COLLEGE STATION, Texas – A trio of UTA track and field athletes posted individual victories on Saturday to highlight the Mavericks' time at the season-opening Ted Nelson Invitational.
 
The men had a pair of wins, as Victor Fincher claimed the 60-meter hurdle crown, while Justin Domangue took the 3000 meters. For the women, Alexus Henry opened her senior season with a triumph in her signature event, the high jump.
 
Fincher ran a 7.93 in the hurdle finals to win by .07. He qualified fourth in the prelims with a time of 8.09. Domangue's 3000m time of 8:28.16 gave him an 8-second win.
 
Henry topped the high jump after clearing 5-8 ½, two inches better than second place, in her first outing of the season.
 
Juleen Lewis nearly gave the Mavs another winner, as she placed second in the triple jump with a strong effort of 40 feet, 4 inches.
 
Two other men snagged podium finishes in running events. Victor Bocanegra was third in the 800m (1:53.98), while Cole Klashinksy grabbed the bronze position in the 3000 meters in 8:36.36.
 
Three Mavs placed among the top 6 in the 60-meter dash. Deontre Haynes led the way, placing third with a time of 6.76. He also grabbed sixth place in the 200m (21.55). Meanwhile, Isaiah McBride was fourth (6.78) and Demarviae Gray was sixth (6.93).
 
Three more UTA runners held down spots inside the top seven in the long jump. McBride landed fourth (23-8 ¾), Xavier Mayes was sixth (22-4 ½) and Howard Grant came in seventh (22-4 ¼).
 
Others in the top eight in their events included: Connor Butterfield in the men's mile (6th, 4:18.96), Imunique Billingsley in the women's long jump (6th, 18-3 ¾), Abigail Kelly-Salo in the women's pole vault (7th, 11-9 ¼) and Madeleine Rowe in the women's mile (8th, 5:02.86).
 
UTA will return to action next Saturday at the Sooner Challenge in Norman, Okla.
 
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