TEMPE – Audie Wyatt claimed the pole vault title at the Sun Angel Classic and came away with three records in the process of clearing 18 feet, 8.25 inches (5.70). He improved the Texas A&M school record of 18-6.5 (5.65) he shared with Chase Wolfle along with meet and facility records.
“Today was a great day with some great competitors,” noted Wyatt. “They kept pushing me and I had some great friends clapping and cheering for me. I just came into the meet tired of beating myself up, so I decided to have some fun. The main goal was to have some fun.”
The Sun Angel stadium record of 18-6.75 (5.66) was set in 1994 by Arizona State’s Nick Hysong while the meet record of 18-6.5 (5.65) was established in 1996 by Tim Mack. For the 2017 season, Wyatt currently shares the collegiate leading height with Virginia Tech’s Torben Laidig, who won at the Texas Relays the previous week.
“A school record feels great, making the A standard for worlds feels great and having the stadium record feels great,” stated Wyatt. “Later in the season I’m looking forward to jumping 19 feet and possibly more. I just need to keep doing what I’ve been doing and have some fun.”
Wyatt passed 18-10.75 (5.75) and then attempted 19-0.25 (5.80). After an initial miss, Wyatt ran through the next attempt and then passed his final try. Wyatt opened his competition at 16-10.75 (5.15) and went through each height up to 18-8.25.
“I came in really low today, at 16-10, and I jumped every single bar from 16-10 to 18-8,” said Wyatt. “That’s right at two feet. So, I was really tired at the end and that’s why I passed my last attempt.”
Finishing behind Wyatt at 18-4.25 (5.60) was Hussain Alhizam of Kansas with another Jayhawk, Jake Albright, third at 18-0.5 (5.50).
Serena Brown improved her Bahamas national record in the discus for the second time this season, reaching a distance of 179-4 (54.67) to place third in the premiere division of the event. Tarasue Barnett won the competition at 195-9 (59.68) with Arizona State’s Maggie Ewen runner-up with a 186-7 (56.87).
A career best of 52.18 for Jaevin Reed in the 400m placed her second to Olympic finalist Phyllis Francis (51.63). As the top collegian in the race, Reed established a world leading junior time for the 2017 and moved to No. 7 on the Aggie all-time list. Teammate Briyahna Desrosiers placed fourth in 53.09.
The men’s 400m sported a winning time of 45.08 for Aggie alum Bralon Taplin, who won here last year, while Mylik Kerley placed fourth in 46.09 and Richard Rose finished fifth in 46.28.
Robert Grant finished second in the 400m hurdles with a time of 49.40, which is just off his career best of 49.36, and takes over the leading position among Division I hurdlers. Third in the race, with a 50.26, was professional Michael Stigler, who won the 2015 NCAA hurdle title with Kansas.
Two more Aggies in the split section race had Ilolo Izu placing sixth overall in 52.41 with Infinite Tucker eighth at 52.66.
Shamier Little‘s debut over 400m hurdles led to a winning time of 56.83 over the 57.98 by Kansas State’s Ranae McKenzie in second.
In the 100m, Danyel White clocked an 11.49, finishing behind Jamaica’s Schillonie Calvert-Powell, who won in 11.48. In third place was Jazmine Todd with an 11.65.
Devin Dixon posted a time of 1:47.01 to place fourth in the 800m and he moved to No. 5 on the Aggie all-time list. Donavan Brazier claimed the race in a U.S. leading 1:44.63, breaking the stadium (1:46.44, 1999) and meet (1:46.44, 2005) records.
Elijah Morrow ran 20.67 in the 200m, finishing sixth overall as the third best collegian. Alex Riba ran 4:05.79 for third place in the mile while Arin Rice posted a 4:39.81 in the 1,500.
Shelby Poncik led the Aggies in the javelin, placing third with a throw of 165-5 with Madalaine Stulce in fourth place with a 163-1. Garrett Cragin had a clean sheet in the high jump up to 7-0 ½ (2.15), where he missed three attempts, and finished in a tie for fourth place at 6-10 ¾ (2.10).
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics