Grand Canyon will attend the prestigious Texas Relays for the second time in school history, sending a split squad to two different meets this weekend. Six women and eight men, along with two men's relays to the 91st running of the Texas Relays, while the rest of the team will compete at the Texas State Bobcat Invite.
"We are thrilled to once again be competing at the prestigious Texas Relays," head coach
Tom Flood said. "This meet is one of the top track and field meets of the season and will give our athletes a chance to compete against the top collegiate and Olympic-caliber athletes."
Coming off a school record-breaking 400 meter performance at the Aztec Invite, resulting in a WAC Track Athlete of the Week award,
Isaac Allanarem will be a staple in the team's 4x400 meter relay team that will compete at the Texas Relays.
In his first meet of the outdoor season,
Scott Marshall cleared 4.97 meters in the pole vault at the Aztec Invite, winning the meet by a quarter of a meter. Marshall finished tied for 13th at the NCAA Indoor Championships March 9th.
Currently ranked third in the country,
Tarasue Barnett will throw the discus at the Texas Relays. Barnett's mark of 58.78 meters is behind the nation's leader from Kansas State at 61.08 meters.
"We are hoping for ideal conditions so that our athletes can post fast times and big marks to better position ourselves for another successful run at the WAC Outdoor Championships and to qualify as many athletes as possible for the NCAA West Region Championships," Flood said.
On the very first day of competition, the heptathlon and decathlon were postponed a few hours due to weather. Meet officials are monitoring the weather closely.
Texas Relays participants:
Tarasue Barnett,
Latoya Gilding,
Kayla Finnegan (Wilson),
Tope Williams,
Briana Myers,
Sarah Root,
Ryan Girk,
Isaac Allanarem,
Anthony Stennis,
Anthony Phelps,
Guillermo Matesanz,
Guillermo Alcala Rendon,
Josh Hamberlin,
Tevin Mayfield,
William Winfield IV,
Dionee Marrero and
Marcus Flannigan.
Events for the Texas Relays begin Thursday, March 29 with Hamberlin in the hammer throw at 12 p.m. MST.
Events for the Bobcat Invite begin Friday, March 30 at 11 a.m. MST with the women's high jump.