Bobcats Break Records, Set Personal Bests

by Joshua Flanagan

SAN MARCOS – Texas State Track and Field spent the weekend breaking school records, setting new personal bests and climbing up the national standings throughout many events at the team’s home meet, the Bobcat Classic. A number of Bobcats continued to improve their standings in the Sun Belt Conference as well as Texas State may have put together the team’s strongest weekend of the season in the final tune-up before the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championships on May 13-15.

Topping the list was Aaron George. He soared up the national standings to second in the nation with a long jump of 7.99 meters (26-2.75) to win the meet. He is atop the Sun Belt Conference with his personal record, the third longest long jump in school history.

George didn’t stop there though, as he was part of the record-setting men’s 4×100-meter relay team. He teamed with Cody Schulz,De’Marcus Porter and Phillip Green to take first place at the meet and the top spot in the Sun Belt with a school-record 40.05 in the event.

The women, not to be outdone, also ran the fastest time in the Sun Belt in the 4×100-meter relay. Kaylee Krenek, Tramesha Hardy,Antonisha Stewart and Nia Dorner won the meet, took first in the SBC and put up the second fastest time in school history with a 45.04 in the event, the fastest time since 2003.

Krenek and Stewart also continued their season-long battle for 100-meter hurdles dominance. Krenek won this round with a 13.64 for the top spot in the SBC while Stewart ran 13.68 to put Bobcats in the top two spots in the conference in the event.

In the field, Jordan Huckaby also set a new school record, throwing the hammer 62.68 meters (205-8) for third in the Sun Belt. Meanwhile, triple jumpers Mylan Hearn and Alvin Chikaeze showed the triple jump is still very much alive at Texas State as they both posted top distances in the conference. Hearn set a personal record with a triple jump of 12.78 meters (41-11.25) to win the meet while Chikaeze also won the meet with his conference-leading distance of 15.80 meters (51-10).

After being part of a school record in the 4x100m and setting a personal record in long jump, George set another career best in the 200-meter dash, running a 21.29. Porter, the Sun Belt-leader, also set a new best with a 21.00. Those two, along with Lincoln Warren andAnthony Johnson, all improved their standing in the conference in the 200m and sit first (Porter), third (Warren), fifth (George) and eighth (Johnson) in the SBC.

Porter also set a personal record in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.51 for fourth in the Sun Belt while Warren, Johnson and Dexter Lee all improved their times in the 400-meter dash for second, third and fourth, respectively, in the SBC.

Many other personal bests took place at the Bobcat Classic, ranging from the track to the field. Sydni Willis ran her fastest 400-meter hurdles with a time of 59.10 for second in the conference while Abby Hani long jumped her farthest, a distance of 5.89 meters (19-4) for third in the conference. Talore Kelly set a new career best in hammer throw with a distance of 58.06 meters (190-6), the second longest hammer throw in school history, to take second in the conference. Also in throws,

Alex Tripplett also set a career mark with a high jump of 2.10 meters (6-10.75) for fourth in the SBC. Other Bobcats who improved their positioning in the conference include Tyrone Jackson (second in the 800m), Hardy (third in the 200m and fourth in the 100m) andEsther Oyetunde (third in the 800m).

The Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championships are next up for Texas State. They take place on May 13-15 in Lafayette, La.