AZUSA, Calif. – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi track & field team got its time in California started on Thursday in split action, sending its distance runners to the Bryan Clay Invitational, hosted by Azusa Pacific University, and its throwers to the Pacific Coast Invitational, hosted by Long Beach State, and seeing some impressive showings at both meets.
The highlight of the day came at the very end, with
Neele Heyne putting together a signature performance in the women's 3000m steeplechase. The sophomore took the track in the fourth of nine heats and finished the race with a time of 10:29.52, which earned her second place in her group and 25th overall out of more than 100 total entrants. This mark also helped her secure the all-time school record in the event by a wide margin, surpassing teammate
Micah Mizell's previous benchmark of 10:46.71 from last year's Southland Conference Outdoor Championships by more than 17 seconds and her own personal record of 10:49.71 set at the Texas Relays two weeks ago by more than 20.
The only other race in Azusa for the Islanders was in the morning in the men's 10000m, where the team had three athletes finish near the top of the pack in the Open A section. The highest of these was
Mathayo Bundotich, who placed fifth overall out of more than 70 athletes with a time of 29:43.01 that broke his old personal best from the same meet last year by more than seven seconds. Behind him,
Novestus Kipkemei Meli finished 20
th after crossing the line in 30:09.22 that earned him the fifth spot all-time in program history, and
Diego Canto came in not far behind in 27
th and sixth in school history with a time of 30:17.44.
Over in Long Beach, A&M-Corpus Christi saw six different throwers take the field, competing in the men's javelin, women's hammer throw, and the shot put and discus on both sides. The highest placer among this group in their respective event was
Jordan Bowling, who came in sixth overall in the javelin by reaching a mark of 62.36m that was less than two meters away from his personal best set at last month's UTSA Invitational. In the women's hammer,
Breyunna Dowell continued her strong return from injury by placing 11
th overall out of 37 with a best throw of 57.68m that was also just off her school record in the event. Finally,
Natalia Rankin-Chitar rounded out the top-half finishes in the shot put by placing 12
th out of more than 50, reaching 14.78m on her second of three tosses on the day.
The Islanders will now return back to Azusa for the second day of the Bryan Clay Invitational on Friday, starting competition in the men's 5000m at 9 a.m. CT
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