After a conference championship indoor season, Tonye’cia Burks now owns both school records in the triple jump and is No. 2 in the NCAA. | Courtesy of Hal Yeager
Junior Tonye’cia Burks shattered a Houston record in the triple jump this weekend at the Victor Lopez Classic.
Several of the track team’s leading athletes received a breather after a long indoor season. For the rest, this meet presented an early opportunity to increase their stock in the national standings.
Burks impressed more than anyone else by far. With her 13.23m triple jump mark, she shot all the way to No. 2 in the NCAA and took a school record made in 2006. Burks entered the meet holding the indoor school record in the event.
She earned that honor following an indoor season where she was one of the top performers for the women’s team, earning the AAC Championship in the triple jump at season’s end.
Burks’ mark was the highlight of a weekend where several athletes took strides on the NCAA charts. In total, 10 athletes finished in the top three of their events between the men and women.
Back into form
Sophomore hurdler Amere Lattin ended his freshman outdoor campaign with a fifth place finish in the 110m hurdles at the NCAA championships. Now the AAC Outdoor Champion in the event, he is back in the national rankings. He failed to perform well at the AAC Indoor Championships.
Lattin ran 13.91s to finish fourth overall in the 110m hurdles and second among collegiate athletes, shooting him to No. 6 in the NCAA. Lattin also holds the ninth fastest time in the 200m.
Sophomore sprinter Mario Burke also made his mark on the NCAA. After finishing sixth in the NCAA Indoor Championships 60m, Burke ran his first 100m of the outdoor season. His 10.47s time was second in the race and first among collegiate athletes.
Continuing dominance
The men’s 4x100m relay team solidified its spot at No. 3 on the NCAA charts. The team of sophomores John Lewis III, Cameron Prejean and Jacarias Martin and senior Curtis Brown ran 39.37s to win the relay, beating the team from University of Texas-Austin in the process.
In addition, senior thrower Cameron Cornelius continued his success in the shot put. While his mark of 17.86m was a whole meter short from his mark at the Spring Break Invitational, it was still strong enough for an event win. Cornelius has yet to lose a shot put event in 2017.
