Men’s 4x400-Meter Relay Sets Meet Record, Track & Field Wins Nine Events at Season Opener

HOUSTON – The University of Houston Track & Field program opened its 2025 season with a meet record set by the men's 4x400-meter relay along with a total of nine victories and a combined total of 15 second and third place finishes on Friday at the Leonard Hilton Memorial Invitational inside Yeoman Fieldhouse.

The men's 4x400-meter relay of freshman Sahfi Reed, freshman Prentice Sanders II, freshman King Taylor and senior Trey East III closed out the meet in winning fashion by crossing the finish line at 3:09.05, setting a meet record and a Yeoman Fieldhouse record. This time gave the relay team the fourth fastest time in the nation and eighth fastest in program history.

Freshman Kali Magaña opened the running events as she won the women's 600-yard race with a time of 1:25.36 for the fifth-best time in program history. Senior Nakoah Witt placed third in the men's 600-yards with a time of 1:12.85.

Freshman Emily Pharris grabbed the victory in the women's 1-mile run with her time of 5:01.26.

Houston secured its first sweep of the day as senior Jamar Marshall Jr. clocked a time of 7.70 to win the men's 60-meter hurdles and also ran the second-fastest time in program history and the second-fastest time in the nation. Junior Anthony Trucks made his Houston debut in second place at 7.86 and sophomore Jairius Burton completed the sweep with a personal best time of 7.88.

In the women's 60-meter hurdles, junior Kaycee McCoy came out on top for the first time as a Cougar with a time of 8.42.

Junior Ryan Mulholland placed third place in the men's final 60-meter with a time of 6.89. Sophomore Aaron Crittenden earned second place in the men's 800-meter with a time of 1:54.73 for the 23rd fastest time in the nation.

The Cougars secured another sweep, this time in the men's 200-meter with a first-place finish by East III's personal best time of 21.19, giving him the 10th fastest time in the nation. Reed followed in second with a time of 21.67 and Taylor placed third at 21.71.

FIELD EVENTS
Junior Turey Stoudmire started the field events on a strong note by winning the men's high jump with a mark of 2.10m, tied for the ninth-best mark in the nation.

Redshirt Freshman Ty Lott posted his first collegiate podium in the weight throw with his throw of 18.56m for fifth in school history.

Houston swept the women's pole vault with a first-place finish by freshman Evina Panagiotou's height of 3.95m for fifth in school history. Freshman Kaylee Daniel followed in second with a mark of 3.85m for fifth in school history while sophomore Laney Kucera finished in third place as she cleared 3.70m.

In the men's pole vault, freshman Colton Harrison made his collegiate debut in second place with a height of 4.60m.

Junior Ali Mack posted a personal best jump of 5.73m in the women's long jump for third place while senior Kevin Snyder placed third in the men's long jump with a mark of 7.12m.

Sophomore Cordell Nwokeji closed out the evening with a victory in the men's shot put as he recorded a mark of 17.94m on his first attempt. Junior Kevin Grubbs grabbed third place with his throw of 16.76m.

Graduate KeAyla Dove made her Houston debut with a second-place finish in the women's shot put at 16.15m. This mark lands Dove the fourth-best throw in program history and 10th-best in the nation.

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