After years of dedication and hours of grueling practice, track and field athletes only get moments — sometimes seconds — to perform. The UH track and field team spent Friday and Saturday putting its training and dedication to the test against 18 colleges at the Howie Ryan Invitational and Multis.
The Houston men came out on top in the 200-meter dash with freshman Eric Futch coming in first with a 21.78 and freshman Leshon Collins in third. Senior Kevin Johnson and freshman Sean Spiehler dominated in the heptathlon, which includes 60-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 60-meter hurdles, pole vault and 1000-meter run. Johnson had a total of 4858 to put him in first, and Spiehler received a 4630 to put him in third place. In the 60-meter hurdles, redshirt junior Leon Bullock took fourth with an 8.27.
The women’s team also saw success, as the 4×400 relay team, which consists of junior Ngozi Onwumere, freshman Kelli Hardnett, freshman Mayorca Young and senior Brittany Wallace, beat out its competition with a 3:48.97 performance. The closest competition was three seconds behind them.
Junior Cassie Wiley placed in the top 10 of six events and tied for first place in the high jump and second in the shot put.
Redshirt junior Xavier Boyd, who received sixth in the 400-meter dash and twelfth in the 4X400 meter relay, is already preparing for his next meet in New York for the New Balance Collegiate Invitational next weekend.
“I felt pretty solid, but I’m really trying to prep myself for the next meet,” Boyd said.
Boyd has had some challenges with injuries this year, but his dad, who also competed when he was younger, inspires Boyd to keep on going.
“He has been very instrumental,” Boyd said.
The men’s team also placed with redshirt senior Richard Fenton in the weight throw and freshman Joseph Beck in the pole vault. Fenton threw 17.67 meters and took fifth, while Beck cleared 4.90 meters and placed eighth. In the long jump, sophomore John Horton made seventh, and redshirt senior Simon Stewart placed 14th.