PITTSBURG, KANSAS – UT Tyler track and field opened their 2025 indoor season with a strong all-around showing at the Crimson & Gold Invite, highlighted by a school record, multiple NCAA provisional marks, and several top-five finishes across both track and field.
Action began in the field events, where Kaitlyn Johnson led the Patriots with an 11th-place finish in the women's weight throw behind a toss of 14.19 meters. On the men's side, Hunter Rivet opened his season with a mark of 14.53 meters to place 14th. In the women's shot put, UT Tyler stacked two top-11 finishes as Jada Owens placed ninth with a throw of 12.04 meters while Juliane Frueh followed close behind in 11th with a mark of 11.60 meters.
The track events began with a statement performance in the men's 60-meter hurdles, where Brandon Arenas secured sixth place in 8.14 seconds — a time that also qualified as an NCAA provisional mark. In the women's edition, Isabel Jakobsen placed 12th after crossing in 9.11.
The men's 60-meter dash produced another provisional mark for the Patriots as Tylan Johnson sprinted to a fourth-place finish in 6.77 seconds. Landon Smith and Jackson Crysup added depth to the event with times of 6.91 and 6.92, placing 14th and 16th respectively.
The distance action was headlined by an impressive comeback run from David Soto in the men's mile. After sitting 41st at the 100-meter split, Soto surged through the field to finish sixth in 4:20.56. Teammate Chris Kopecky also earned a top-15 finish, placing 15th in 4:24.71. In the women's mile, Calista Turner clocked a 5:16.64 to take 16th overall.
The women's 400 meters saw one of the best combined performances of the day for UT Tyler, with Hannah Lakin (56.54) and Kymia Woodard (56.76) placing fourth and fifth to give the Patriots a pair of top-five finishes. In the men's 800 meters, Caleb Williams climbed as high as second by the 500-meter mark before finishing seventh with a time of 1:55.31.
The highlight of the day came in the women's 800 meters, where Kamaria Carr dominated wire-to-wire, claiming the event title in 2:11.11. The performance not only set a new school record but also hit an NCAA provisional qualifying standard. Macy Cogburn added another strong mark for the Patriots in the event, finishing sixth in 2:15.02 after running in second through the 500-meter split.
In the men's 200 meters, Dylan Bennett posted a 10th-place finish in 22.16 to cap off the sprint action.
Relay events closed out the meet, beginning with the men's 4x400 team of Jackson Crysup, Tylan Johnson, Caleb Williams, and Landon Smith, who combined for a time of 3:19 to place 13th. The women's 4x400 squad — composed of Lakin, Carr, Woodard, and Cogburn — wrapped up UT Tyler's day with a fifth-place finish in 3:49.35, a mark that also stands as an NCAA provisional qualifier.
The Patriots now turn their attention to the new year, returning to action on January 16–17 in Birmingham, Alabama for the Samford Invitational.
