TUCSON, Ariz. — No. 8 BYU men’s track and field competed at Arizona’s Desert Heat Classic Saturday, notching six personal records to go with top three performances from both relay squads.
Entering the weekend at No. 19 among all NCAA DI 4x100-meter relay squads, the Cougars’ group consisted of Easton Bianchi, Dallin Draper, Abram Schaap and Trey Jackson. The team dashed to a third-place finish at 39.50, placing 0.11 seconds ahead of Arizona’s ninth-ranked squad as the performance affirmed the Cougar relay group’s belonging among the nation’s elite.
The school-record setting, No. 12 ranked 4x400-meter relay squad of Trey Jackson, Jace Jensen, Eli Hazlett and Josh Taylor was at it again Saturday with a second-place, 3:04.24 finish. The group finished only behind No. 16 Iowa’s group that ran a 3:04.16, and placed exactly a second ahead of third-place Colorado.
Dallin Shurts continued his sustained success in the discus throw, posting a solid fourth-place outing with a heave of 59.79m/196-2 for just eight inches behind No. 11 Elijah Mason of Washington. Shurts entered today’s competition at No. 8 in the country with a season-best throw of 62.21m/204-1 on March 31 at the Texas Relays.
“Dallin was consistent today with three throws over 59 meters and competed well against the very elite fields of throwers,” BYU throws coach Nik Arrhenius said. “Harrison also did well and had a personal record in the discus throw, making the final in a competitive field.”
Harrison Gould’s new discus personal best was 52.80m/173-2 to place ninth while Seth Knowlton threw for 47.30m/155-2. Gould and Knowlton also competed in the shot put, with Gould placing 12th (15.26m/50-0.75) and Knowlton 16th (13.81m/45-3.75).
Easton Bianchi led the way in the 200-meter dash, darting to a 20.96 time to notch a new personal record and place ninth. Improving on his last record by 0.21 seconds, the senior moves to within 0.22 seconds of a top-10 program spot in the event. Bianchi was followed by Dallin Draper (14th, 21.13), Landon Maxfield (21.58) and Jared Davis (27th, 21.64).
Bianchi also set the tone for the Cougars in the 100-meter dash as he posted a time of 10.45, followed by Draper (10.53) and Davis (10.81).
Trey Jackson and Josh Taylor led all Cougars in the 400-meter at eighth and 10th, recording times of 46.30 and 46.45, respectively. Jackson came within 0.06 seconds of his No. 9 all-time program mark. Taylor’s 46.45 time set a new personal record as he built on his prior personal best of 46.47 set just last weekend. Eli Hazlett (46.88) and Landon Maxfield (47.99) rounded out the sprinters for the event.
Freshmen hurdlers Logan Hubler and Treyton Anderson competed in the 110-meter hurdles as Anderson crossed the line at 14.70 while Hubler set a new personal best at 14.73, surpassing his last mark of 14.82 at last week’s home meet. In the 400-meter hurdles, Anderson and Hubler both improved on their previous personal bests by over a second as Anderson clocked a 52.77 and Hubler a 56.44. Jace Jensen also came in at 53.25.
Sophomore Jake Grimsman notched his 10th top-five finish of his collegiate career, jumping his way to fourth at 2.05m/6-8.75 for a tie with Arizona State’s Jeremy Cody.
The Cougars return to action next weekend with the Oxy Invitational in Los Angeles, California on Saturday, May 6.