Texas A&M victories at Texas Relays on Friday
Discus – Shelbi Vaughan, 198-10 school record, US and collegiate leader
Triple Jump – LaQue Moen-Davis, 43-4 ¼ collegiate leader
Triple Jump – (B) Jordan Wilson, 41-9 ¼ career best
Pole Vault – (B) Brittany Wooten, 13-4 ½ outdoor career best
Sprint Medley relay – 3:49.56 first-ever victory for A&M at Texas Relays
(India Daniels, Ashley Collier, Ibukun Mayungbe, Aliese Hyde)
AUSTIN – An impressive day for Texas A&M included five victories on the third day of action at the 87th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium. Aggie sophomore Shelbi Vaughan broke her own school record and produced a U.S. and collegiate leading mark of 198 feet, 10 inches.
A&M wins also included a first-ever victory in the sprint medley relay for the Aggie women. LaQue Moen-Davis won the triple jump with a collegiate leading 43-4.25 while Jordan Wilson and Melissa Mays went 1-2 in the B division triple jump. Brittany Wooten won the B division of the pole vault with an outdoor best of 13-4.5.
In qualifying races the A&M men’s 4×100 relay produced a collegiate leading time of 38.71, the second fastest time in the world for the 2014 season.
Returning to the venue where three fouls last May knocked her out of the NCAA Championships, Shelbi Vaughan broke her Aggie record in the discus as she heaved the platter 198 feet, 10 inches (60.61). The distance places Vaughan equal No. 10 on the U.S. collegian all-time list with Arizona State’s Anna Jelmini. Runner-up to Vaughan was a 174-8 mark from Dasha Tsema of Kansas.
“It was really exciting to throw a PR and school record, I was just hoping to do better than last weekend (182-10) since I wasn’t happy with that,” said Vaughan. “I was a little hesitant, because last year I was here in May with a hurt back and threw three fouls. I threw from the same ring today, so I just put the nerves behind me and went out and threw a good one.”
For the 2014 season Vaughan is currently ranked 10th in the world while becoming the top American and collegian. Vaughan takes over the American lead from a 188-5 (57.42) by Rachel Longfors in Tempe, Arizona last week and the collegiate lead from California’s Valarie Allman who threw 187-7 (57.17) at a home meet in Berkeley on March 8.
The victory for Vaughan is her sixth win at the Texas Relays over the past four seasons. Last year Vaughan claimed the discus title with a throw of 183-9 (56.00) and also won the B division shot put. During her senior high school season Vaughan swept the 2012 shot put and discus titles and she also won the discus title in 2011.
“It’s a very comfortable venue for me to throw in,” noted Vaughan. “I love the atmosphere and the rings here. My first goal this year is to throw over 200 feet, no matter when that is, hopefully by the end of the season.”
LaQue Moen-Davis captured the title in the triple jump with a winning leap of 43-4.25 (13.21) to defeat Andrea Geubelle, who graduated from Kansas after placing second at the NCAA Championships and winning the U.S. Championships in 2013.
Geubelle established the early lead as she produced her best mark in the first round. Moen-Davis took over the lead in round four with a 43-0.25 (13.11) effort and then improved to her winning distance of 43-4.25 in round five. Geubulle only managed 35-0.5 in round two and followed with a pair of fouls before passing in rounds five and six.
Moen-Davis, a runner-up at Texas Relays a year ago, claimed A&M’s second victory in the A division. The previous winner was Yasmine Regis in 2009. The second collegian behind Moen-Davis was Virginia’s Dallas Rose placing third with a 42-5.25 while Baylor’s Brianna Richardson finished fourth at 42-3.25.
In claiming a historic first victory in the women’s sprint medley relay, Hyde closed on the leading Arkansas anchor leg and passed her with room to spare at the end of her 800m leg. Hyde split 2:09.7 as the Aggies won the race in 3:49.56 over the 3:50.02 for the Razorbacks. South Plains finished third at 3:51.41 with Kansas fourth in 3:51.51.
