University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
Houston Alumni Invitational
Houston Wins Eight Events at Home Meet
4/7/2018 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
HOUSTON â€" The Houston Cougar Men's and Women's Track & Field teams won eight events and had 21 top-3 finishes on the second day of the Houston Alumni Invitational on Saturday at the Carl Lewis Complex.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Action began in the field on Saturday, where Nora Monie wasted no time in picking up Houston's first win of the day in the women's shot put. Monie used her fourth attempt to throw 49-7.75 (15.13m) to take the top spot. Priscilla Adejokun took third in the event with a top-throw of 45-9.75 (13.96m).
Monie would return later in the day to take second in the women's discus with a throw of 161-4 (49.17m).
Senior Brian Barraza picked up Houston's first win of the afternoon on the track with a victory in the 1,500-meter run. Barraza finished the nearly four-lap race in 3:46.82 to run the 42nd fastest time in the NCAA this season and break the Carl Lewis Complex record and meet record in the event.
Blake Contreras took third in the 1,500 at 3:56.72, while Devin Fahey placed sixth in 4:00.5.
Amere Lattin followed on the track with a win in the 110-meter hurdles. Lattin crossed the line in a wind-aided 13.92, while Quivell Jordan finished third with a time of 14.62.
The Cougars would follow with a sweep of the men's and women's 100-meter dash competitions. Brianne Bethel took first on the women's side in 11.42, while Cameron Burrell posted a season-best 10.49 to win on the men's side. John Lewis III took second in the 100 in 10.54.
The Cougars tallied another win in the field with a 1-2 finish in the men's long jump. Jared Kerr used his fifth attempt to leap 24-8.25 (7.52m) to take the victory, while Antwan Dickerson finished second with a top mark of 23-10.25 (7.27m).
Kerr would return later in the day to take third in the triple jump at 46-10.0 (14.27m).
Samiyah Samuels completed the long-jump sweep for the Cougars with a win on the women's side. Samuels jumped 19-8.25 on her first attempt and built a comfortable lead to pass on her final three attempts and take the win. Tonye'cia Burks took fourth in the events with a jump of 18-7.75 (5.68m) on her first attempt.
Burks would also take second in the women's triple jump, setting a new meet record with a wind-legal mark of 40-5.5 (12.33m).
Birexus Hawkins returned to the track after missing the indoor slate to win the 400-meter hurdles on Saturday. Hawkins completed the full-lap hurdle race in 1:00.13 to take the gold. Quivell Jordan took second on the men's side with a time of 52.16.
Felipe Valencia continued his strong season in the shot put with another win in the competition on Saturday. Valencia used his final attempt to mark 59-2.75 (18.05m) to take the gold.
Running events began with the relays, where the Cougars picked up a pair of second-place finishes in the women's and men's 4x100-meter relay. The women's team of Justice Henderson, Brianne Bethel, Essance Sample and Naomi Taylor ran 45.50, while the men's team of John Lewis III, Cameron Prejean, Trent McDonald and Trumaine Jefferson ran 40.88.
Freshman Hawa Wague picked up a third-place finish for the Cougars in the women's high jump. The top-5 finishers all jumped 5-5.0 (1.65m), however Wague cleared on a later attempt to finish with the bronze.
Kahmari Montgomery took to the track for the 400-meter dash for the first time during the outdoor slate. Montgomery, an indoor All-American in the event, ran 47.10 to finish third. In the women's 400, Jasmyn Tilford-Rutherford took third in 56.73 and Nikesha Keith ran fourth in 57.01.
Bethel would return later in the afternoon to take second in the women's 200-meter dash. Bethel clocked a 23.10 in the half-lap race to move to No. 15 in the NCAA this season. On the men's side, Daniel Ford also took second in 21.77, while Lewis III ran 21.80 to finish third.
Houston picked up two more top-3 finishes in the women's and men's 3,000-meter steeplechase. Kristin Powell won the women's race in 12:21.24, while Chris Wallace took bronze in the men's race in 9:42.00.
The Cougars capped the day with a third-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay in 3:22.57.
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Players Mentioned
