LUBBOCK, TEXAS – UT Tyler posted their second consecutive strong weekend to open up the outdoor season as they head into the thick of their schedule on their way to the LSC Championships later this spring.
 
Leading off the day was pole vaulter Abeni Kratzmeyer, who posted a third place finish behind just a pair of athletes from Texas Tech. Kratzmeyer took all three chances at 3.80 meters before being one of the last three competitors. She cleared 3.95 meters on her third jump as well, but was unable to clear the bar at 4.05 meters to just miss out on a chance at the title.
 
Mthabisi Mpofu took his runs at the men's long jump at nearly the same time as Kratzmeyer, and he launched himself into the top 10 with his third jump of the day. That jump measured 6.69 meters, and was just a centimeter ahead of 10^th place and less than a centimeter from an 8^th place finish.
 
Marigold Hunter would get her chance to shine in the women's 3000 meter steeplechase as she claimed an event victory in the discipline with a time of 12:53.82.
 
Rounding out the field events was Ty McDaniel in the men's hammer throw, and he made a big statement with a fourth place finish in a field loaded with LSC competitors. His throw of 54.63 meters came on his last throw of the day, a throw that solidified his spot in the top five.
 
The top event of the day for the Patriots was arguably the men's 110 meter hurdles, as three different Patriots earned a top 10 finish. Tristan Meadors earned a ninth place finish with a time of 14.57 seconds while finishing fourth in his heat. He finished just two spots behind teammate Brandon Arenas, as Arenas ran a time of 14.48 seconds to place seventh and second in their heat. The best finish in the event belonged to Ashton Turner, who ran his way to a third place finish in a time of 14.24 seconds. That mark would finish just .05 seconds behind second place and .02 seconds ahead of fourth.
 
Just a couple of hours later, Turner rewrote the UT Tyler record books in the 400 meter hurdles as he continued his strong day. His time of 53.22 clears the previous record by .07 seconds and placed himself fourth overall in the competition.
 
Nathan Williams in the 100 meters would narrowly miss out on a top 10 finish as he ran a time of 10.65 seconds to finish 11^th. That time finishes just .01 seconds from 10^th, and a tenth of a second from putting himself inside the top seven overall. In the 200 meters later on in the day, he placed 14^th in a time of 21.69 seconds. That time finishes just .12 seconds outside of the top 10 and .15 seconds from being the top LSC finisher.
 
In one of the final events of the day, Jason Alcala and Landon Thornton each put on a solid showing in the men's 5000 meters. Alcala would get the better of Thornton, posting a time of 15:26.13 on his way to a fifth place run. Thornton placed eighth overall at a time of 15:56.60, just over half a second clear of 9^th place.
 
The final Patriots event of the Masked Rider Open came in the women's 4x400 meters, and the Patriots posted a fifth place finish in the event thanks to the efforts of Amorie Willis, Aerin Thompson, Jaysa Coney, and Marissa Agee. They collectively ran a time of 4:09.39 to post the fourth fastest time in school history.
 
The Patriots will now get to return to Tyler, Texas for a few days before heading back out for one of the biggest weeks of their season. Next week they will take on the prestigious Texas Relays and the Bobcat Invitational as they face off against top level competition from across the country.