Completed Event: Track and Field at UNM Don Kirby Elite on February 13, 2026 ,
Track & Field
at UNM Don Kirby Elite
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Wednesday, April 17
Azusa, Calif.
Grand Canyon
at
Bryan Clay Invitational
Trio topples top team targets
4/19/2019 9:48:00 PM | Track and Field
Hokanson, Hassan break own records; Balsan breaks record for 1st time
AZUSA, Calif. – It is becoming almost expected that a Grand Canyon track and field record will fall whenever the Lopes step on the track, on the runway or in the ring. That expectation was reality yet again Friday as three more program bests were rewritten at the Bryan Clay Invitational.
"The school record streak is quite unique and has taken on a life of its own," GCU head coach Tom Flood said. "I'm looking forward to who's going to keep it alive next weekend in Tucson."
The Lopes have tied or broken a school record in 22 straight meets, spanning over almost 13 months.
During the distance carnival on Thursday night, Lopes junior Elizabeth Balsan broke the 5,000-meter run record by over three seconds. Balsan ran the 12 1/2 laps in 17 minutes, 8.13 seconds to break Mariah Montoya's record set last year. This is Balsan's first individual event school record. She also ran the first leg of the school-record distance medley relay at the WAC Indoor Championships in February.
On Friday, freshman Moataz Hassan broke his shot put record for the third consecutive meet. Hassan has progressed from 16.18 meters to 16.20 meters to his new GCU-best throw of 16.33 meters, which gave him a ninth-place finish in a deep field.
Similar to Hassan, GCU sophomore Alexa Hokanson broke her 800-meter run record by shaving nearly a full second off her fastest personal time. Hokanson ran 2:07.01 and finished second in her heat. The sophomore has broken the 800 school record three times during the outdoor season and owns the indoor and outdoor program-best times.
"These long meets can be a grind for our athletes," Flood said. "With 12-hour days and warming up three or four different times during the competition, the sun, heat, it is a lot. But I feel this week's meet was by far our most complete meet in almost every event this year."
The Lopes competed from 9 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. on Friday. A day prior, the distance crew was at the track long after 10 p.m. On Wednesday, two Lopes competed in the 10,000 meters past 9:30 p.m.
In the 400, sophomore Knowledge Omovoh ran the fourth-fastest time among Division I runners in attendance with a season-best time of 54.48.
In the grueling 400 hurdles, Guillermo Matesanz ran the second-fastest time in the WAC at 52.91 to post a personal record.
Sophomore Naudia Dawson ran 11.89 in the 100 for a personal best and the third-fastest time in the conference this year.
Freshman Bryson Benjamin posted two personal records in his specialties, the 400 and the 200. Benjamin ran the 400 in 48.05, which ranks second in the WAC this season, and ran 22.09 in the 200.
"I think Bryson's 400 was the fastest 400 by a freshman in school history," Flood said. "I was also pleased to see all five girls in the 200 ran under 25 seconds."
The women's 200 efforts were led by sophomore Dora Filipovic, who had the top time in the conference entering the meet. She posted a personal record by running a 24.24 but leaves with the second-fastest time after a New Mexico State sprinter ran a 24.12.
Omovoh ran 24.30, Dawson ran 24.78 and freshmen Kennedy Quarles and Zaire Chest ran 24.93 and 24.94, respectively.
Seniors Adrian King and Tevin Mayfield each also ran PRs in the 200.
In the field events, senior Adam Peterson jumped a personal-record 4.80 meters in the pole vault, the second time the senior has set a new personal mark in the last three meets.
Freshman Max Myers threw a personal-best 15.59 meters in the shot put and senior Courtney Logan did as well, throwing 14.49 meters.
On the first day of competition, junior Joseph Biehl and senior Kenzie Fitzgerald each set personal records in the 10,000 meters. Biehl ran 31:29.95 to finish eighth and Fitzgerald ran 37:02.02 to finish 12th.
The Lopes return to Tucson to compete in the Arizona Desert Heat Classic for the first time in school history on April 27.
"The school record streak is quite unique and has taken on a life of its own," GCU head coach Tom Flood said. "I'm looking forward to who's going to keep it alive next weekend in Tucson."
The Lopes have tied or broken a school record in 22 straight meets, spanning over almost 13 months.
During the distance carnival on Thursday night, Lopes junior Elizabeth Balsan broke the 5,000-meter run record by over three seconds. Balsan ran the 12 1/2 laps in 17 minutes, 8.13 seconds to break Mariah Montoya's record set last year. This is Balsan's first individual event school record. She also ran the first leg of the school-record distance medley relay at the WAC Indoor Championships in February.
On Friday, freshman Moataz Hassan broke his shot put record for the third consecutive meet. Hassan has progressed from 16.18 meters to 16.20 meters to his new GCU-best throw of 16.33 meters, which gave him a ninth-place finish in a deep field.
Similar to Hassan, GCU sophomore Alexa Hokanson broke her 800-meter run record by shaving nearly a full second off her fastest personal time. Hokanson ran 2:07.01 and finished second in her heat. The sophomore has broken the 800 school record three times during the outdoor season and owns the indoor and outdoor program-best times.
"These long meets can be a grind for our athletes," Flood said. "With 12-hour days and warming up three or four different times during the competition, the sun, heat, it is a lot. But I feel this week's meet was by far our most complete meet in almost every event this year."
The Lopes competed from 9 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. on Friday. A day prior, the distance crew was at the track long after 10 p.m. On Wednesday, two Lopes competed in the 10,000 meters past 9:30 p.m.
In the 400, sophomore Knowledge Omovoh ran the fourth-fastest time among Division I runners in attendance with a season-best time of 54.48.
In the grueling 400 hurdles, Guillermo Matesanz ran the second-fastest time in the WAC at 52.91 to post a personal record.
Sophomore Naudia Dawson ran 11.89 in the 100 for a personal best and the third-fastest time in the conference this year.
Freshman Bryson Benjamin posted two personal records in his specialties, the 400 and the 200. Benjamin ran the 400 in 48.05, which ranks second in the WAC this season, and ran 22.09 in the 200.
"I think Bryson's 400 was the fastest 400 by a freshman in school history," Flood said. "I was also pleased to see all five girls in the 200 ran under 25 seconds."
The women's 200 efforts were led by sophomore Dora Filipovic, who had the top time in the conference entering the meet. She posted a personal record by running a 24.24 but leaves with the second-fastest time after a New Mexico State sprinter ran a 24.12.
Omovoh ran 24.30, Dawson ran 24.78 and freshmen Kennedy Quarles and Zaire Chest ran 24.93 and 24.94, respectively.
Seniors Adrian King and Tevin Mayfield each also ran PRs in the 200.
In the field events, senior Adam Peterson jumped a personal-record 4.80 meters in the pole vault, the second time the senior has set a new personal mark in the last three meets.
Freshman Max Myers threw a personal-best 15.59 meters in the shot put and senior Courtney Logan did as well, throwing 14.49 meters.
On the first day of competition, junior Joseph Biehl and senior Kenzie Fitzgerald each set personal records in the 10,000 meters. Biehl ran 31:29.95 to finish eighth and Fitzgerald ran 37:02.02 to finish 12th.
The Lopes return to Tucson to compete in the Arizona Desert Heat Classic for the first time in school history on April 27.
Players Mentioned
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Thursday, June 18
Thursday, June 18
Thursday, June 18
Thursday, June 18