After last week’s meet was canceled due to rain, the excellent weather this weekend allowed much of the UH track and field team to begin its outdoor season when it competed in the Victor Lopez Classic.
Despite witnessing numerous strong performances this weekend, head coach Leroy Burrell said he is worried about some of the injuries that the team suffered at the meet. An abrupt change in the team’s routine could’ve been the cause.
“We spent a week off and then a week training, and it’s starting to show right now. Bumps and bruises are popping up,” Burrell said.
Local standout high-school athletes, some of whom UH is pursuing, also participated at this weekend’s event. Although the focus remained on the Cougars, Burrell said it was an excellent opportunity for him and his staff to gauge the young talent.
“It gives us a chance to look, but our primary objective is to compete. But there’s a convenience factor there,” Burrell said.
On the collegiate side, the women’s 4×100-meter relay team won the event with a 44.60-second finish. Burrell said he was impressed by their performance, but was not totally satisfied with the passage of the baton.
“The women’s 4×100 looked really good. It was a solid performance as far as the running is concerned,” Burrell said. “We need to work on our passing a bit, otherwise we probably would have ran 43 (seconds).”
A new-look men’s 4×100-meter relay team finished third in 40.73 seconds. Hurdler Cameron LaCour and long-jumper Chris Carter were called upon for sprint duties in the absence of Tyron Carrier and Isaiah Sweeney, who have football commitments.
“I thought Cameron and Chris ran really well. We need to iron out that third leg a bit, but they ran well,” Burrell said. “The 4×100 is all about you doing your job well and trusting everybody else around you.”
Christie Jones finished third in the 100-meter dash in 11.88 seconds, with Whitney Harris claiming fourth with an 11.95-second finish.
Cameron LaCour earned fourth in the 110-meter hurdles, but ended first among collegiate athletes.
Bryan Brown won the pole vault and Jonathan Ochoa placed second in the javelin throw with a 54.26-meter toss.
The Cougars also showed consistency in the triple jump, with Thomas Lang finishing second with a jump of 15.19 meters. Lamar Delaney was close behind in third with a 15.08-meter leap.
The Cougars will travel to Austin this week to participate in the historic Texas Relays Wednesday through Saturday.
