The outdoor track and field season is in full force with six meets already since their home opener, the Wes Kittley Invitational and Multi, March 17-18.
The team’s first meet had Kristian Dillard, associate head coach, very surprised with top-five finishes in the conference and top ten in almost every event.
“For us to open up like that gave a lot of promise for the weeks following,” Dillard said. “The team came out extremely well. ”
Ending the weekend, senior Jamal January took first place in both the 110m hurdles and long jump, and graduate Annina Brandenburg took second place in the discus. Both received WAC athlete of the week honors.
“I set a goal for myself to attain one honor for outdoor,” January said. “To get that the first week just set the bar for me, and to top it off receiving it with my teammate, Annina, just made it even more special.”
The other outstanding performances recapping the weekend included graduate Megan Kirby placing first in the 100m hurdle and long jump and senior Briahna Gerlach placing first in the women’s 1500m.
The following weekend took the team to the Texas Relays, at the University of Texas on March 23-26, where Dillard said they never know what is to come out from this meet.
“Texas Relays either goes really well, or it just goes,” Dillard said. “This was one did go really well, we just went for it.”
Brandenburg threw a personal best in the discus of 57.29m. Her performance also rewarded her the second honor of WAC athlete of the week for this season. Junior Irene Rono also ran a personal best in the 5000m. Rono is now first in NCAA and in the WAC, she is second all-time in ACU history.
ACU then traveled and competed in the Texas State invitational, in San Marcos on March 25-26. The team’s season continued on at the Masked Rider Open in Lubbock on April 1-2 where Dillard said the team found their groove.
“Everyone kind of found their stride, and did what they needed to do,” Dillard said.
The result of sophomore Jack Marshall in the 100m and 200m and Brandenburg throwing another personal best in discus led them to receive WAC athletes of the week. Both are leading the WAC in their events.
The Wildcats then split up last weekend for the Karl’s Knight invitational and multis in Nacogdoches and the North Texas Classic in Denton.
In Nacogdoches, the women’s team took great places. Senior Sarah Wagler and juniors Grace White and Ariana Trevino took the top three in the women’s 10k, all creating a new personal best. In the women’s 1500m, Gerlach took first place and Rono third, creating a new personal best.
Featuring for the men was junior Ethan Christian who received first in the men’s decathlon long jump, 100m and 110m hurdles.
In Denton, senior Tyler Richardson won first in shot put and Brandenburg placed first in shot put and discus, honoring her with her fourth consecutive WAC athlete of the week.
The team is traveling to the MT. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif on April 15 and 16, with high hopes for the rest of the season.
“The bar is set, I am really excited for what our team has to offer at the WAC conference,” January said.
