Senior Elijah Hall started his year off with a victory in the men’s 60m at the Leonard Hilton Invitational. His time of 6.60s is still the fastest time in the country. | File photo/The Cougar
During the NCAA Indoor track & field season, an athlete must be ranked in the NCAA Top 16 of their respective event in order to qualify for the NCAA Championships in College Station. Here’s how the Cougars stack up.
This week, senior sprinter Elijah Hall has again captured all headlines with his performance in the men’s 60m. At the Leonard Hilton Invitational on Friday, Hall won the 60m in 6.60s, the No. 1 time in the country so far this year.
Hall’s time showcased he is still a strong finisher even after two injuries last year. It also marked the third straight year in which the winner of the Leonard Hilton Invitational 60m set the country’s fastest mark at the time of the race. Senior Cameron Burrell repeated the feat in 2016 and 2017.
But Hall is not the only Cougar on top of the national leader board. At the Corky Classic Saturday in Lubbock, the team of freshmen Naaman Outing and Quivell Jordan and juniors Kahmari Montgomery and Amere Lattin won the men’s 4x400m relay with the country’s best time of three minutes, 7.01s.
This is the second Cougar men’s 4x400m relay team in the NCAA Top 16. The Cougars also have the seventh best time at three minutes, 9.47s.
At the Corky Classic, Lattin also won the men’s 60m hurdles with a time of 7.87s, placing him at No. 14 in the country.
Junior sprinter Jacarias Martin is the only other individual from the men’s squad in the Top 16. Martin opened his year with a win in the 200m at the Reveille Invitational in College Station with a time of 21.30s. At the time it was the fourth fastest time in the country, but it is still good for No. 14.
From the women, only senior jumper Tonye’cia Burks is on the national charts. Burks started her season with a victory in the triple jump at the Leonard Hilton Invitational. The school record holder in the indoor triple jump, 12.99m, Burk’s mark of 12.92m is currently the seventh best mark in the NCAA.
