Posted: Apr 22, 2023
GEORGETOWN, Texas - With 10 events in the books, Trinity University find themselves with a 27 point lead over second-place Texas Lutheran University after Day One of the 2023 SCAC Men's Track and Field Championship. Official Website | Results | Photo Gallery
For the second consecutive year, a new SCAC championship record was established in the 4x100 relay as TLU's quartet of Weston Guzman, Wyatt Wilson, Bryce Powell-Chimene and Elijah Jefferson ran the first sub 41.00 time in league history, crossing the line in a time of 40.91.
DAY ONE STANDINGS
1. Trinity - 142
2. Texas Lutheran - 115
3. Colorado College - 50
4. St. Thomas - 38
5. Southwestern - 31
6. Centenary - 10
T7. Dallas - 0
T7. Schreiner - 0
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Colorado College jumped out to a quick start to the 2023 championship meet, taking the top two places in the first event of the day, the 10,000 meters. Junior James Settles became the fifth straight CC Tiger to take top honors in the event, crossing the line in a winning time of 32:20.95 - the second-fastest time in SCAC championship meet history. Settles won the event in 2021 and becomes the seventh multi-winner in the 10,000 (watch post race interview). His teammate, junior Devlin Swanson, followed in 32:21.92. First-year Nathaniel Trevino of Trinity finished strong to take the last all-SCAC slot and third place with a time of 32:26.91.
- For the second consecutive year, Trinity junior Diego Flores (watch post race interview) took top honors in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, splashing to a 9:46.10 finish. Flores is just the fifth man in SCAC championship meet history to win the event in back-to-back seasons and the first since Trinity's Michael Erickson took top honors in 2015 and 2016. Junior James Urbina of St. Thomas finished second in a time of 10:00.02 and Trinity's Logan Nasky rounded out the all-SCAC team with a third place finish of 10:02.04.
- In the first field event of the day, Texas Lutheran's Riley Denman (watch post event interview) led a contingent of Bulldogs who finished 1-2-3 to sweep all-SCAC honors in the hammer throw. The sophomore took gold with a toss of 48.99 meters (160' 9"), the fourth-longest throw in SCAC championship meet history and the seventh straight year a TLU man has walked away with gold in the hammer. Juniors Chase Cook and Weston Geiger finished second and third with tosses of 47.15 meters (154' 8") and 44.77 meters (146' 11"), respectively.
- Sophomore Ezra Acero of Texas Lutheran (watch post event interview) took top honors in the pole vault, clearing 4.54 meters (14' 10 3/4') to best the field. He is the first TLU man to win the pole vault since Chad Weiland earned gold in back-to-back years in 2017 and 2018. A pair of Trinity freshman rounded out the all-SCAC squad in the event as Adrian Suarez and Seth Jacobs both cleared 4.09 meters (13' 5") to finish second and third, respectively. Suarez earned the higher podium finish due to less fouls.
- In the long jump, Trinity senior Casey Hampton (watch post event interview) claimed top honors with a leap of 7.22 meters (23' 8 1/4"), the third-longest jump in SCAC championship meet history. Hampton, who finished as runner-up a year ago to his former teammate and three-time winner Sean Majors, is the seventh straight Trinity athlete to win the long jump competition. Junior Bryce Mcintyre of St. Thomas and sophomore Jamal Maxey of Southwestern tied for second as both jumped 6.91 meters (22' 8").
- After back-to-back second place finishes in the event, Trinity senior Cooper Tyler picked up his first career SCAC gold medal, earning first-place honors in the javelin with a toss of 58.12 meters (190' 8"). He defeated last year's champion, junior Weston Geiger of Texas Lutheran, who took silver this year with a best throw of 54.54 meters (178' 11"). Sophomore Pierce Jackson of Trinity finished in third, rounding out the all-SCAC team, with a toss of 53.58 meters (175' 9").
- The first event of the afternoon session produced the first record-breaking performance of the meet as the Texas Lutheran contingent of Weston Guzman, Wyatt Wilson, Bryce Powell-Chimene and Elijah Jefferson (watch post race interview) shattered the SCAC record in the 4x100, crossing the line in a time of 40.91. The time is also tied for the second-fastest in Division III this year and broke the former conference mark of 41.18, which was set a year ago by Trinity. The Trinity 4x1 team finished second with a time of 41.68 and Southwestern was third in 42.16.
- TLU soccer all-American senior Luis Green (watch post race interview) made his SCAC Track and Field debut in the 800 meter run and proved his speed on the pitch could translate to the track with a first-place finish in the event in a time of 1:56.44. With the victory, Green becomes just the second Texas Lutheran athlete to win the event (following Dillan Wendel from 2019). First-year Jacob Smith of St. Thomas was second in a time of 1:56.59 and sophomore Will Salony of Trinity placed third in 1:57.05.
- Trinity junior Justin Johnson (watch post race interview) earned his second consecutive title in the 400 meter hurdles, breaking the tape in a winning time of 54.09. The victory marks the third straight year a Trinity runner has taken home gold in the event and Johnson becomes just the fourth SCAC male to win the 400 meter hurdles in consecutive years. First-year Rickey Franks of Texas Lutheran finished second in a time of 54.94 and Trinity senior Kyle Anderson was third in 54.99.
- In the final race of the day, sophomore Elijah Jefferson of Texas Lutheran (watch post race interview) charted the second-fastest 200 meter time in SCAC championship meet history and took gold medal honors with a 21.34 finish. Only former Bulldog all-American Marquis Brown's time of 21.31 at the 2017 championships is better than the mark posted by Jefferson on Saturday in the 200 meters at the conference meet - an event a TLU athlete has won the last eight years. St. Thomas junior Bryce Mcintyre picked up his second all-SCAC honor of the meet with a second place finish (21.56) and TLU sophomore Wyatt Wilson was third (21.59).
UP NEXT
- Competition resumes tomorrow with the men's 5000-meter final at 8:00 a.m., followed by the women's event at 8:30 a.m. A complete schedule of events can be found here.
