Big-time performances keep coming for ACUTF

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Abilene Christian track and field programs split up into two groups over the weekend but still managed to turn heads in both Nacogdoches and Denton. The distance squads shined at SFA's Carl Knight Invitational and Multis, while the throwers stood out at UNT's North Texas Classic. 
 
INSIDE THE MEETS:

• Event: Carl Knight Invitational and Multis
• Host: Stephen F. Austin State University 
• Site: Fletcher Garner Track
• Location: Nacogdoches, Texas
• Results

 

• Event: North Texas Classic
• Host: University of North Texas
• Site: UNT Track and Field Stadium
• Location: Denton, Texas
• Results

 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Carl Knight Invitational and Multis
 

• The Wildcats dominated the men's 800, with Garrison Shindler's season-best mark of 1:53.74 earning him fourth place and putting him in seventh on the WAC leaderboard. Levi Chambers (6th, lifetime-best 1:55.89), Cooper Goggans (7th, 1:56.18), Denis Lagat (12th, 1:58.23) and Neal Helgerson (13th, 1:58.34) giving the Purple and White five of the top 13 individual finishers. 
• Chambers (3:55.36) came in third in the 1500, with Goggans finishing in eighth place at 4:00.13.
• On the women's side, Briahna Gerlach (4:32.58) won the event, as Irene Rono (4:35.88) took third and Tessa Holderman (4:47.27) finished in sixth. 
• Helgerson turned in a PR in the 5K, coming in fifth with a time of 14:44.88, with teammates Gabe Embree (6th, 14:52.66), Colton Gates (9th, 14:57.11) and O'Brien Verdin (11th, 15:02.32) all adding PRs to help the 'Cats shine in the event. 
• Katelyn Coldicott recorded a new PR in the women's 5K, doing so with a time of 18:26.06 to land in eighth place. 
• In the women's 10K, the Wildcats again turned a slew of stellar performances, as Sarah Wagler (36:14.58), Grace White (37:40.25) and Ariana Trevino (38:28.80) gave Abilene Christian a 1-2-3 finish. All three marks were lifetime bests, and the trio join conference leader Prudence Kiyeng as the top four on the league leaderboard.
• In the steeplechase, Denis Lagat's time of 9:07.13 was good enough for third place, a lifetime best and ACU's best time of the season. Maxwel Kiplagat finished in fourth place with a lifetime best of his own, doing so with a time of 9:14.70.
• Paige Boucher's finals time of 14.14 in the women's 100-meter hurdles was good enough for fifth place and a lifetime best. 
• Grant Baker (4.95m/16' 2 ¾") and JJ Ply (4.80m/15' 9") came in second and third respectively in the pole vault. 
• Will Harris picked up third in the long jump with a distance of 7.08m (23' 2 ¾"), with Rhett Kahlden coming in eight place at 6.61m (21' 8 ¼").  
• On the women's side, Ja'Dasia Sims (5.71m/18' 9") claimed sixth place, with Boucher (5.34m/17' 6 ¼") taking eighth.
• Ethan Christian gave ACU a solid third place finish in the decathlon with 5,982 total points. 
• Over in the women's pole vault, Payton Kirk (3.50m/11' 5 ¾") gave ACU a seventh-place finish, while Kaydi Pursley (3.30m/10' 10") rounded out the top ten. 
• Luize Velmere picked up a third-place finish in the triple jump with a lifetime-best mark of 11.61m/38' 1 ¼", and she currently ranks ninth in the WAC. 
• Jessica Campbell's 4,449 total points in the heptathlon earned her sixth place, beating her previous career-best by more than 100 points. 

 
North Texas Classic 
 

• Jeremy King and Ryan Bornemeier tied one another for third in the men's 110 hurdles with a time of 14.65, while Bornemeier (55.21) won the 400 hurdles and teammate Jimmie Horton (57.3) finished in seventh. 
• Julia Perry turned in a time of 1:03.84 in the women's 400 hurdles, earning herself a lifetime best and a fourth-place finish. Courtney Latham came in seventh in the same event, doing so with a time of 1:06.82.
• In the women's 800, Breonna McCarthy-Reese gave the Purple and White a third place finish with a time of 2:21.73. 
• The Wildcats were near the top of the meet in field events across the board, with Tyler Richardson and Annina Brandenburg turning heads in impressive fashion. Richardson won the shot put with a distance of 16.63m/54' 6 ¾" before taking sixth in the discus (48.00m/157' 6") and third in the hammer (48.00m/157' 6"). Brandenburg, who seems to be a shoo-in for her fourth consecutive WAC Field Athlete of the Week honor, won both the shot put (16.28m/53' 5") and the discus (55.92m/183' 5") on the women's side. 
• Athan Huelskamp (49.60m/162' 9") added a fifth-place finish in the men's discus, while Zoe Burleson (13.90m/45' 7 ¼") came in third in the women's shot put. In the women's discus, Burleson (52.24m/171' 5") and Kailey Roskop (46.35m/152' 1") provided the Wildcats with another 1-2-3 finish.
• Roskop went on to add a fourth-place distance of 46.42m/152' 3" in the women's hammer, while Burleson (43.21m/141' 9") finished seventh in the event.

 
UP NEXT: 

• The Wildcats are back in action next week, when they head to Southern California to take part in the Mt. Sac Relays.