The Sam Houston State University track and field program competed in the Ron and Carolyn Yokubitis Invitational at the University of Houston on Saturday where the team earned 24 top finishes.
The women’s team earned nine gold medals and two bronze while the men earned two gold, four silver and seven bronze medals at their last meet before the Southland Conference Outdoor Championships.
On the women’s side, senior sprint/hurdles Danielle Demas earned her fifth first place finish of the outdoor season after she completed the 100-meter hurdles in 13.55 seconds.
Senior pole vault Ashley Thompson set a new personal best in the pole vault event with 13 feet, 2 ½ inches and secured first place while senior sprint/hurdles Ruth Amaku also earned a gold medal in the 400-meter hurdle with a time of 59.72 seconds. Senior throws Ashley Jenkins continued her impressive season with a first place finish in the hammer throw with a toss of 201 feet, 10 inches.
The women continued to earn gold in the javelin throw with junior throws Elizabeth Lyssy, who had a toss of 141 feet, five inches. Freshman jumps Tristyn Allen posted a career-best in the triple jump with a jump of 40 feet, five inches while junior Kristine Hanks earned a new collegiate best in the shot put event with a throw of 52 feet, 9 ¼ inches.
“There are many things that positively came from this meet,” sophomore multievents Tyler Adams said. “There were a few personal best and many great performances. That will always give you a positive mindset, especially going into the conference meet.”
On the men’s side, sophomore pole vault Anthony Garcia and junior pole vault Garrett Larson both finished their event in first place. Garcia had a toss of 200 feet, six inches in the javelin throw while Larson launched himself 17 feet, 4 ½ inches in the pole vault event.
Junior distance Evan Arambula earned a personal best in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 3:54.73 and secured second place while Adams also secured second in the high jump event with a jump of six feet, 10 ¾ inches. Junior throws Kalvin Singletary and senior distance Logan Terry also earned silver in their event. Singletary had a toss of 171 feet in the discus throw and Terry completed the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9:28.59.
Sophomore combined events Courtney Lord junior distance Olivia Olguin both earned the women’s team a silver medal. Olguin completed the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:50.76 while Lord jumped five feet, seven inches in the high jump event.
For the men, senior sprints/jumps Justin Jenkins completed the 100-meter dash in 10.80 second and secured third place while Arambula finished the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9:40.45. Senior throws James Endsley had a toss of 161 feet, 11 inches in the discus throw while sophomore throws Kevin Beasly also finished third in the 400-meter dash at 48.72 seconds.
Sophomore Michael Nichols also finished in third place on the men’s side in shot put with a throw of 52 feet along with junior sprint/hurdles William Stark in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 53.01 seconds.
“This meet had prepared me and my teammates in various ways,” Adams said. “It allowed us to keep the competition mindset, allow our bodies to become even more ready than they were and bring us closer as a team.”
The Bearkats track and field program will compete in the Southland Outdoor Championships in Corpus Christi on Sunday May 8 through the 10.