Texas A&M women dominate sprints at Penn Relays
The women of Texas A&M are halfway home to completing a sweep of the sprint relays at the Penn Relays.
The women of Texas A&M are halfway home to completing a sweep of the sprint relays at the Penn Relays.
The Aggies captured their third consecutive championship in the 4x100-meter relay Friday, winning in a time of 43.39 seconds, and came back about two hours later to capture the shuttle hurdles relay in 53.41. Senior Gabby Mayo ran the leadoff leg on both winning teams to pick up the sixth and seventh watches of her career at the carnival.
Texas A&M also posted the third-fastest time in the 4x200, which they are trying to win for the fourth straight year. The Aggies already have the fastest time in qualifying for the 4x400 (3 minutes, 34.57 seconds), a relay that - unbelievably - they never have won at Penn. The finals in both events are Saturday.
In heats of the men's sprint relays, LSU posted the fastest times in the 4x200 (1:21.81) and the 4x400 (3:07.22). Texas Christian paced all teams in the 4x100 at 39.51, seeking its 10th championship in the event, more than any other school.
Lions roar
Penn State picked up its first victory in the sprint medley relay since 1942 - Joe Paterno was a lad of only 15 back then - when 800-meter anchor Ryan Foster fended off Florida and Texas A&M for the victory in 3:17.10.
"I knew we had a shot, and I had a rough week being sick as well, which really helped me," said Foster, who was timed in 1:48.78. "I do better when I'm sick. Toward the end of the race, that was the hardest 50 meters that I have ever run. It also helped that A&M gave me that extra push to win."
NCAA champion Jeff Demps, running 200 meters, led off for Florida.
The LSU women, with Brittany Hall anchoring, captured the women's sprint medley for the fifth straight year, with a time of 3:48.45.
Texas Tech won the men's shuttle hurdles in 54.67 behind leadoff Omo Osaghae, who also led all qualifiers in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.75.
Texas in the field
Athletes from Texas posted three victories in field events during Friday's competition.
Sophomore Hayden Baillio captured the shot put with a heave of 64 feet, 1/4 inch and fellow classmate Marquise Goodwin long-jumped a wind-aided 26-31/2 to take that competition.
Freshman Shanay Briscoe cleared 5-101/2 in the high jump, winning on fewer misses over Rachel Gehret of Louisville and Victoria Lucas of Texas.