The UH track and field team competed for the first time in 2024 on Friday in the Leonard Hilton Memorial Meet. | Courtesy of UH Athletics
The UH track and field team began its indoor season on Friday in the Leonard Hilton Memorial Invitational at the Yeoman Fieldhouse.
In prelims senior Shaun Maswanganyi finished second in the men’s 60 meter dash with a 6.68 time. Senior Anthony East III recorded a 6.91 time, good for 18th place.
In the invitational’s second men’s event East comfortably won the men’s 200 meter dash with a 21.29 time.
Senior De’Vion Wilson finished third in the prelims for the men’s 60 meter hurdles, later improving on his preliminary time for a second place finish in finals.
Houston earned an additional first-place finish with senior Cristyan Sampy’s performance in the men’s pole vault.
Junior Kevin Snyder took third place in the men’s long jump contest while senior David Ajama followed behind in fifth.
In the final men’s competition of the invitational senior Ethan Marshall earned third place in the men’s weight throw.
Senior Linesha Thompson began the women’s half of the day for UH with an eighth place finish in the preliminary women’s 60 meter dash contest. Thompson improved on her prelims performance with a fourth place finish in the 60 meter dash finals, following it in the very next event with a fourth place finish in the women’s 200 meter dash.
The 200 meter dash also saw senior Iman Babineaux earn a top ten performance.
UH’s women’s side continued its strong showings with the 600 yard run as senior Mikenna Robinson finished as runner-up in the contest, just half a second behind the winner. Senior Sydni Townsend won the very next event, the women’s 800 meter run.
Senior Claire Meyer, senior Kelly-Ann Beckford and junior Eleni Kaiser all claimed top ten finishes in the women’s 1 mile run, earning fifth, sixth and tenth place respectively.
Houston’s next first place performance was in the 60 meter hurdles where junior Miracle Thompson claimed the top spot in both prelims and finals.
The women’s pole vault saw freshman Lucey Kucera tie for second place and sophomore Aubrey Tupper earn fourth place.
In all UH track and field ended the day with four first-place finishes, two from the men’s team and two from the women’s side.
The team now sets its sights on the Ted Nelson Invitational, its next competition. The invitational takes place in College Station, Texas on January 20.
