Texas Freshmen Advance To NCAA D1 Indoor Championship
Men 400m
The standout duo of Wil London and Obi Igbokwe will hit the track in the 400m. Both were ranked in the US Top-10 from the 2015 outdoor season. Igbokwe is already nearing his outdoor 400m PR of 46.22. The Waco and Woodlands graduates finished 4th place at the Big 12 and SEC conference championships over the weekend.
Event 3 Men 400 Meter Dash (16) Prelims =============================================================================== Name Year School Seed =============================================================================== 1 522 Zack Bilderback SR Texas 45.27 2 246 Michael Cherry JR LSU 45.61 3 448 Izaiah Brown FR Rutgers 45.62 4 55 Marqueze Washington SR Arkansas 45.72 5 304 Kahmari Montgomery FR Missouri 45.78 6 143 Arman Hall SR Florida 45.79 7 247 Fitzroy Dunkley SR LSU 46.04 8 521 Aldrich Bailey Jr. JR Texas 46.11 9 142 Najee Glass SR Florida 46.11 10 289 Alfred Larry SR Miss State 46.13 11 631 Emmanuel Dasor JR W. Kentucky 46.21 12 552 Kyle Collins JR Texas Tech 46.24 13 507 Nathan Strother SO Tennessee 46.25 14 75 Wil London FR Baylor 46.26 15 526 Byron Robinson JR Texas 46.27 16 46 Obi Igbokwe FR Arkansas 46.29
McWilliams + Lattin in action at the American Conference Champs. Photo: Houston Cougar Track & Field
Men 60H
Marcus McWilliams was an unstoppable force during the 2015 Texas outdoor season. His 13.63 PR in the 110H at Texas Relays locked him in at #3 in the nation for the entire season. After going undefeated in his final season of HS racing in the 110H, he's carried that momentum into his first year with Houston. He has already tied the Houston school record, and he won the American 60H final in a meet record time of 7.74. Also showing up big in the same race was Fort Bend Marshall grad Amere Lattin. Lattin finished 4th in 7.98 to help the Cougars become back to back American Athletic Conference Champions.
Event 8 Men 60 Meter Hurdles (16) Prelims =============================================================================== Name Year School Seed =============================================================================== 1 404 Devon Allen SO Oregon 7.60 2 253 Jordan Moore JR LSU 7.60 3 214 William Barnes SR Kent State 7.67 4 197 Aaron Mallett JR Iowa 7.69 5 387 Israel Nelson FR Oral Roberts 7.69 6 460 Dondre Echols SR South Carolina 7.69 7 647 Chad Zallow FR Youngstown St 7.69 8 487 Freddie III Crittenden JR Syracuse 7.70 9 178 Trey Holloway SR Hampton 7.70 10 144 Yanick Hart JR Florida 7.71 11 318 Oladapo Akinmoladun SR Nebraska 7.71 12 644 Jordan Charles JR Wyoming 7.72 13 627 Chris Williams SR Washington 7.72 14 183 Marcus McWilliams FR Houston 7.72 15 308 Michael Dickson FR N. Carolina A&T 7.74 16 550 Chris Caldwell SR Texas Tech 7.74
Baylor squad ran a Big 12 meet record and 2nd fastest time in school history. Photo: @BaylorTrack
Men 4x400m
The Texas 400m studs will be back in action for the 4x400m relay. Wil London helped Baylor run the 2nd fastest time in the entire NCAA to win the Big 12 Championships in a tight battle with Texas, which also crushed the Longhorn's chances to win the overall team title. Obi Igbokwe's Arkansas squad was 5th at the SEC champs, but they will be prepped to run well under the 3:09 they posted over the weekend. Don't forget about 5A State Champion and Lancaster grad Eric Age who will carrying the baton for Texas A&M at the D1 national championship!
