Houston Heads to American OTF Championships

Friday, May 10

Wichita, Kan.

All Day

University of Houston

The American Outdoor Championships

5/9/2019 10:49:00 AM | Track and Field

American OTF Women's Heat Sheet American OTF Men's Heat Sheet

Cougars begin title defense on Friday

HOUSTON – The University of Houston Track & Field team will begin competition at the 2019 Outdoor American Athletic Conference Championships on May 10-12 in Wichita, Kan. At Cessna Stadium.

Last season the Cougars became the first program in conference history to sweep the outdoor championships. Houston looks to return to the podium stand after sweeping the indoor conference championships earlier this year.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

The American Outdoor Championships will begin on Friday at 12 p.m. with the women's hammer throw, followed by the men's hammer throw and the javelin. The decathlon is slated for a 12 p.m. start and will begin with the 100-meter dash. The heptathlon will begin shortly after the decathlon at 12:30 p.m. with the 100-meter dash. At 6 p.m. competitors will hit the track for the 800-meter run. Followed by the 200-meter, 400-meter hurdles, and the 10,000 meter-run.

The Saturday session will get going at 10:30 a.m. when the decathlon and heptathlon will wrap up. Field events are slated for a 3 p.m. start, beginning with the women's long jump. Track events will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the 100-meter hurdles.

The final day of the championships are slated for a 2:30 p.m. start with the men's high jump. The full schedule can be accessed by clicking HERE.

WHERE TO WATCH
The 2019 American Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships will be streamed live on the American Digital Network Plus Facebook page. Fans can catch all three days of action by clicking HERE.

Championship Central can be accessed by clicking HERE and live results can found HERE.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR ON THE MEN'S SIDE

The men's track and field team heads into the conference championships ranked eighth in the USTFCCCA Division I Track & Field rankings. Houston looks to secure its 17^th outdoor conference title in program history and its fourth consecutive American Athletic Conference Outdoor title.

The Cougars will look to win its sixth straight outdoor title in the 4x100-meter relay after winning the event at the 2017 Championships. The Cougars holds the best time in the league this season at 38.45.

The 100-meter dash is a field stacked with tough competition, including Mario Burke looking to repeat as the conference champion in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash after helping the Cougars to their fifth sweep of the sprints at the conference meet. Burke currently holds the best time in the conference and 21st-fastest mark nationally in the 100-meter at 10.20 to go along with the 16th-best time in the conference in the 200-meter dash at 21.13. John Lewis III, Nicholas Alexander, Terence Ware, Jordan Booker, Travis Collins, Brandon Taylor, and Edward Sumler IV round out the field for the Cougars and will all be looking to score points for Houston.

In his final outdoor conference championship meet, Amere Lattin will try to become a four-time 110-meter hurdles champion and defend his 400-meter hurdles title for the third time. Heading into the meet, Lattin holds the fastest time in the conference in the 110-meter and 400-meter hurdles at 13.40 and 49.80, respectively. Nationally, Lattin sits at fifth-place in the NCAA in both events.

Kahmari Montgomery will be defending his outdoor title in the 400-meter dash, also competing in the 200-meter dash looking to better his second-place finish in the event last year. Montgomery will begin competition with the best mark in the league in the 200-meter dash at 20.41 and second-fastest mark in the conference in the 400-meter dash at 45.96. Nationally, Montgomery holds the 11^th-fastest time in the 200-meter, and the 24^th-fastest time in the 400-meter. He will be joined by Obi Igbokwe in both events. Igbokwe holds the 17^th-fastest time nationally in the 400-meter dash and the fastest time in the league this season at 45.91.

In the 4x400-meter relay, Houston will try to win the event for the fifth straight season. The Cougars are the favorite to win the event as they head into the meet with the fastest time in The American by eight seconds at 3:02.61.

Cameron Laverty will be defending his title in the men's 800-meter run at the meet, heading to Wichita with the fourth-fastest time in the league this season.

In the field, Felipe Valencia looks to post a podium finish in the shotput for the third consecutive year after posting consecutive second-place finishes in the event at the conference meet. Valencia holds the best mark in the shot put this season at 60-9.25 (18.52).

Lagarious McQuirter looks to be the third Cougar in the last three seasons to win the long jump as he heads into the meet with the best jump in the league this season at 25-8 (7.82).

WHAT TO WATCH FOR ON THE WOMEN'S SIDE

The women's squad looks to win its second outdoor conference title in as many years when it heads to Wichita.

The Cougars will be well-represented in the 100-meter dash with three of the top-10 times in the conference this season.

The ladies will look to repeat at 4x100-meter relay champions after winning their first title in the event since joining The American.

Naomi Taylor heads into the meet with the conference's top-time in the 100-meter hurdles and looks to win her first conference title after finishing second in the event last season. Erin Derrow and Ebony White will represent the Cougars in the 400-meter hurdles. The duo holds the leagues 11^thand 15^th-fastest times this season in the event.

The women's throwing personnel looks to come up big at the conference meet as Priscilla Adejokun and Hailey Pollard head into the meet with two of the top-10 times in the conference in the discus. Adejokun holds the tenth-best mark in the shot put and the seventh-best mark in the hammer throw, followed by Mikaila Martin with the ninth-best mark.

Samiyah Samuels will return to the long jump pit for the Cougars looking to defend her first-place finish in the event last year. Samuels heads into the event with the third-fastest mark in the event this season at 20-7.25 (6.28).

FOLLOW THE COUGARS
Fans can keep up with the latest in University of Houston Cougar athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook.com/HoustonAthletics), Twitter (@UHCougars), Instagram (houstoncougars) and YouTube.com (Youtube.com/UHAthletics). In addition, the Track & Field team has established its own official Facebook (facebook.com/UHCougarTF) and Twitter pages (@UHCougarTF).

SUPPORTING HOUSTON TRACK & FIELD
The Podium Club serves as a unique and effective way to enhance the level of excitement and support for Houston Cougar Track & Field and Cross Country. Gifts to the Podium Club provide financial support directly to the UH Track & Field and Cross Country programs for needs beyond their operating budgets. Donations made to the Podium Club are used at the discretion of the Head Coach.

Houston supporters interested in joining the Podium Club or for more information, please click here.

--UHCougars.com--