XC: Distance crew impresses at Mt. SAC Relays
4/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
By Drew Harris | UTAMavs.com
NORWALK, Calif. - The UT Arlington men's distance runners reeled off some of the best runs in school history to highlight the first two days of action for the Mavericks at the Mt. SAC Relays.
Michael Guerrero kicked things off with a school-record performance in the men's 10,000 meters late Thursday night. With a clocking of 29:52.45, Guerrero smashed the previous school standard, which had stood since 2007, by 24 seconds (30:16.69). It is the fourth straight year that UTA has set a new program record in a distance event at the prestigious California meet.
Friday, in the men's 1500 meters, both Joel Duren and Grant Copeland put their names on the school's all-time top-5 list in the event. Duren's time of 3:49.09 is the second-best mark in UTA annals, while Copeland's 3:49.41 sits fifth.
"We've had some really great moments for our ever-improving distance crew here at the Mt. SAC Relays," UTA coach John Sauerhage, who coincidentally has the fourth-fastest 1500m time in school history (3:49.35), said. "And this trip has been no different."
In addition, Craig Lautenslager, a Maverick senior who is sitting out the 2016 outdoor season as a redshirt, won his section of the men's invitational 5000m while running unattached. Lautenslager posted a time of 13:52.57, a mark would have obliterated his own school record set last year (14:17.74).
In other action, Tobi Fawehinmi took fourth in the men's triple jump with a mark of 49 feet, 6 ½ inches (15.10m). On the women's side, Tamerah Gorham also had a high finish, coming in 12th in the women's 800 meters with a time of 2:10.40.
In the men's 110m hurdles, Emeka Nwangwu ran a 14.51 to place 13th and Davina Lufuluabo was 21st in the women's 100m hurdles (14.47). Meanwhile, Erik Martinsson claimed 22nd in the men's 400 meters (48.23), while Taylor Davis placed 25th in the women's race (55.21).
UTA will wrap up its stay at the Mt. SAC Relays with a limited slate of action Saturday.
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