Wildcats Head to a Huge Meet in Waco

This weekend, the Wildcats head to Baylor University for the Michael Johnson Invitational, one of the most prestigious invitationals in the southwestern U.S. and named for former Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Johnson. There are 24 universities sending teams to participate, including teams from the Big 12 (Oklahoma State, TCU, and host Baylor); the SEC (Oklahoma and South Carolina), plus teams from the WAC with UTA and Tarleton State joining the Wildcats in the field. ACU is taking 16 men and 19 women who were able to meet the stiff qualifying marks for the invitational. Head Coach Miles Smith said: "Our Seniors are stepping up in their active leadership at exactly the right time." Last week, seniors Ja'Dasia Sims (high jump), Sutton Welch (hammer throw), and Luize Velmere (triple jump) all attained personal bests in their preferred event and each moved up to the top spot on the WAC performance list in that event. Another highlight should be freshman Andruw Villa, who will debut in his primary event, the 5000 meter run in a strong field of collegians.

The ACU entries in the meet include:

WOMEN

• 100 – Laya'Lapri Ratney
•  200 – Ja'Dasia Sims, Ja'Kaylon Record, Laya'Lapri Ratney, Natalie Poe, Nele Huth
• 400 – Ja'Dasia Sims, Ja'Kaylon Record
• 800 – Jess Reyes, Emma Santoro, Jalyn Childers
• 5000 – Kyla Fuller, Natalie Poe, Nele Huth
• 100 hurdles – Hana Banks, Natalie Poe, Nele Huth
• Steeplechase – Peyton Bornstein, Madison Anderson
• 4x100 relay – Laya'Lapri Ratney, Ja'Dasia Sims, Hana Hanks, Ja'Kaylon Record
• High Jump – Natalie Poe, Nele Huth
• Long Jump – Luize Velmere
• Triple Jump – Luize Velmere
• Shot Put – Sterling Glenn, Mariana Van Dyk
• Discus – Kailey Roskop, Mariana Van Dyk
• Hammer throw – Kailey Roskop, Sterling Glenn, Mariana Van Dyk
• Javelin – Nele Huth

MEN

• 200 – Ethan Krause
• 400 – Ryan McMeen, Landon Gary
• 800 – Benjamin Castro, Vincent Luffey
• 1500 – Vincent Luffey, Benjamin Castro
• 5000 – Andrew Villa, Samuel Lanham, Zachary Martin, Carlos Cortez
• 110 hurdles – Miguel Hall, Canaan Fairley
• Steeplechase – Mark Barajas
•  4x400 relay – Canaan Fairley, Ethan Krause, Miguel Hall, Ryan McMeen, Landon Gary
• Long Jump – Horatio Brooks
• Triple Jump – Donovan Ramirez
• Shot put – Sutton Welch, Stone Smith
• Discus – Stone Smith
• Hammer throw – Sutton Welch
• Javelin – Collin McCrillis