ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The UT Arlington track and field teams closed out the two-day Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Indoor Championships with a day full of podium finishes, several personal-records bested and the best overall team performance in some years.
The women finished second overall with 118 points, more than doubling their point total from a season ago when they finished with 47. This is the best overall indoor finish in the WAC for the women's squad, with a 7th place finish a year ago and a 5th place finish all the way back in 2013, which was the Mavericks first stint in the WAC. It is also the best finish for the women in indoor championship since 2017, when they placed second at the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championships.
The men finished tied for second place with Grand Canyon with 99.50 points. This is the second time the men have took home second at the WAC Indoor Championships, with the last time coming back in 2013. Last indoor season, the Mavs finished 5th in the meet. This is the best overall finish for the men since 2020 when they placed second at the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championships.
The day kicked off with the women's high jump, where
Kaliah Jones took home the silver medal. The senior from Kingston, Jamaica set a new indoor PR with a mark of 1.77 meters from her previous best of 1.74 meters which she jumped last season when she was a member of the UCF track and field team.
The distance runners had a great day with
Winnie Kipsang starting off the running events by winning the women's mile run with a blazing pace of 4:54.17, the second-fastest mile of her young indoor career. In the men's 800 meters, strong showings from
Daniel Armstrong and
Jackson Cichon helped catapult the men into third in the standings with four events left. Armstrong finished with a PR of 1:50.95 to claim the silver medal and Cichon won the bronze medal with a time of 1:51.03.
In his first season donning the orange and blue,
Hayden Wilson made his presence known in the shot put. The sophomore out of Mansfield, Texas tossed an impressive 17.28 meters to win the gold medal. The throw bested his previous indoor PR by over a whopping 1.1 meters.
The Mavs dominated the women's 60-meter dash, claiming two of the top three spots on the podium.
Mikeya Washington earned the silver medal with a new indoor PR of 7.42, topping her performance from a season ago when she took home the bronze medal with a time of 7.45.
Madison Pippins was not far behind Washington, coming in third to claim the bronze medal with a new indoor PR of 7.44.
Khalid Mendez claimed the silver medal in the men's 200-meters with a time of 21.11 while
Adeyemi Talabi brings home the bronze medal in the women's 200-meters with a time of 24.15.
In the men's triple jump, senior
Marvin Walford placed third with a mark of 15.06-meters to claim the bronze medal.
Simona Cabella took third in the women's pole vault with a mark of 3.78-meters to take home the bronze medal. Last indoor season, Cabella finished fifth overall in the pole vault.
Brady Shadrick claimed the bronze medal in the heptathlon with 5267 points, a new indoor personal-best. Last season, Shadrick placed 8th overall with 4679 points.
To end the day and the meet, the men's 4x400-meter relay team consisting of
Javaris Bonner,
Adam Herrera,
Daniel Armstrong and
Jarvis Miles came in third place with a time of 3:11.64 to claim the bronze medal.
THOUGHTS FROM COACH
"This group showed a lot of poise and heart," said head coach
John Sauerhage. "They delivered on the second day which is when it matters most. We compete in an indoor championship every year, and these athletes showed out. I'm excited for this group for the upcoming outdoor season."
NEXT UP
The NCAA Indoor Championships are set for Friday, March 8, through Saturday, March 9, in Boston, Massachusetts and the Mavs outdoor season kicks off on March 7 through March 8 with the UTA Invitational.
– #BuckEm –
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