Throwing into the history books: Two school records fall as Houston track & field hosts Cameron Burrell Invitational

Houston track & field hosted the Cameron Burrell Invitational at the Carl Lewis International Complex on Wednesday and Thursday. The meet was their final competition before the Big 12 Conference Championships in Tucson, Ariz, and the Cougars won first in 19 different events, including breaking two school records in the men’s hammer throw and the men’s shot put. 

Junior Cordell Nwokeji broke UH’s shot put record with a distance of 19.79 meters, beating Mark Baughman’s 19.57-meter record set 47 years ago.

The record in hammer throw was broken by redshirt-sophomore Ty Lott, throwing a distance of 66.89 meters.

Freshman Sean Aigboboh also set the Irish national record in his first-place performance in the 200-meter, with a time of 20.27. Aigboboh is also ranked No. 2 in the NCAA for the 200.

Field events

On the first day of the meet, sophomore Evina Panagiotou won first place in the women’s pole vault with a height of 4.21 meters.

Sophomore Caanan Wharry placed first in discus throwing for a distance of 55.18 meters.

Junior Antrea Mita and senior Turey Stoudemire placed first and second in the high jump, getting heights of 2.17 meters and 2.06 meters, respectively. 

On the women’s side of the high jump, freshman Jaiya Daniels got first place, jumping 1.43 meters.

The Cougars also got first and second in the women’s long jump, with sophomore Athena Stith getting first with a distance of 5.71 meters and sophomore Stephanie Ume-Ezeoke placing second with her distance of 5.55 meters.

Sophomore Cleo Agyepong secured another victory for herself in shot put, throwing for a distance of 16.54 meters.

To wrap up the field events, sophomore Amelia Pantoja won the women’s javelin event with a distance of 33.57 meters.

Track events

Both the women’s and men’s 4×100 meter teams won their events, the women’s team consisting of junior Ruth Agadama, sophomore Taylor Jackson, senior Matilde Ochoa and freshman Alexa Smothers won with a time of 44.91.

Meanwhile, the men’s team of senior Ryan Muholland, senior Louie Hinchliffe, senior Dakari Charleton and Aigboboh ran a time of 38.80 to win first.

In the women’s 100-meter hurdles, junior Kaycee McCoy and senior Miracle Thompson placed first and second, getting times of 13.45 and 13.67.

Houston swept both sides of the 100-meter sprint, with freshman Zyon Alston winning the women’s 100-meter with a time of 11.86, and Hinchliffe winning the men’s side with a time of 10.40.

In the men’s 800-meter, sophomore Shawn Freeman won, running a time of 1:50.65.

Sophomore King Taylor won the men’s 400-meter with a time of 47.59 and sophomore Elijah Hernandez finished second with a 48.06.

The Cougars swept the women’s side with three personal bests as freshman Jada Stanford secured the victory with a 53.74. Sophomore Carlysia Cresser ran a 54.24 for second place and freshman Mallory McLemore finished in 56.24 to take third.

Houston also secured the top three spots in the women’s 200-meter, with Alston getting first with a time of 23.15, sophomore Norah Nwonumah getting second with a time of 23.23 and Smothers finishing with a time of 23.30 for third place.

The Cougars will spend the next couple of weeks preparing for the Big 12 championships on May 14-16 in Tucson, Ariz.