Optimist
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Features
    • Book Review
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Podcasts
    • Optimist Overtime
    • Top of the Key
  • Police Log
  • Print Edition
  • Projects
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
You are here: Home / Sports / Windy weekend sees several stadium records broken
(Photo by Elijah Evans)

Windy weekend sees several stadium records broken

March 31, 2017 by Jonathan Raitz

The track and field team hosted its fourth annual Wes Kittley invitational over the weekend, breaking four stadium records and earning four gold medals.

Senior Taylor Yantis Woods got the gold-medal winning started with a come-from-behind victory in the heptathlon. The victory is Woods fourth-career heptathlon win, as she beat out her next closest competitor by 20 points and set the stadium record with 4,677 points.

ACU would return to the gold-medal stand behind a first-time performance victory by junior Ryan Cleary in the steeple chase. Like Woods, Cleary would also break the stadium with a time of 9:29.58.

First-year head coach Lance Bingham said he was very impressed with he multi-event athletes.

“Cleary looks like he is going to a really strong steeplechaser,” Bingham said. “It’s still early in the year, but I felt like we had a lot of good performances. I was very pleased across the board with all the multi-event athletes. Friday was a great day for us.”

The final two gold medal performances came in the field events behind a personal best of 124 feet and four inches from sophomore Reagan Mabery and a winning pole vault of just under 13 feet by senior Kenzie Walker Mascorro.

However, the story of the day was the performance junior Kai Schmidt put on as an unattached competitor. Schmidt used the wind being at his back to his advantage as he broke his previous personal best by almost 19 feet with a discus throw of 202 feet, seven inches.

The throw at the time ranked No. 1 nationally, as it was surpassed later that weekend by Akron senior Phillip Jagers at 203 feet, six inches. Schmidt’s toss also ranks him 10th in the world among college discus throwers and earns him a spot at this summer’s German Nationals.

Schmidt said it was his hard work since the end of last season that has helped him to this point.

“In Track it is important how you prepare yourself over the entire year before you start competing again,” Schmidt said. “I came back out here last fall and worked every day with the mindset that I want to be in the best shape of my life as soon as the season starts. That’s how I worked every day, and that’s the mentality I brought to practice. I also tried to see track more like the fun part of the day instead of a job I have to get done, which probably hindered me last year. Not to forget Coach Cook who was just awesome throughout the year and competition to keep me focused and kept me excited about even tiny improvements.”

Redshirt junior Michaela Hackett also competed as an unattached competitor and broke the stadium record int he 5K with a time of 17:22.58.

The team was scheduled to split this week and weekend, with some heading to the Texas Relays and the rest traveling to Texas State over the weekend. However, the Wildcats will all travel to San Marcos on this weekend to compete.”

“I think we are better off just focusing on getting to compete in a few more events as a whole,” Bingham said. “Yes you want to go down and compete, but early season we want to do our best and have the right mindset and right focus, which prepares us for down the road.”

The Texas State Bobcat Invitational began Thursday with men’s and women’s discus and continues through the weekend.

 

Filed Under: Sports

Other Sports:

  • Baseball drops falls short in regular season ending series in Huntsville

  • Wildcats season closes after losses to Utah Valley and Seattle

  • Wildcats win final weekend series against SFA, gains 4th seed in WAC tournament

About Jonathan Raitz

JMC Network Sports Director. Try to cover all things sports related, on and off The Hill (ACU).

You are here: Home / Sports / Windy weekend sees several stadium records broken

Other Sports:

  • Baseball drops falls short in regular season ending series in Huntsville

  • Wildcats season closes after losses to Utah Valley and Seattle

  • Wildcats win final weekend series against SFA, gains 4th seed in WAC tournament

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

acuoptimistThe Optimist@acuoptimist·
4 May

"Maybe we just don’t care enough. But if we do start caring, and if we become the loudest fans in the WAC, let’s stick to supportive cheering." Read more from Guest Columnist Londyn Gray:
https://acuoptimist.com/2022/04/not-so-friendly-competition/

Reply on Twitter 1521918832738144257Retweet on Twitter 15219188327381442571Like on Twitter 15219188327381442578Twitter 1521918832738144257
acuoptimistThe Optimist@acuoptimist·
3 May

Royce Clough and Jael Morel have been named as Mr. and Miss ACU for the class of 2022, a traditional honor voted on by the student body and awarded to two members of each graduating class.

Reply on Twitter 1521607087553458178Retweet on Twitter 1521607087553458178Like on Twitter 152160708755345817819Twitter 1521607087553458178

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

2 months ago

The Optimist
"Maybe we just don’t care enough. But if we do start caring, and if we become the loudest fans in the WAC, let’s stick to supportive cheering." Read more from Guest Columnist Londyn Gray: ... See MoreSee Less

Not-so-friendly competition - Optimist

acuoptimist.com

BY: LONDYN GRAY “Number 18, you look like you don’t shower!” I chuckled and shrugged it off. “Londyn!” They had looked up the roster. “Do you even brush your teeth?” I laughed again, rol...
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

2 months ago

The Optimist
Cullen Auditorium is expected to be handed over to the university in June 2022, alongside a name change that coupled with the renovation will create new future for the Cornerstone class, Chapel and the Department of Theatre. ... See MoreSee Less

Cullen Auditorium still set for a name change alongside renovations - Optimist

acuoptimist.com

Cullen Auditorium is expected to be handed over to the university in June 2022, alongside a name change that coupled with the renovation will create new future for the Cornerstone class, Chapel and th...
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Women’s tournament run ended by first-round exit against UTRGV

The Wildcats’ Western Athletic Conference tournament run and season came to a ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 22. 2022
  • Optimist Newscast 2.16.2022
  • Optimist Newscast 2.9.2022

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • Weekly Ads
  • Classifieds

© 2022 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved

Posting....