Records crumble in San Diego

Friday, March 23

San Diego, Calif.

ALL DAY

Grand Canyon

Aztec Invitational

Photo by: Loren Orr

3/24/2018 6:06:00 PM | Track and Field

RESULTS

Three school records fall at Aztec Invite

By: Fletcher Like

SAN DIEGO – "Records were meant to be broken," and three Grand Canyon track and field athletes took that saying to heart as they shattered more school records. Three school records fell as the Lopes continued their improvement and pursuit of a WAC outdoor championship.

"I am very pleased with our student-athletes performances this weekend," head coach Tom Flood said. "For a bunch of young men and women competing at the end of their spring break, they all performed exceptionally well."

In the first day of competition, only a handful of events took place, the longer distance runs and a few of the hammer throw.

In the longer distances, Mariah Montoya took down the 5,000 meter record by ten seconds, crossing the finish line in 17:18.93.

Daniel Flores, although he did not break the school record in the 1,500 meter, the junior came within two seconds of the top-mark, running a 3:53.74. Flores already holds the school record in the indoor mile in just his first season with GCU.

On the second day of competition, two records fell, starting with the 400 meter dash record that had held since the first Division I season for GCU, back in 2014. Isaac Allanarem chased the record down and shattered the record by over three-tenths of a second, breaking the 47-second barrier by running a 46.90.

Later in the day Jesse Newman broke his previous school record in the javelin by launching a 63.25 meter throw, breaking his previous record by 40 centimeters.

Alexa Hokanson, a 400 specialist doubled her normal distance and ran a solid time in the 800 meter race, posting a 2:14.42, only one second off the school record time.

Freshman Dora Filipovic also ran a race she normally doesn't run, competing in the 400 and posting a 56.70 before turning around and getting ready to run a 200, throwing down a time of 24.63 seconds.

Anthony Phelps put down the second-best 400 meter hurdles time, crossing in 51.70 seconds, a new personal-record for the senior.

Tarasue Barnett won the discus for the second consecutive meet, beating an Oklahoma thrower by one inch. Barnett entered the day with the nation's best mark.

Senior Ryan Girk opened up his individual events of the day with a 10.51 sprint in the 100 meter. The Arizona-native then ran a 21.40 in the 200 meter sprint.

Jennifer Johnson (Rolph) jumped well in the pole vault, jumping 3.97 meters, the redshirt-senior won the event at Indoor WAC Championships.

"We have been coming to this meet for six years and this was by far the best we have performed here," Flood said.

"It is back to business this next week as we look to get even better at the prestigious Texas Relays."

The Lopes will travel to Austin, Texas to compete in the 91^st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. Events are set to get underway for the Lopes on Thursday March 29 with the meet going through March 31.