India Daniels and Ashley Collier ran the first pair of 200m legs for A&M while Ibukun Mayungbe covered the 400m leg in 52.5.
Brittany Wooten set a pair of personal bests in winning the pole vault. She becomes the second Aggie to win the B division pole vault, joining Laura Asimakis from 2011.
Wooten was among four vaulters in the event who went to a jump-off when all missed three attempts at 13-7.25 (4.15). In the jump-off at 13-4.5 (4.08) Wooten was the only vaulter to clear for the victory. Finishing in a three-way tie for second place at 13-1.5 were Hannah Acton of Florida State, Kristen Lee of Virginia Tech and North Carolina’s Cameron Overstreet.
“It was a good day with great conditions,” noted Wooten. “I just did what I needed to do for the win. When I attempted 13-7 I had to move up to a bigger pole and I bailed out on each attempt. I moved back to the other pole for the jump-off. I know I should have done better and I know I can jump higher the rest of this season.”
The career best outdoor vault for Wooten is No. 2 on the Aggie all-time list and equal to the No. 7 performance. Indoors, Wooten cleared 13-6.25 (4.12) for fifth place at the SEC Championships.
Wooten passed the opening height of 12-1.5 and then had first attempt clearances at 12-7.5 (3.85) and 13-1.5 (4.00), which was an outdoor best for the A&M sophomore as she improved upon the 12-11.5 she set last week in San Antonio.
Aggie seniors Jordan Wilson and Melissa Mays teamed up for a 1-2 finish in the triple jump. Mays led the competition during the first three rounds, and then Wilson claimed the top position in the fourth round.
Wilson produced a personal best of 41-9.25 (12.73) to win the B division of the triple jump while Mays followed with a career best of 41-7.25 (12.68). Placing third was Clemson’s Iana Amsterdam with a 41-7 (12.67) while Florida’s Gissell Warner finished fourth at 41-5.25 (12.63).
“It’s great to see my hard work pay off after four years, especially at a big meet like the Texas Relays” said Wilson, who had a previous best of 41-2.25 from the 2013 SEC Championships. “I was pretty my jump in the fourth round would hold up for the win, but I wanted to go farther.
“It’s always good when it’s all Aggies for the top places. Now I look forward to more PRs, I know I can go further.”
This was the third women’s B division triple jump title for the Aggies at the Texas Relays. Angela Thomas claimed a pair of B division titles in 2007 and 2009.
Sam Humphreys, the 2013 NCAA champion in the javelin for Texas A&M, returned to the Texas Relays as a professional thrower this season and won the event with a mark of 252 feet, 9 inches (77.04). Aggie junior Devin Bogert placed fourth in the event with a throw of 238-11 (72.82).
It was the second consecutive victory for Humphreys at the Texas Relays and the fourth title in the past five years. Runner-up to Humphreys was Rob Robbins of Cornell at 246-6 with Ghana’s John Ampomah of Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, third with a 243-11.
Chase Wolfle cleared a career best of 18-0.25 (5.50) to place third in the Invitational pole vault and had three attempts at equaling the A&M record of 18-4.5 (5.60) set by Greg West in 1990. Wolfle is only the fourth Aggie to clear 18 feet in the pole vault, joining West, Jon Nance and Randy Hall. Wolfle is now No. 4 on the A&M all-time list and equal to the No. 8 performance.
The A&M men’s sprint medley relay finished third in 3:30.33 behind a 3:18.57 from Arkansas and a 3:19.76 for LSU. Gregory Coleman and Jermaine Davis covered the first pair of 200m legs and Carlyle Roudette split 46.1 on his 400m leg.
A hiccup with the hand-off from Roudette to Hector Hernandez delayed the Aggies a bit. Hernandez split 1:52.0 in trying to get A&M back into the lead.
In the distance medley relays the Aggie women placed fifth in 11:34.71 while the men finished sixth in 9:55.71. The women’s foursome included Katie Willard, Jessica Laseak, Aliese Hyde and Hillary Montgomery. The men ran a quartet of Isaac Spencer, Deon Hickey, Josh Hernandez and Cameron Villarreal.
