UH track and field athletes set record performances over the weekend en route to nine first-place finishes. | Kathryn Lenihan/The Cougar
The Houston track and field team put on a series of spectacular performances en route to a combined nine first-place finishes in the second installment of the H-Town Speed City Series meets on Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, all eyes were on Cougars women’s team who put up dominant performances throughout the day, racking up five first-place finishes and capping off the day with 173 points that earned them the top spot among the team standings.
Senior Priscilla Adejokun led the way for the Cougars, finishing first place in the women’s weight throw at 19.33 meters on her first of five attempts, the first winner of the day for UH.
Freshman Zarie Dumas picked up right where she left off in the first meet of the series, grabbing another first-place finish on the season. This time in the women’s 400-meter dash as she posted a time of 55.96, which marked the fastest time in the American Athletic Conference this season.
Senior and Houston-native Naomi Taylor followed up with the third victory of the day for the Cougars, placing first in the women’s 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.34.
The fourth podium finish of the day went to freshman Camille Rutherford, who finished first place in the women’s 60-meter dash, clocking in a meet record time of 7.41.
Junior Madeline Castleberry picked up the final first-place finish of the meet for the women, finishing the first of four Cougars in the top five of the women’s 3000-meter run with a time of 10:18.15.
On Saturday, the UH track and field men’s team built on the women’s success, picking up victories in four events and finishing the day first in the team standings with 190 points.
Junior Triston Gibbons placed first in the men’s shot put with a meet record throw of 18.73 meters, the only first-place finish of the day in field events for the Cougars.
Freshman Shaun Maswanganyi took first place in the men’s 60-meter dash with a time of 6.64, and second place in the men’s 200-meter dash at 21.10.
Senior Tyrell Valentine followed up with a first-place finish in the men’s 400-meter dash, clocking in with a time of 48.35.
The men’s 4×400 meter relay took first place once again for the Cougars this season, posting a time of 3:14.08, led by Valentine, freshman Dylan Brown and juniors DJ Akindele and Christian Hamberlin.
The UH track and field team will be back in action next Saturday when they take their second trip of the season to Texas A&M, and compete in the Charlie Thomas Invitational in College Station on Feb. 6.