Event 9 Men 4x400 Meter Relay (12) =============================================================================== School Seed =============================================================================== 1 Florida 3:04.02 1) 141 Eric Futch JR 2) 140 Kunle Fasasi FR 3) 142 Najee Glass SR 4) 143 Arman Hall SR 2 Baylor 3:04.16 1) 75 Wil London FR 2) 74 Richard Gary SR 3) 73 Caleb Dickson FR 4) 72 George Caddick JR 3 Texas 3:04.41 1) 522 Zack Bilderback SR 2) 525 Christopher Irvin JR 3) 526 Byron Robinson JR 4) 521 Aldrich Bailey Jr. JR 4 LSU 3:04.46 1) 249 Cyril Grayson SR 2) 245 Lamar Bruton JR 3) 246 Michael Cherry JR 4) 247 Fitzroy Dunkley SR 5 Texas Tech 3:04.98 1) 551 Steven Champlin SO 2) 556 Joseph Richards III SR 3) 555 Charles Jones SO 4) 552 Kyle Collins JR 6 Arkansas 3:05.35 1) 46 Obi Igbokwe FR 2) 55 Marqueze Washington SR 3) 53 Jamarco Stephen SO 4) 48 Jarrion Lawson SR 7 Ohio State 3:06.38 1) 355 Antonio Blanks SR 2) 357 Nick Gray FR 3) 358 Jerry Jackson SO 4) 361 Champ Page SR 8 Nebraska 3:06.47 1) 323 Andrew Neal SO 2) 319 Oliver Alexandre FR 3) 322 Mate Koroknai JR 4) 324 Cody Rush SR 9 Purdue 3:06.59 1) 443 Nicholas Parks SR 2) 446 Kyle Webb JR 3) 445 Kinard Rolle SO 4) 442 Shawndail McLaren FR 10 Miss State 3:06.69 1) 294 Juston Waters SO 2) 289 Alfred Larry SR 3) 290 Brandon McBride SR 4) 293 Charles Taylor JR 11 Texas A&M 3:06.73 1) 537 Robert Grant SO 2) 540 Deon Hickey JR 3) 542 Fred Kerley JR 4) 533 Eric Age FR 12 Tennessee 3:07.07 1) 504 Ari Cogdell FR 2) 505 Christian Coleman SO 3) 503 Antonio Carter SR 4) 507 Nathan Strother SO
Jacob Wooten in action at Texas Relays. Photo: Travis Miller
Men Pole Vault
Jacob Wooten wasn't the top vaulter in the state during his final year of high school competition, but he is the only Texan to advance to the national championship. He was tied for 3rd in the state and 9th in the US with his 4A State Championship winning 17-0 clearance. In his collegiate season with Texas A&M Wooten finished 4th at the SEC Champs and cleared his PR 17-11 in early February at the Charlie Thomas Invite.
Event 12 Men Pole Vault (16) =============================================================================== Name Year School Seed Mark =============================================================================== 1 501 Jake Blankenship SR Tennessee 5.72m 2 609 Torben Laidig SO Virginia Tech 5.62m 3 11 Dylan Bell SR Air Force 5.56m 4 27 Pau Tonnesen SR Arizona 5.53m 5 547 Audie Wyatt SO Texas A&M 5.51m 6 626 Jax Thoirs SR Washington 5.48m 7 453 Devin King SO SE Louisiana 5.47m 8 348 Nate Richartz JR Notre Dame 5.46m 9 546 Jacob Wooten FR Texas A&M 5.46m 10 610 Deakin Volz FR Virginia Tech 5.46m 11 205 Casey Bowen SR Kansas 5.43m 12 95 Adrian Valles SO Cincinnati 5.43m 13 527 Reese Watson SR Texas 5.43m 14 545 Chase Wolfle SR Texas A&M 5.43m 15 636 Derek O'Connell JR William and Mary 5.42m 16 456 Sean Collins FR South Alabama 5.42m
Photo: @BaylorTrack
Women 60m
Taylor Bennett was ranked 15th in the US in the 100m for the 2015 outdoor track season, and she is now seeded 15th going into the NCAA Championship. Pretty solid start for the former Klein Collins athlete! Outside of her state title in the 100m, she has experience at high caliber meets from her appearance in the Dream 100m in New York City. She will battle with UT's Teahna Daniels(FL) for the bragging rights as fastest freshman in the state of Texas!
Event 17 Women 60 Meter Dash (16) Prelims =============================================================================== Name Year School Seed =============================================================================== 1 135 Shayla Sanders SR Florida 7.17 2 236 Mikiah Brisco SO LSU 7.18 3 402 Jasmine Todd JR Oregon 7.20 4 391 Hannah Cunliffe SO Oregon 7.21 5 495 Felicia Brown SR Tennessee 7.23 6 512 Teahna Daniels FR Texas 7.23 7 511 Morolake Akinosun SR Texas 7.24 8 101 Myasia Jacobs SR Clemson 7.24 9 221 Javianne Oliver JR Kentucky 7.26 10 531 Jennifer Madu SR Texas A&M 7.26 11 496 Kali Davis-White JR Tennessee 7.28 12 56 Kristina Knott SO Arkansas State 7.28 13 485 Shaina Harrison SR Syracuse 7.29 14 630 Carrol Hardy JR W. Kentucky 7.30 15 64 Taylor Bennett FR Baylor 7.30 16 62 Jonielle Smith SO Auburn 7.31
Taylor Bennett after the 100m final at Texas Relays. Photo: Travis Miller
Women 200m
I think Taylor Bennett was one of the most underrated sprinters in the nation last year. She ran plenty of fast times, but didn't compete at too many elite events. With many Texas high school meets laking wind data, the sprint times can't count in the actual FAT/Wind Legal national rankings. Bennett has been on fire in the 200m all season! She's on a streak of sub-24s marks led by her breakout performance at Big 12s. She finished 2nd place in a 23.08, which is her all time PR in the 200m and puts her as the #4 overall seed in the 200m at the National Championship!
