer Bigner, a senior, tied for fourth place at a mark of 1.95m, tying both of them at eighth all-time in the program.
Jaiyah Hodge earned sixth in her first meet at A&M-Corpus Christi with a mark of 1.55m, putting her eighth all-time for the women in her junior season. Freshman
Sydney Combs tied for seventh with a mark of 1.50m.
Sharon Kiprop, a junior, led the way for the women in the mile, crossing the line at 5:22.03 for eighth in the event. Teammate
Ayanna Palomo, a redshirt freshman, earned 19
th with a time of 5:53.86 for the Islanders. Senior
Hunter Haas finished best for the men in 13
th, clocking in at 4:46.32.
Tranasia Jones, a sophomore, earned a sub-one-minute time at 59.79 seconds for 15th in the women's 400m, followed by classmate
Journi Williams in 18
th at 1:00.45. Freshman
Khiah Lara-Turner turned in a top-20 performance in the event with a 1:00.88 mark.
Senior
Trpimir Siroki placed the highest of two Islanders in the men's long jump finals in fourth with a mark of 7.29m. Newcomer
Sean Majors, a graduate student, earned eighth place, jumping a 6.94m to tie for sixth all-time in program history. Freshman
Myla Tate earned 19
th in the women's long jump with a 5.10m leap.
Siroki led the men's 60m hurdles A&M-Corpus Christi finalists in fifth at 8.12 seconds with graduate student
Ke'Tavion Humber behind him in sixth at 8.22s. Senior
Daniel Armstrong rounded out the group in eighth, putting down a time of 8.31s. Armstrong's time sits seventh all-time for the Islanders.
Ericksen continued on, saying, "the 60m hurdles had a great opener and their senior experience showed."
Graduate student
Faith Bett earned the highest finish of all events with a runner-up finish in the women's 800m run with a time of 2:19.60 for eighth in program history. Joining her in the top five was junior
Riley Cowan in fifth place, just under three seconds behind Bett at 2:22.07. Sophomore
Logan Rickey earned 16
th on the men's side of the event, clocking in at 1:59.79.
Junior
Capri Wilson ran her way to a top-ten placing in the women's 200m dash, crossing the line at 25.54s.
Rounding out the day was the 4x400m relays as the women earned sixth and ninth in the event, each team running 4:01.34 and 4:12.47 respectively. The first team was comprised of T. Jones, freshman
Erial Fontenot, sophomore
Journi Williams and Lara-Turner. Sophomore
Yasmine Steele, J. Jones, Cowan and freshman
Zenai Fowler made up the second team.
The Islanders look to return to the track in a week on Friday, January 20 at the Robert Platt Invitational at 9:00 a.m. hosted by Houston.
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