AUSTIN, TEXAS, March 27-30 — The Texas Relays has long been a platform for the professionals to either knock off the rust or transition from indoors, and that’s especially true now that Austin serves as the training base for multiple Olympians.
Rust was definitely not a problem for “Team International,” which produced the fastest 4 x 200 in history at 1:27.05. The clocking surpassed a “USA Blue” team from the Penn Relays way back in 2000, but cannot be ratified as a WR due to the mixed nationalities of Dina Asher-Smith (Great Britain), Rhasidat Adeleke (Ireland), Lanae-Tava Thomas (Jamaica) and Julien Alfred (Saint Lucia).
The squad had a familiar ring — at last year’s meet, all but Asher-Smith were on the Texas Longhorns squad that set a Collegiate Record precisely one second slower.
The same foursome also won the 4 x 400 in 3:25.31.
“We knew we had what it takes to do it,” said Alfred, the MVP of Texas’ NCAA title on this track a year ago. “So it’s a matter of trusting each other.”
Now it’s back to Paris preparations for the world 60 champ and her training partners.
“We have a good training group,” said Alfred, a finalist in both the 100 and 200 at last summer’s outdoor Worlds in Budapest. “So now we’re just getting back to the basics, working on endurance, especially after indoors and just doing only the 60 meters. So now we’re just trying to build my endurance again.”
Harvard grad Gabby Thomas, who moved to Austin for grad school, also demonstrated good early season fitness. Thomas was a whirlwind, running three races in less than two hours. She opened her day as second leg of a winning 42.45 USA 4×1 (teaming with Celera Barnes, Tamara Clark and Morolake Akinosun). Individually, she followed with a windy 10.88 (2.2) and finished with a legal 22.08 (1.2).
“I think it bodes well for the outdoor season,” Thomas said. “We haven’t done a lot of speed work yet, so I feel really comfortable with where I’m at.
“I’m not entirely sure what I’m gonna do at Trials yet,” she added. “I keep toying with the idea of doing a 400/200 double, but I did the 100, 200 double the last time and it went really well. So we’ll see. But I’m focused on getting a gold at the Olympics in the 200 meters, so whatever gets me there.”
Valarie Allman opened her season well with a 223-0 (67.98) toss in the discus. If the American Record holder didn’t already exist, the throw would have made her No. 4 all time on the U.S. list.
Of course, this effort doesn’t even crack Allman’s top 25 — just another day at the office for the Olympic champ. Her collegiate competition could only watch in awe. Allman’s worst legal throw would still have won.
Among collegians, the best performance came from D2 vaulter Brynn King of Roberts Wesleyan. If the junior were still in D1 (she started at Duke), her second-attempt 15-4¼ (4.68) would be good for =No. 4 on the collegiate ATL. She took the measure of Washington superfrosh Hana Moll, whose 15-2¾ (4.64) indoor clearance in January leads the yearly D1 list.
TEXAS RELAYS WOMENS RESULTS
100(1.6): 1. *Alyssa Colbert (TxT) 11.13; 2. *Iyana Gray (TCU) 11.25; 3. Niesha Burgher’ (UTEP-Jam) 11.25.
800: 1. Shafiqua Maloney’ (StV) 2:00.25; 2. Kelly-Ann Beckford’ (Hous-Jam) 2:02.88; 3. **Sanu Jallow (Ar) 2:03.66.
5000: 1. Elizabeth Leachman (TxHS) 15:25.27 HSR (old HSR 15:25.93 Natalie Cook [TxHS] ’22; ) (3, 3 AJ).
100H(2.7): 1. Denisha Cartwright’ (Mank-Bah) 12.81w; 2. *Marissa Simpson’ (UTEP-Jam) 12.92w; 3. Jada Hicks (Cal) 12.99w; 4. Aliyah Logan’ (NMSt-Can) 13.06w; 5. Antoinette Van der Merwe’ (Clem-SA) 13.15w.
400H: 1. ***Akala Garrett (Tx) 56.19; 2. Sydni Townsend (Hous) 56.36; 3. Jacy Pulse (SD) 57.87; 4. *Hannah Antkoviak (OlN) 57.99.
4 x 100: 1. Texas Tech 43.45; 2. Ohio State 43.79; 3. TCU 43.96; 4. Howard 44.37; 5. UTEP 44.40; 6. South Dakota 44.68.
4 x 200: 1. Team International’ 1:27.05 WR (old WR 1:27.46 Nike ’00) (Asher-Smith’, Adeleke’, L. Thomas’, Alfred’); 2. Arkansas 1:31.11 (#8 school);
3. Texas 1:32.70; 4. BYU 1:34.72; 5. Clemson 1:34.78.
4 x 400: 1. Arkansas 3:27.05 (Brown 52.5, Anning’ 51.7, Pryce’ 51.73, Effiong 51.19); 2. Houston 3:28.01 (Mouton 50.82); 3. UCLA 3:31.27; 4. Texas 3:33.19.
4 x 800: 1. TCU 8:31.94; 2. Clemson 8:32.77; 3. Arkansas 8:44.43.
SpMed: 1. Clemson 3:44.40; 2. Academy of Art 3:53.00.
DisMed: 1. Arkansas 11:21.87; 2. Texas Tech 11:24.32.
