The indoor track and field season has officially wrapped up for the Cougars, but they’re keeping their feet on the gas into the outdoor season.
The Cougars were unable to meet some of their larger goals for the season, but were successful in defending their American Athletic Conference Championship.
Senior hurdler Issac Williams was edged out by his freshman protégé Marcus McWilliams, who rode a conference title in the 60-meter hurdles all the way to a 4th-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
McWilliams has proven himself to be a vital asset for the Cougars for years to come, but Williams will be looking to go out on a high note in his final outdoor season.
Junior sprinter Cameron Burrell and senior sprinter LeShon Collins provided the highlights for the Cougars in the indoor season.
Both athletes qualified for nationals, and Burrell finished second in the finals, breaking NCAA and school records with a 6.5-second run. The time trailed only Jamaica’s Asafa Powell, an Olympic gold medal winner, for the fastest time in the world this season.
The UTSA Invitational officially began the outdoor season for the Cougars this past weekend, where freshman Nora Monie took home first place in the discus with a 46.10-meter throw.
Sophomore Felipe Valencia won the conference title in shot put. And while he only managed a 9th place throw in the hammer throw at UTSA, Valencia could be a dominant presence for the Cougars alongside redshirt junior Damon Thompson.
Thompson holds the school record in the weight throw and managed a 5th-place finish at UTSA.
All in all, the Cougars’ coaching staff should be excited for a new outdoor season and athletes like Burrell, Collins, Williams, McWilliams, Valencia, junior distance runner Brian Barraza and freshman Mario Burke to score valuable points for them all season long.
