PITTSBURG, KAN. – UT Tyler track & field wrapped up competition Saturday at the Gorilla Classic with a statement performance, posting four school records, multiple event titles, and a collection of top finishes against a deep national field. The Patriots leaned on dominant sprint performances and record-breaking distance efforts to close the weekend with strong momentum.
The highlight of the day came in the men's 400 meters, where Jakai Timmons raced to a first-place finish and a school-record time of 47.02, winning a 45-athlete field. Corbin Parker added a 13th-place finish in 48.50, while Zachary Paul placed 16th in 48.71. The women's 400 meters produced another standout showing, as Aerin Thompson captured the invitational section title in 53.88. Kamaria Carr followed with a third-place finish in 54.62, and Jasmine Haywood placed sixth in 56.12. In the open section, Kaylee Month finished second out of 44 runners with a time of 56.13.
UT Tyler added two more school records in the distance events. Gracie Ladner delivered a fifth-place finish in the women's mile with a record-setting 4:57.82, while Chris Kopecky broke the men's 800-meter record with a 1:52.28 performance to place fifth in a 70-runner field. David Soto also recorded a top-10 finish in the men's mile, placing eighth in 4:11.66, with Kason Miles adding a 13th-place effort in 4:16.96. In the men's 3,000 meters, Austin Ponder led the Patriots with a 10th-place finish in 8:37.40, followed by Andres Rio in 16th at 8:43.06.
The sprint group continued its strong weekend as Dylan Bennett placed fourth in the men's 60-meter dash final with a time of 6.81. UT Tyler also shined in the relays, with the women's 4x400-meter team of Kaylee Monthie, Kamaria Carr, Kymia Woodard, and Aerin Thompson racing to a first-place finish in 3:40.84. The men's 4x400-meter relay squad of Preston Ayers, Zachary Paul, Caleb Williams, and Jakai Timmons added a fourth-place result in a competitive 27-team field.
In the field events, Jada Owens broke the school record in the women's shot put with a throw of 13.49 meters to place 11th out of 36 competitors. On the men's side, Robert Myers finished 16th in the shot put with a mark of 14.70 meters, while Kaden Adams placed 19th at 14.60 meters. Maren Ware rounded out the field performances with an 11th-place finish in the women's triple jump at 11.19 meters.
The Patriots now turn their attention to the Lone Star Conference Indoor Championships, which begins on the 27th, as they look to carry their momentum from the Gorilla Classic into the conference meet.
