LOS ANGELES — BYU track and field concluded its outdoor season opener with impressive performances by each event group at Cromwell Field at Loker Stadium on Saturday.
Men's Recap
The BYU men recorded three individual first-place finishes on Saturday. Danny Bryant overcame Charlie Vernoy of Long Beach State to win the men’s pole vault with a mark of 16.91m/55-5.75. Bryant and Vernoy were regular rivals throughout the indoor season as well.
Colten Yardley and Jace Jensen finished first and second, respectively, for the Cougars in the men’s 400m hurdles. Yardley’s winning time came at 51.20.
BYU’s distance runners put on an exhibition as the lone team to compete in the 3000 S. Kenneth Rooks took first at 8:45.69 with Adam Wood in second at 8:55.68. Justin Hartshorn, Zach Erikson and Davin Thompson followed to fill out spots three through five.
The Cougars saw mixed results in Saturday’s relays. Easton Bianchi, Dallin Draper, Landon Maxfield and Colten Yardley combined to win the men’s 4x100m with a time of 40.16. In the 4x400m, the BYU “B” squad edged the “A” squad by 0.25 seconds for third place.
Garrett Marsing and Nathan Burnett each finished runner-up in their respective competitions. Marsing clocked a 3:48.28 in the 1500m and Burnett cleared 4.60m/15-1 in the pole vault.
Women's Recap
Libby Parkinson jumped from No. 10 all-time to No. 5 in program history in the javelin with an event-winning, new personal best throw of 50.03m/164-1.
Jessica Thompson (47.48m/155-9) and Marci Torgerson (33.64m/110-4) both set personal bests in the event, while Alex McAllister (47.66m/156-4), competing for the first time since transferring from Southern Utah, placed second.
Women’s distance kicked off day two with competition in the steeplechase. Madi Moffit (10:52.45), Lizzie Dildine (11:01.64), competing in the first outdoor meet of her freshman career, and Allie Warner (11:20.89) were the lone athletes competing in the event and finished 1-3, respectively.
The Cougars proceeded to win the next three events they competed in. Hannah Stetler won the pole vault with a personal best mark of 3.65m/11-11.75, Sierra Freeland (15.23m/49-11.75) took first in the shot put, and Taye Raymond’s jump of 5.77m/18-11.25 earned her first place in the long jump.
In the 4x100, the squad of Chloe Taylor, Annalise Hart, Brilee Pontius and Brinn Jensen placed second with a time of 46.66.
Alissa Fielding set a personal best in the 1500m, clocking a 4:28.72. Anastaysia Davis (4:28.32) and Sadie Sargent (4:34.39) competed in the first outdoor meet of their careers.
Adaobi Tabugbo ran a 13.59 in the 100m hurdles, finishing second. My’Jah Mintze followed her up with a fifth-place finish in the 100m with a time of 12.10.
In the 800m, Meghan Hunter held off Utah’s Simone Plourde in the final turn to win the event with a time of 2:05.38. Krystie Solomon, in the first outdoor action of her freshman season, placed seventh, clocking a 2:11.67.
Kate Thomas set a new personal best in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:00.85, and Taylor ran a 1:04.90 in her first outdoor meet.
Seven BYU athletes competed in the 200m. Hart (24.36), Raymond (24.38), Pontius (24.67) and Tabugbo (24.83) placed fifth through eighth, respectively. Raymond and Tabugbo set personal bests, while Hart ran her first outdoor 200m and Pontius competed outdoors for the first time.
The squad of Annalise Hart, Brinn Jensen, Kate Thomas, Brilee Pontius and Chloe Taylor concluded the weekend for the Cougars, placing second in the 4x400m relay with a time of 3:39.00.
Moving Forward
The Cougars face a quick turnaround as several athletes will compete at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin, Texas beginning on Wednesday, March 23. The remainder of the team will compete at the Aztec Invitational in San Diego, California on March 24-26.