(photo via ACU Sports)
Twelve personal best, three event champions and one school record was the final outcome for the track and field team this weekend at the Houston Invitational.
Junior Allie Hackett completely obliterated a 12-year-old school record in Seattle on Friday night as she and teammate, Diana Garcia-Munoz, competed in the Washington Invitational. Her time of 16:10 in the 5k gave her a sixth place finish overall in the stacked field of athletes. Hackett was only a minute behind first place winner, Kim Conley the American 5,000-meter champion and 2012 Olympian. Her time is eight in the NCAA.
Garcia competed on Saturday in the mile and ran a personal best time of 4:52. Both women competed against All-Americans and professional athletes at the Washington Invite. Both women have the top seed in their events in the Southland.
Back in Houston, the ‘Cats were holding their own minus not having their two best runners.
Senior Jelani Rainey led the Wildcats on the first day of competition by taking a victory in the men’s weight throw. Rainey won with a new lifetime best of 59-00.75 (18.17m), moving him into fifth on the all-time ACU indoor lists. Redshirt freshman Morgan Knight followed Rainey with a sixth place finish, tossing a PR of 53-00 (16.15m).
The women’s distance medley relay took first with a time of 12:13. Aubrey Till, Petrene Plummer, Jessica James and finished off by Marina Guerrero-Puigdevall ran away from the field to add another victory to ACU’s first day. The men’s DMR would take fourth thanks to help from Reid Rivers, Rosen Daniel, Sterlen Paul and Ryan Cleary.
Sophomore thrower Lonnie Smith moved up in the ranks of ACU greats with her third place toss of 54-08 (16.67m). Her throw puts her as sixth-all time at ACU in the women’s weight throw.
Saturday brought the final competition for ACU in Houston, with all races being final events.
James took a victory in the 800-meter run, edging out Southland Conference rival, Kierstin Santana of Houston Baptist by .8 of a second with a final time of 2:14:44. Santana had a time of 2:14:52.
Fellow sprinter, Corniel Lionel took bronze in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.79. This moves Lionel into fifth on the ACU’s all-time best list. He still remains fourth in Southland rankings.
Freshman Carnley Graham proved running two races back to back with only a 90-minute break was nothing she couldn’t handle. Graham ran to a 10th-place finish in the 3k with a time of 10:12 then ran a personal best of 5:09 in the mile. Sophomore sprinter, Kimone Green finished ninth in the women’s 200-meter dash with a time 25.37.
Overall, the Wildcats had a total of five-top 10 finishes at the Houston Invitational. Both teams are back in action this weekend as they travel to College Station for the second time this season where they will compete in the Texas A&M Charlie Thomas Invitational.