HJ: 1. ***Temitope Adeshina’ (TxT-Ngr) 6-1½ (1.87); 2. Cierra Allphin (BYU) 6-0 (1.83).
PV: I–1. *Olivia Lueking (Ok) 14-5¼ (4.40); 2. ***Alencia Lentz (Bay) 14-1¼ (4.30); 3. ***Molly Haywood (Bay) 14-1¼; 4. *Chloe Timberg (Rut) 14-1¼; 5. Gennifer Hirata (SD) 14-1¼.
II–1. Amari Turner (Cal) 14-3¼ (4.35).
LJ: 1. ***Aaliyah Foster’ (Tx-Jam) 22-1¾ (6.75); 2. *Jasmine Akins (Ok) 21-5½w (6.54); 3. ***Ida Breigan’ (UTSA-Nor) 21-3¼w (6.48); 4. Rougui Sow’ (Fra) 21-0w (6.40).
TJ: 1. Ruta Lasmane’ (TxT-Lat) 45-6½w (13.88) (44-6/13.56); 2. Anne-Suzanna Fosther-Katta’ (TxT-Fra) 44-6¾ (13.58).
SP: 1. *Chrystal Herpin (Tx) 59-7¾ (18.18); 2. *Jayden Ulrich (Louis) 59-¾ (18.00); 3. KeAyla Dove (unat) 58-11½ (17.97); 4. Marilyn Nwora (Tx) 56-10¼ (17.33).
DT: 1. **Ines Lopez (AzSt) 172-3 (52.51); 2. *Margaret Stevenson (GVal) 170-2 (51.87).
HT: 1. *Guðrún Hallgrímsdóttir’ (VaC-Ice) 224-5 (68.40); 2. **Elísabet Rut Rúnarsdóttir’ (TxSt-Ice) 219-4 (66.85); 3. *Kassidy Gallagher (Ok) 212-4 (64.72).
JT: 1. Federica Botter’ (UCLA-Ita) 185-4 (56.48); 2. Ariana Ince (unat) 180-4 (54.98); 3. *Maria Bienvenu (TCU) 178-7 (54.45); 4. Arianne Morais’ (UTEP-Nor) 177-9 (54.18);
5. ***Irene Jepkemboi’ (TCU-Ken) 177-8 (54.16); 6. **Christiana Ellina’ (FlInt-Cyp) 172-2 (52.49).
Hept: 1. Jenelle Rogers (Ball) 5825; 2. Kaitlin Smith (unat) 5678; 3. Kristīne Blaževiča’ (Tx-Lat) 5662; 4. Charity Hufnagel (Ky) 5609; 5. *Ilse Steigenga’ (Pitt-Neth) 5544.
Invitational Events
100(2.2): 1. Gabby Thomas (NBal) 10.88w; 2. Celera Barnes (adidas) 11.00w; 3. Tamara Clark (adidas) 11.03w.
200: I(2.3)–1. Niesha Burgher’ (UTEP-Jam) 22.85w.
II(1.2)–1. Thomas 22.08 (WL);
2. Tamara Clark (adidas) 22.21; 3. Lynna Irby-Jackson (adidas) 22.70.
100H: I(3.2)–1. Andrenette Knight’ (Jam) 13.07w.
II(1.3)–1. Christina Clemons (TBBTC) 12.79; 2. Kaylah Robinson (AthTX) 12.87.
400H: 1. Jessica Wright (TBBTC) 57.42; 2. Alanah Yukich’ (Aus) 57.53; 3. Bianca Stubler (TBBTC) 57.56.
4 x 100: 1. USA Red 42.25 (WL) (Barnes, Thomas, Clark, Akinosun);
2. USA Blue 43.39; 3. USA White 43.68; 4. Athletics TX 43.70.
4 x 400: 1. Team International’ 3:25.31 (Adeleke’ 51.19, Alfred’ 50.97); 2. Captain Athletics 3:25.87 (Peoples 52.3, Little 50.9, Wilson 51.8, Maloney’ 50.9); 3. USA Blue 3:26.77 (Hayes 50.61); 4. USA Red 3:29.40; 5. Athletics TX 3:29.64.
PV: 1. *Brynn King (RobW) 15-4¼ (4.68) (all divisions: =4, =7 C) (14-1¼, 14-9 [xo], 15-4¼ [xo], 15-6½ [xxx]) (4.30, 4.50 [xo], 4.68 [xo], 4.74 [xxx]);
2. ***Hana Moll (Wa) 14-9 (4.50); 3. Anicka Newell’ (Can) 14-9; 4. Emily Grove (unat) 14-9.
TJ: 1. Keturah Orji (Miz) 47-4½ (14.44) (43-10¾/13.38); 2. Mylana Hearn (unat) 43-8½ (13.32).
DT: 1. Valarie Allman (Asics) 223-0 (67.98) (WL) (210-10, 214-3, 210-4, 223-0, 209-5, f) (64.27, 65.31, 64.12, 67.98, 63.85, f);
2. *Jayden Ulrich (Louis) 197-4 (60.16); 3. *Michaelle Valentin’ (FlInt-Hai) 191-4 (58.32); 4. *Marie Forbes’ (Clem-Jam) 175-10 (53.61).
