The Cougars had a record-setting weekend at the New Balance Invitational in New York.
“We had six athletes hit an all-time top-five mark in our program, breaking the school record,” Head Coach Leroy Burrell said.
Yonas Tesfai set a new UH indoor record in the men’s 3000m with a mark of 8:21.71, placing eighth in his respectively division.
Karley King set a new personal record as she finished sixth in the pole vault competition with a mark of 4.10m.
Demeeka Jones also set new personal record, placing fifth in the consolation round of the women’s 60m hurdles championship division finals with a time of 8.28.
Darrel Hill placed eighth, achieving a personal best with a mark of 17.62m in the men’s shot put championship division.
Teammates Jacob Schultz and John Fortune finished 10th and 16th, respectively, in the same category.
Senior Tai’Shea Reese claimed fifth place with a 6.20m mark in the women’s long jump championship division.
Sprinter Errol Nolan placed fourth in the men’s 200m championship division after finishing second in the preliminary round.
Burrell said that Nolan ran in a very competitive preliminary race and might have over-scheduled him.
“He showed signs of fatigue in the final,” Burrell said.
“I would of liked to see him a little bit fresher.
“The 60m took a lot out of him. But it was good for him since he is going to be one of our team leaders and we will ask more from him from time to time.”
The men’s distance medley team that consisted of Tesfai, Doug Kelly, Dominique Charles and Nate Pineda finished second to Clemson with a time of 10:03.85 in the college division.
“That really was not our best team,” Burrell said.
“We had three freshman on that squad. We feel really good about our performance.”
Burrell said that the meet gave UH the opportunity to see where they stand against some of the best competition in the country.
“We learned quiet a little bit about our younger athletes,” he said.
“They came in and performed really well under a lot of pressure.
“They are all very talented kids, we are all very happy with the outcome of the meet.”