Event 18 Women 200 Meter Dash (16) Prelims =============================================================================== Name Year School Seed =============================================================================== 1 495 Felicia Brown SR Tennessee 22.45 2 131 Kyra Jefferson SR Florida 22.72 3 242 Jada Martin JR LSU 22.92 4 64 Taylor Bennett FR Baylor 23.08 5 576 Deanna Hill SO USC 23.09 6 362 Daye Shon Roberson JR Oklahoma 23.14 7 401 Deajah Stevens FR Oregon 23.14 8 208 A'Keyla Mitchell SO Kansas State 23.16 9 532 Diamond Spaulding FR Texas A&M 23.19 10 262 Shakima Wimbley JR Miami 23.20 11 496 Kali Davis-White JR Tennessee 23.23 12 391 Hannah Cunliffe SO Oregon 23.24 13 528 Aaliyah Brown JR Texas A&M 23.30 14 447 Gabrielle Farquharson SR Rutgers 23.32 15 511 Morolake Akinosun SR Texas 23.33 16 100 Sabria Hadley JR Clemson 23.35
Baylor women posted the 4th fastest 4x400m in school history! Photo: @BaylorTrack
Women 4x400m
It's a hat trick for Taylor Bennett. The 4x400m will be the 3rd event she is entered in for the NCAA D1 Champs in Alabama. Joining the 100m 6A State Champion will be the 200m 6A State Champion Kiana Horton. Horton is another one of Texas' underrated sprinters who fell victim to the lack of wind data which in turn dimished her chances of national recognition in high school. Her 23.10 state title winning time ranks US #4 all conditions for the 2015 outdoor season.
Event 25 Women 4x400 Meter Relay (12) =============================================================================== School Seed =============================================================================== 1 Texas 3:27.94 1) 514 Chrisann Gordon JR 2) 511 Morolake Akinosun SR 3) 515 Ariel Jones SO 4) 517 Courtney Okolo SR 2 USC 3:28.82 1) 575 Kendall Ellis SO 2) 577 Amalie Iuel JR 3) 576 Deanna Hill SO 4) 579 Jaide Stepter SR 3 Florida 3:30.51 1) 133 Robin Reynolds SR 2) 131 Kyra Jefferson SR 3) 4) 130 Claudia Francis SR 4 Tennessee 3:30.56 1) 497 Lenysse Dyer FR 2) 498 Felecia Majors JR 3) 500 Layla White FR 4) 495 Felicia Brown SR 5 Arkansas 3:30.63 1) 40 Payton Stumbaugh SO 2) 37 Daina Harper JR 3) 41 Brianna Swinton JR 4) 34 Taylor Ellis-Watson SR 6 Kentucky 3:31.50 1) 220 Jasmine Mitchell JR 2) 224 Kiah Seymour SR 3) 216 Destiny Carter JR 4) 218 Ariah Graham JR 7 Purdue 3:32.07 1) 438 Aarin Jones SR 2) 435 Carmiesha Cox JR 3) 432 Symone Black SO 4) 439 Brionna Thomas SO 8 Oregon 3:32.40 1) 395 Alaysha Johnson FR 2) 401 Deajah Stevens FR 3) 394 Ashante Horsley JR 4) 400 Raevyn Rogers SO 9 Arizona 3:32.54 1) 25 Tatum Waggoner SO 2) 23 Nnenya Hailey SR 3) 24 Gia Trevisan SR 4) 26 Sage Watson JR 10 Ohio State 3:32.88 1) 353 Sonikqua Walker SR 2) 351 Beatrice Hannan SO 3) 350 Alexis Franklin SR 4) 354 Karrington Winters FR 11 Iowa 3:32.93 1) 194 Montayla Holder SR 2) 191 Briana Guillory FR 3) 193 Alexis Hernandez JR 4) 192 Elexis Guster JR 12 Baylor 3:33.47 1) 64 Taylor Bennett FR 2) 67 Kiana Hawn SO 3) 69 Kiana Horton FR 4) 71 Olicia Williams SR