Texas A&M Track & Field Sweeps Texas Aggie Invitational

(Source: Aiden Shertzer)

By: Tyler Pounds, Athletics Communications

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M men’s and women’s track & field teams swept the Texas Aggie Invitational Saturday night at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium. The women’s team won with 178 points, while the men’s won with 144 points.

Texas A&M finished the night victorious in thirteen events, including the mixed 4x400m relay. The women’s team won eight events, while the men finished on top in four. Deshae Wise finished as the top collegian in the women’s 60m hurdles, placing second to Aggie professional and Tokyo Olympian Annie Kunz.

Six Aggies moved up the ranks on the Texas A&M all-time top-12 indoor performer list including two in the men’s high jump. Carter Bajoit and Mason Corbin went bar-for-bar ending the night with personal bests at 7-1.5/2.17m to become the eighth best performers in school history. Bajoit, already a member of the seven-foot club, moved from No. 11 on the list. Corbin, entering the meet with a personal best height of 6-11.5/2.12m, set a double personal best at with clearances of 7-0.25/2.14m and 7-1.5/2.17m. The Katy native became the 12th Aggie indoors all-time to join the illustrious seven-foot club.

Freshman Heather Abadie improved her collegiate best clearing 13-8.5/4.18m, which bettered her No. 3 ranking on the all-time indoor list. Senior Zhane Smith cracked the top-12 list running a 60m time of 7.29, making her the ninth fastest Aggie all-time. Freshman Gemma Goddard and junior Gavin Hoffpauir etched their name in history as Goddard became the 11th fastest women’s performer in the indoor mile at 4:51.67, while Hoffpauir became the men’s 12th fastest performer in the indoor mile at 4:06.19.

In total, 34 Aggies set or equaled personal bests including Keanu Jones and Sydnee Stewart doing so in multiple events. Jones, a freshman from Brenham, equaled his personal best in the 60m at 6.82 and clocked a new personal best in the 200m at 21.76. Stewart, a sophomore from Grand Prairie, recorded personal bests in the 60m (7.54) and 200m (24.62).

Up Next
Texas A&M travels to Lubbock on Jan. 28 to compete at the Texas Tech Open.

Texas A&M Quotes
Head Coach Pat Henry

on the day…
Across the board I thought it was really good. Deshae [Wise] looked a little bit better. It was good to have Annie Kunz here. Deshae gets better each time she gets on the track and that was a good race. Zhane Smith’s 60m was very good and she had a decent long jump too, along with Deborah [Acquah] who jumped 21-2. Heather [Abadie] continues to look good in the pole vault. We had a lot of personal bests, including Luke Barrett who placed second in the weight throw. Our distance group looked good today. Henry Jaques, a new guy that just started with the program, got on the track and ran 8:20 which is a good opening time for him at 3k. Our women’s milers ran well. Gemma [Goddard] ran a 4:51 today and Julia [Black] ran 4:55 which was a 10-second PR. Keanu Jones, has run 6.82 a number of times, is going to run faster once he becomes more familiar with the 60m. The 60m is just different than 100m and so for a freshman it’s tough to work out. Overall, I think we got some good things out of ourselves today. We got some consistency with some people that will help us down the road.”

on the men’s high jump group…
“In my years here we’ve never had three guys over 7-1. Those guys are building confidence in themselves and there’s a good dynamic within the group. That’s a proud group of guys over there.”

High Jumper Mason Corbin
on joining the seven-foot club…
“It’s hard to put into words. I’ve been waiting over four years to break that seven-foot barrier. Coming into college I basically had to restart; I had a new approach and new technique. It’s my last year and it couldn’t have been a better time to clip that barrier. I’m so happy that it all came together. Being able to PR twice in the same meet, and to look up and see my family and friends supporting me was amazing.”

on the brotherhood of the men’s high jump squad…
“The group with Carter [Bajoit], Jake [Lamberth], and Ish [Williams] has gotten close. We all get along well, we train hard, we push each other in practice and we all like to see each other succeed. Right now, to have three seven-footers on the same squad is a pretty big deal in the NCAA. I know Ish has it in him too. While I’m here, I’m gonna try to be a good mentor toward him and help him achieve the best heights he can.”

on the coaching staff…
“We have a great group of coaches around us. Coach Brady and I are always on the same wave length. When I look over at him, I already know what he’s gonna say I need to fix. Coach Mo has been amazing. He helps me with all the technical aspects that I never think about. I have to also credit my strength coach, Coach Kubicek. I feel stronger than ever. We worked really hard in the off-season and he pushes me to be the best version of myself.”