Completed Event: Track and Field at Texas Relays on March 26, 2025 ,
Track & Field
at Texas Relays
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: MSH Photography
New school record highlights Day 3
5/11/2018 6:36:00 PM | Track and Field
Freshman Schwartz breaks pole vault record
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Big performances from veterans and newcomers highlighted a Day 2 that saw multiple conference titles as well as a new school record at Day 3 of the Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
"It is a good day to be a part of the Grand Canyon track and field program," head coach Tom Flood said. "We have positioned ourselves very well with today's performances to go out tomorrow and win a couple WAC titles."
The baton has been passed in the women's pole vault from senior Jennifer Johnson (Rolph) to freshman Alyson Schwartz as the newcomer broke the school record in the event with a 4.05-meter jump to win her first WAC title. GCU vaulters finished first, second, fourth and eighth in the event.
Senior Marcus Flannigan had a big day in the long jump, posting a huge 7.85-meter (wind-aided) leap in the long jump to win his sixth consecutive WAC title in the long jump when the jumper from Chandler, Arizona has competed at the WAC Championships.
Sprinter Ryan Girk posted a big 20.74-second time in the 200-meter sprint to take the No. 1 seed into the finals. The mark, wind-aided at 2.6, ranks him in the top 18 in the West Region but does not qualify for a school record. Girk also takes the top time in the 100-meter dash into finals that will run Saturday.
Josh Hamberlin won his second consecutive WAC title in the hammer throw with a 60.89-meter throw to open the day as the Lopes took home three field event titles on the day.
"We got off to a great start this morning with Josh's hammer title and Marcus' huge long jump," Flood said. "I thought Ryan and Anthony ran great doubles as well."
Senior jumper Kayla Finnegan (Wilson) tied the school record in the long jump with a 6.16-meter jump on her second jump of the day. Finnegan and teammate Sarah Root finished first and second with Root's 6.03-meter jump – Andrea Olstead finished seventh with a 5.76-meter jump.
Paige Hildebrandt, the school record holder and the top seed entering the women's 3000-meter steeplechase claimed her WAC title by over 16 seconds in 10:51.44.
Daniel Flores and Alexa Hokanson are the top seeds entering finals in the men's and women's 800-meter. Flores ran a 1:57.11 and Hokanson finished in 2:18.18.
Anthony Phelps had a strong race in the 400-meter hurdles, running a 52:50 as four Lopes hurdled their way into finals.
William Winfield IV and Briana Myers are the top seed in the men's 110-meter hurdles and the 100-meter hurdles, respectively. Root is the second-fastest time in finals in the 100 hurdles and Phelps is the third-fastest time in the 110 hurdles.
Freshman Tony Crosby finished second in the long jump with a solid 2.02-meter jump with teammates Andrew Okonkwo and Ahmir Lamar tying for fifth and Chris Linnin Jr. finishing eighth.
Latoya Gilding and Tarasue Barnett finished second and third, respectively, in the women's shot put. Freshman Kathrine Enbody finished sixth in the javelin, Adrian King and Guillermo Matesanz finished fourth and fifth in the men's long jump and Matthew Anciaux finished seventh in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase.
"I thought Sarah, Alyson, Kayla, Alexa and Briana had big days for us," Flood said. "Although we have a 51-point lead on the women's side, we will scrap for every point tomorrow and we will be led by our discus throwers, 800 runners and hope to get big performances from the sprinters and hurdlers."
At the end of Day 3 the women lead with 104 points and the men lead with 76.
"It is a good day to be a part of the Grand Canyon track and field program," head coach Tom Flood said. "We have positioned ourselves very well with today's performances to go out tomorrow and win a couple WAC titles."
The baton has been passed in the women's pole vault from senior Jennifer Johnson (Rolph) to freshman Alyson Schwartz as the newcomer broke the school record in the event with a 4.05-meter jump to win her first WAC title. GCU vaulters finished first, second, fourth and eighth in the event.
Senior Marcus Flannigan had a big day in the long jump, posting a huge 7.85-meter (wind-aided) leap in the long jump to win his sixth consecutive WAC title in the long jump when the jumper from Chandler, Arizona has competed at the WAC Championships.
Sprinter Ryan Girk posted a big 20.74-second time in the 200-meter sprint to take the No. 1 seed into the finals. The mark, wind-aided at 2.6, ranks him in the top 18 in the West Region but does not qualify for a school record. Girk also takes the top time in the 100-meter dash into finals that will run Saturday.
Josh Hamberlin won his second consecutive WAC title in the hammer throw with a 60.89-meter throw to open the day as the Lopes took home three field event titles on the day.
"We got off to a great start this morning with Josh's hammer title and Marcus' huge long jump," Flood said. "I thought Ryan and Anthony ran great doubles as well."
Senior jumper Kayla Finnegan (Wilson) tied the school record in the long jump with a 6.16-meter jump on her second jump of the day. Finnegan and teammate Sarah Root finished first and second with Root's 6.03-meter jump – Andrea Olstead finished seventh with a 5.76-meter jump.
Paige Hildebrandt, the school record holder and the top seed entering the women's 3000-meter steeplechase claimed her WAC title by over 16 seconds in 10:51.44.
Daniel Flores and Alexa Hokanson are the top seeds entering finals in the men's and women's 800-meter. Flores ran a 1:57.11 and Hokanson finished in 2:18.18.
Anthony Phelps had a strong race in the 400-meter hurdles, running a 52:50 as four Lopes hurdled their way into finals.
William Winfield IV and Briana Myers are the top seed in the men's 110-meter hurdles and the 100-meter hurdles, respectively. Root is the second-fastest time in finals in the 100 hurdles and Phelps is the third-fastest time in the 110 hurdles.
Freshman Tony Crosby finished second in the long jump with a solid 2.02-meter jump with teammates Andrew Okonkwo and Ahmir Lamar tying for fifth and Chris Linnin Jr. finishing eighth.
Latoya Gilding and Tarasue Barnett finished second and third, respectively, in the women's shot put. Freshman Kathrine Enbody finished sixth in the javelin, Adrian King and Guillermo Matesanz finished fourth and fifth in the men's long jump and Matthew Anciaux finished seventh in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase.
"I thought Sarah, Alyson, Kayla, Alexa and Briana had big days for us," Flood said. "Although we have a 51-point lead on the women's side, we will scrap for every point tomorrow and we will be led by our discus throwers, 800 runners and hope to get big performances from the sprinters and hurdlers."
At the end of Day 3 the women lead with 104 points and the men lead with 76.
Players Mentioned
DIS
/ Track and Field
THR
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
JU/SP
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
THR
/ Track and Field
DIS
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
JUM
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
HU/JU
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
HU
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