Sports Track & Field

Back-to-back: Cougars sweep AAC indoor titles for second year in a row

Senior Travis Collins led the way in the 60-meter hurdles with a first-place finish for the Cougars, who swept the podium in the event at the AAC Indoor Championships on Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama. | Courtesy of UH athletics

Senior Travis Collins led the way in the 60-meter hurdles with a first-place finish for the Cougars, who swept the podium in the event at the AAC Indoor Championships on Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama. | Courtesy of UH athletics

The Cougars ran away with first place for both the men’s and women’s teams at the American Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama, sweeping the AAC titles for the second year in a row.

With the win, the men, who finished with 179 points, won their sixth in a row, and the women, who finished with 84 points, won their second. The men now hold the Houston’s best conference title streak.

Junior Birexus Hawkins started the day strong for the Cougars as she secured a third-place finish in the 400-meter dash with a time of 54.42.

The men’s side also picked up a bronze finish from junior Tyrell Valentine at 47.47.

Once again, junior Naomi Taylor took home the title for the 60-meter hurdles. With a time of 8.03, Taylor broke her meet record she set just last year. 

After taking home gold in the men’s long jump, senior Dayo Akindele finished third in the 60-meter hurdles.

For the women’s 60-meter dash, senior Tristan Evelyn represented Houston with a first-place finish at 7.31.

Evelyn also shined in the 200-meter dash, picking up another title as she took home first with a time of 23.16.

On the men’s side, the Cougars swept the 60-meter hurdles podium as senior Travis Collins came in first with a time of 6.61, senior Terence Ware right behind at 6.69, and sophomore Jordan Booker rounded out the top-three with 6.77.

Houston took the top-two spots in the men’s 800-meters with sophomore Christian Gilmore in first as he recorded a time of 1:52.24, followed by sophomore Zion Smith at 1:52.48.

In the men’s 200-meter dash, Booker had a second-place finish coming in at 21.03, while junior Nicholas Alexander finished third and tallied a time of 21.11.

On the field, senior Nora Monie threw for first place in the shot put, with a toss of 16.07 meters.

In the men’s 4×400-meter relay, the Cougars defended their title as they took home gold at 3:09.11.

[email protected]

Leave a Comment