UTA Continues Early Season Success At OU

Saturday, January 19

Norman, Okla.

All Day

University of Texas Arlington

Sooner Challenge

Photo by: Ellman Photography

1/19/2019 7:07:00 PM | Track & Field

Four individual wins and a relay title highlight Saturday action

By: Drew Harris

NORMAN, Okla. – UTA picked up three individual victories on the women's side and the men's team won two events to highlight the action at Oklahoma's Sooner Challenge on Saturday afternoon.

Both Maverick teams placed second among the four competing schools. The women scored 121 points, while the men totaled 102 in a meet that featured Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Northwestern State.

Transfer Trishawna Crawford corralled her first career UTA victory by winning the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.62. She had qualified for the final in fifth position before edging the field by .03 in the championship race.

Also on the track, Bailey Balmer won the 5000-meter title with a time of 19:42.61. It marked her first time to snag a collegiate race crown. In addition, Alexus Henry stayed perfect in the high jump this year, winning the event with a clearance of 5-7 (1.70m).

For the men, David Seastrunk claimed the lone individual victory by taking the 400 meters with a time of 50.09. He grabbed the win in a tight race by .05. Seastrunk, D'Undre Mitchell, Brenden Wallace and Deontre Haynes then teamed up for a victory in the 4x400m relay to close the meet. The quartet won by nearly two full seconds.

Juleen Lewis also continued her impressive start to the season, as she was second in the long jump with a mark of 19-8 (5.99 meters). The jump ranks No. 5 all time at UTA and is the best effort in the Sun Belt Conference this year.

Brianna Creeks was the runner up in the women's 800 meters in 2:25.04. For the men Haynes took the runner-up spot in the 60 meters, just .01 out of the top spot, with a clocking of 6.79.

Additionally, reigning league field athlete of the week Isaiah McBride was the runner up in the long jump with a mark of 23-5 1/2 (7.15m) and also placed fourth in the 60 meters (6.82).

Four Mavericks had third-place finishes in events--Diamond Cardona in the men's weight throw (15.82m), Lucas Van Klaveren in the men's 60m hurdles (8.54), Mitchell in the 600 yards (1:51.91) and Vanessa Ugorji in 400m (58.67).

The Mavs will return to action next weekend at the Texas Tech Classic.

--www.UTAMavs.com--