Rono shatters school record, 'Cats ready to carry success into WAC Indoor Championships

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – The ACU track and field team wrapped up the Charlie Thomas Invitational on Saturday, and the Wildcats continue to rack up impressive performances. Irene Rono highlighted the day with a school record in the 3K, while Tyler Richardson's shot put was one of the best throws in the WAC this season.
 
INSIDE THE MEET:

• Results
• Host: Texas A&M University
• Site: Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium
• Location: Bryan-College Station, Texas

 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Briahna Gerlach (16:57.76) finished fifth in the 5K as one of five ACU women to record a personal best in the event. Prudence Kiyeng (17:26.11), Tessa Holderman (17:31.46) and Grace White (17:49.12) gave the Purple and White four of the top 11 finishers.
• In the women's pole vault, Payton Kirk matched her personal best with a third-place height of 3.65m (11'11 ¾") and now ranks sixth in the Western Athletic Conference. Kaydi Pursley posted a season-best vault of 3.35m (10'11 ¾") to finish the day in 10th place, and she sits just outside the league's top ten.
• Cole Newman and Grant Baker tied one another for third place on the men's side, doing so with a height of 4.95m (16'2 ¾").
• Zoe Spinn took third place in the high jump of 1.68m (5'6"), while freshman Ja'Dasia Sims earned a PR and finished seventh with a jump of 1.60m (5'3").  
• Will Harris landed in tenth on ACU's all-time leaderboard in the long jump with a fourth-place leap of 7.29m (23'11"), while teammate Jamal January finished in seventh place (7.01m/23'0").
• Annina Brandenburg launched the shot put 16.20m (53'1 ¾") to finish the day in third place. The mark is the second-best of her indoor career to date.
• Neal Helgerson (4:17.29) and Cooper Goggans (4:19.64) gave ACU a pair of top 25 finishes in the mile run, with each setting a new PR along the way.
• In the 400m dash, Jared Williams finished inside the top 15 with a time of 48.29.
• J.J. Ply took eighth in the high jump, doing so with a distance of 1.95m (6'4 ¾").
• January turned in an impressive 60m hurdle time of 7.88, good enough for second on ACU's all-time record book and first in the WAC so far this season. The mark is his personal best and is also a top-40 NCAA performance so far this spring.
• Zoe Burleson (14.66m/48'1 ¼") and Taylor McCoy (14.48m/47'6 ¼") each PR'd in the women's weight throw, while Kalley Roskop added a distance of 14.36m (47'1 ½") to give ACU three top-25 finishers.
• In yet another dominant performance, Rono smashed the 3000m record, picking up the win and shaving 22 seconds off her previous personal best. Her time of 9:22.72 is now tops in the WAC and a top-50 time nationally.
• On the men's side, Levi Chambers (8:32.44, 13th) landed in fifth place on ACU's career leaderboard, while Game Embree (8:39.92, 19th) is now eighth on the same list.
• Ella Anttila took fourth in the triple jump with a 12.53m (41'1 ½") leap, and she has now jumped at least 12.50m in every meet so far this season.
• Tyler Richardson plants himself into the WAC top-2 with a season-best 16.82m (55'2 ¼") throw in the shot put.
• ACU's men and women both turned in a season-best in the 4x400 to close out the weekend.

 
UP NEXT:

• The Wildcats now turn their focus to the WAC Indoor Championships, with the first day of the event set for Feb. 18 from Albuquerque.