AUSTIN, Texas – The ACU track and field teams split into two groups this weekend, allowing the Wildcats to show out at both the Texas Relays and the Texas State Invitational.
Irene Rono now ranks first nationally in the 5K, while
Annina Brandenburg set a school record in Austin, as both women continue to turn in notable performance on a weekly basis.
INSIDE THE MEETS:
- Event: Texas Relays
- Host: University of Texas
- Site: Mike A. Myers Stadium
- Location: Austin, Texas
- Results
- Event: Texas State Invitational
- Host: Texas State University
- Site: Bobcat Track and Field Complex
- Location: San Marcos, Texas
- Results
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Texas Relays
- Rono, the WAC cross country champion, continued her strong 2021-22 campaign, as her time of 16:13.88 in the 5K was good enough to win her the event by nearly 20 seconds. Her mark is currently the tops among all collegiate runners, and she is now second all-time on ACU's career leaderboard.
- Briahna Gerlach added a PR of her own in the 5K with a time of 16:52.53, which landed her in ninth for the weekend and seventh all-time at Abilene Christian.
- Prudence Kiyeng finished the 10K in fourth (35:35.03), while Tessa Holderman (10:50.03) rounded out the top ten in the women's steeplechase.
- Ella Anttila's triple jump effort of 12.71m (41' 8 ½") helped her earn sixth place.
- Megan Kirby gave ACU a 7th-place finish in the 100m hurdles, doing so with a time of 14.13. On The men's side, Jamal January continued his recent hot streak, turning in a seventh-place finish in the 400m hurdles with a time of 53.49.
- Harrison Manuel came in 16th individually in the 110 hurdles (14.57) before adding a 17th-place mark of 54.54 in the 400m version.
- Brandenburg, the reigning WAC Women's Field Athlete of the Week, had another busy week for the Purple and White, finishing fifth in the javelin (46.19m/151' 6") before participating in two more events as ACU's lone competitor on Saturday. She broke the school record in the discus, doing so with a distance of 57.29m (187' 11") before closing out the weekend with an 8th-place finish in a shot put attempt (16.15m/53') that was just 40 centimeters off her personal best.
Texas State Invitational
- Sarah Wagler finished the 1500 in third place with a time of 4:42.42, while teammate Grace White (17.57.54) added another third-place finish in the 5K.
- Katelyn Coldicott (12:16.85) gave ACU a tenth-place result in the women's steeplechase.
- On the men's side, the Purple and White picked up two-thirds of the top six finishers behind strong performances by Maxwel Kiplagat (9:16.46, 3rd), Denis Lagat (9:18.29, 4th), Gabe Embree (9:38.87, 5th) and Cooper Goggans (9:40.80, 6th).
- In the men's 1500, Levi Chambers (3:53.95) and Neal Helgerson (4:01.32) finished in sixth and 19th respectively.
- Colton Gates time of 15:13.08 was good enough to land him in eight place individually in the 5K.
- Just as they did a week ago at the Wes Kittley Invitational and Multis, Grant Baker and Cole Newman tied one another in the pole vault, doing so with a height of 4.90m (16' ¾") to share 12th place.
UP NEXT:
- The Wildcats head to Lubbock next weekend for the Masked Rider Open, which is set to begin on Friday from Fuller Track Complex.
#GoWildcats
