In last season’s American Athletic Conference Championships, UH track and field senior sprinter Travis Collins was able to post a career-best 6.61 in the 60-meter competition. | Courtesy of UH athletics
The Houston track and field season is underway after hosting the first of four H-Town Speedcity Series meets at Yeoman Fieldhouse on Saturday.
The home-opener was accompanied by great performances from the Cougars, finishing the meet with nine first-place finishes throughout the events.
Junior Triston Gibbons was the first athlete to place first in an event, recording a shot of 17.99 meters in the men’s shot put.
Senior Allen Blair’s season started off on the right foot, landing a first-place finish in the men’s long jump with 7.10 meters.
In the men’s pole vault, sophomore Christyan Sampy came in first with a jump of 5.22 meters, while teammate and senior Ben Percefull came in second with 4.90 meters.
The last first-place winner of the field events was junior Jadon Brome, who finished in the men’s triple jump with 15.61 meters.
For the track events of the meet, the Cougars had winners in five competitions, starting with senior Nicholas Alexander in the men’s 60-meter dash with a time of 6.71.
There were three Cougars that finished behind Alexander, junior Christian Hamberlin at 6.71 in second, freshman Dylan Brown at 6.77 in third and sophomore Edward Sumler IV at 6.78 in fourth.
Sophomore Claire Meyer collected the next first-place victory for the Cougars in the women’s 3000-meter run, finishing with a time of 10:34.19, and freshman Macie Ellis coming in third with a time of 10:38.98.
The Cougars controlled the 200-meter dash as freshman Zarie Dumas took first place in the women’s 200-meter dash with a time of 24.58. On the men’s side, junior Jordan Booker finished first clocking in with a 21.43.
Junior Cecilia Tamayo-Garza finished right behind Dumas in second with a time of 24.83.
The final victory of the meet for the Cougars came via the men’s 4×400 meter relay as they finished with a time of 3:18.89. They were led by freshman Rayken Sharpe, junior Lateef Birks Jr., Brown and Booker.
The Cougars’ next competition goes on the road where they will participate in the Texas A&M Invitational on Jan. 23 in College Station.
