Despite the NCAA Championships having come to an end, it continues for two students, a former standout and three 2015 signees who earned a spot in the 2015 USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships that takes place this weekend in Eugene, Oregon.
As the season ended for the others, however, the Houston Track and Field team showed their competitiveness. The participants accumulated several championships as well as the right to take part in the NCAA West Regional at the Capitol of Texas.
Junior Issac Williams, seniors Brittany Kinney and Sade-Mariah Greenidge were among the nine Cougars who qualified to compete in the championship that took place at Oregon.
The team’s performance was well documented as junior hurdler, Williams earned the bronze medal in the 110 hurdles. Williams added a 13.31 to his season after setting a new record of 7.72 in the indoor 60m hurdles on Jun. 9. This made him the junior American Athletic Conference Track Athlete of the week four times over the course and the only Cougar to take part in the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships.
The women’s team, composed of Kinney, Greenidge and senior Kiersten Brewer, weren’t far behind as they competed in the 4x100m, turning in a 44.88 to finish 15th. The team also participated in the Regional, earning a spot in sixth place, after posting a 44.52.
Greenidge then competed individually in the women’s 100m hurdle and reached 22nd after clocking a 13.35.
On the last day of the championship, senior Kinney participated on the triple jump of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field championship. Despite having fouled on her first attempt, the senior posted an 11.86m jump to get on the board and sit 23rd after the second round. On the final jump, Kinney improved a full meter with a leap of 12.51m and advanced two spots to finish 21st.
Kinney earned the third seat on the all-time Cougar outdoor triple jump after jumping a career best of 12.83 at the NCAA West Regional in Austin, Texas.
Overall, the track and field program won seven individual conference championships, two relay conference championships throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons and qualified 15 athletes in the NCAA West Regional.