BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA – The UT Tyler track & field team turned in an outstanding opening day at the Samford Invitational, posting multiple top-eight finishes, four school records, and 22 new marks on the program's all-time top 10 list while competing against a deep field featuring Division I and Division II talent.
UT Tyler opened the meet with strong performances in the field events, led by Jada Owens, who placed eighth out of 24 competitors in the weight throw with a mark of 14.29 meters, as only Division I athletes finished ahead of her. Maren Ware delivered a historic effort in the triple jump, placing eighth out of 20 with a leap of 11.48 meters while breaking the UT Tyler school record in the event. In the high jump, Alesha Jackson cleared 1.56 meters to finish sixth out of 16, while Zakaiya Hunte matched that height to place eighth.
On the men's side of the field events, Hunter Rivet placed 17th out of 26 in the weight throw with a toss of 14.95 meters. In the shot put, Robert Myers recorded a top-eight finish, placing eighth out of 24 with a mark of 15.92 meters, while Kaden Adams followed closely behind in 12th place with a throw of 15.31 meters.
The Patriots continued to shine on the track, highlighted by multiple top-10 finishes and program firsts. Brandi Drake placed 16th out of 57 in the 60-meter preliminaries with a time of 7.75 seconds. In the 60-meter hurdles, Zakaiya Hunte finished 10th out of 44, narrowly missing qualification by just two positions, while Isabel Jakobsen placed 14th with a time of 9.04.
In distance action, Macy Cogburn delivered a landmark performance, becoming the first UT Tyler Patriot to run a sub-five-minute mile, finishing ninth out of 39 with a time of 4:59.37 while also posting the top Division II finish in the event. Gracie Ladner followed with another historic effort, placing ninth out of 37 in the 3000 meters while breaking the UT Tyler school record with a time of 10:04.24.
Aerin Thompson turned in one of the top performances of the day, placing third out of 36 in the 400 meters with a time of 55.54 seconds before adding a sixth-place finish out of 50 in the 200 meters (24.86). In the 800 meters, Kamaria Carr placed fourth out of 23 with a time of 2:14.68, while Kymia Woodard (2:19.40) and Nina Allmark (2:20.72) finished eighth and 10th, respectively. Jasmine Haywiid added a 10th-place finish in the 200 meters, crossing in 24.94 seconds.
On the men's track, Tylan Johnson qualified for the 60-meter finals after placing second out of 54 in the preliminaries with a time of 6.77 seconds before finishing seventh in the finals (6.84). Dylan Bennett narrowly missed qualification, placing 11th in the prelims with a time of 6.89. In the 60-meter hurdles, Demeion Smith Jr. qualified for the finals after finishing 10th out of 24 with a time of 8.51.
Distance standout David Soto delivered a historic performance in the 3000 meters, winning the event with a time of 8:17.80 to break the UT Tyler school record previously held since 2022. Kason Miles added a sixth-place finish in the event with a time of 8:32.79, while Chris Kopecky placed fourth out of 20 in the mile with a time of 4:15.06. Jakai Timmons recorded a podium finish in the 400 meters, placing third out of 29 with a time of 48.21. Johnson and Bennett added top-10 finishes in the 200 meters, placing sixth (21.58) and ninth (21.83), respectively. The men's 4x400 relay team of Jackson Crysup, William Davis, Caleb Williams, and Zachary Paul capped off the day with a sixth-place finish in a time of 3:17.04.
The UT Tyler women's team accounted for 11 new performances on the program's all-time top 10 list, highlighted by school records from Maren Ware (triple jump), Gracie Ladner (3000 meters), Macy Cogburn (mile). While the men's team joined in with 11 of their own with David Soto (3000 meters) highlighting their evening.
UT Tyler track & field will continue competition tomorrow at the Samford Open, with several Patriots still set to compete as the weekend continues.