Coleman ran in the final of the 400 hurdles after the sprint medley and placed fourth with a 50.94. Michael Stigler of Kansas won the final in 50.08 while UTSA’s Keyunta Hayes ran 50.36 in second and Josh Taylor of SFA placed third in 50.92.
Jennifer Madu placed fourth in the B division long jump with a 19-9 effort she produced in the third and sixth round. Indiana freshman Ariane Nelson won the event with a 20-2.5 mark. Also finishing fourth in the men’s B division long jump was Olabanji Asekun, who had a mark of 24-1.5 that came in the third round following a pair of fouls. Fresno State’s Devin Harrison won the event at 24-7.75.
Devion Harris cleared 6-8.75 (2.05) in the B division of the high jump to finish in a four-way tie for sixth place. Jeffrey Prothro placed ninth in the B division of the triple jump with a 48-11.5 (14.92).
In qualifying for the 4×100 finals the Aggie men produced the top qualifying time of 38.71 with the foursome of Prezel Hardy, Jr., Shavez Hart, Michael Bryan and Deon Lendore. The time A&M posted is the second fastest time in the world this season behind a 38.13 run by the Racers Lions Track Club from Jamaica.
On the Aggie all-time list the time of 38.71 equals the seventh fastest time, matching marks from 1988 and 2011. In 1988 the crew of Lawrence Felton, Derrick Florence, Andre Cason and Stanley Kerr ran that time in the semifinals of the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon. In 2011 the quartet of Tran Howell, Gerald Phiri, Bryan and Hardy clocked that time to win the Texas Relays title.
Joining the Aggies in the men’s final of the 4×100 relay, which will be run on Saturday, include Florida (39.06), Baylor (39.35), Auburn (39.58), Louisiana Tech (39.95), TCU (40.00), Texas (40.06), Cornell (40.15) and California (40.24).
The Texas A&M women ran the third fastest qualifying time in the 4×100 prelims with a 43.97 from the foursome of Aaliyah Brown, Ashton Purvis, Jennifer Madu and Ashley Collier. Florida produced the top time of 43.75 with Texas posting a 43.76.
Advancing to the women’s final for Saturday were Kentucky (44.03), LSU (44.17), Houston (45.07), Kennesaw State (45.10), Clemson (45.23) and Baylor (45.32). TCU ran the same time as Baylor, but was 0.002 slower when they broke the tie.
In the 110 hurdles Wayne Davis II opened his outdoor campaign with a 13.64 (-0.2 wind), posting the second fastest qualifying time. Florida’s Eddie Lovett followed Davis, winning the next heat in 13.62 (0.5 wind). Both marks are among the top five times in the world this outdoor season and rank second and third among collegians.
Shamier Little won her heat of the 100 hurdles in a wind-aided 13.41 (2.5 wind), which ranked 11th overall. A 13.39 was the last qualifying time for the nine-runner final of the 100 hurdles.
The Aggie women advanced three sprinters to the final of the 100 meters. Aaliyah Brown led the way with an 11.34 for second place behind an 11.20 by Florida’s Shayla Sanders. Brown’s time is equal to No. 8 on the A&M all-time list. Morolake Akinosun of Texas posted the second best time at 11.29.
Joining Brown in the final were Ashton Purvis and Ashley Collier with times of 11.51 and 11.54 to claim the eighth and ninth positions in the 100 meter final. Jennifer Madu will compete in the Invitational 100 final tomorrow as well. India Daniels ran 11.86 in the prelims, placing 27th overall among the 83 entrants.
Prezel Hardy, Jr. was the lone Aggie to reach the men’s 100 final as his time of 10.19w (+2.3 wind) ranked second overall. The top mark was an impressive 10.02 from Baylor frosh Trayon Brommell. Michael Bryan ran 10.44, which ranked 15th overall, and Jermaine Davis turned in a 10.89.
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics