The UTEP Track and Field team recently competed in three meets: one at the Texas Relays meet at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas, one at The Stanford Invitational at Cobb Track and Angell Field in Stanford, California, and at the Texas State Track and Field complex in San Marcos, Texas for the Bobcat Invitational. 

UTEP Track and Field had a busy weekend, but was able to make a few notable highlights, especially freshman pole vaulter Alla Parnov, who set a school record with her leap at the Texas Relays. 

Day One 

Parnov brought the house down that afternoon, garnering a school record of 4.25 meters (13-11.25) in the Women’s Pole Vault event. Parnov went into the weekend ranked No. 1 on the Conference USA performance list, breaking her previous total and school best of 4.15 meters. 

Junior Loubna Benhadja placed seventh in sprints/hurdles with 58.21 in the 400-meter hurdles prelims, beating Jax State’s Hailey Tucker’s C-USA-best. Junior multis Jalen Cadet leaped his best in San Marcos, Texas with 7.54 meters (24-9) and finished first in the men’s long jump. 

Freshman distance runner Brenda Jerop finished the afternoon in Austin with a 41:25:96 time in the women’s 10,000-meter event, topping Jax State’s Sierra Wainer, who went into the weekend as the C-USA Leader. 

Day Two 

UTEP Women’s 4×100-meter relay team, made up of seniors Niesha Burgher Zani Meaders, junior Marissa Simspon, and freshman Rejoice Sule, started the competition, clocking in at 44.78 in the first round. 

For Simpson, the first 100 m hurdles event of the outdoor season, made 13.05 time, topping LA Tech’s Tonie-Ann Forbes. Then junior Jordani Woodley in sprints/hurdles, clocked in a time of 13.59 in the men’s 110-meter hurdles prelim. 

Burgher made a highlight by posting her personal best of 11.12 in the women’s 100-meter dash, her first 100 m event of the season. Senior thrower Arianne Morais, made a C-USA/season best with a 54.18-meter toss in women’s javelin, ranking first that weekend. Then, at the Stanford Invitational, senior distance runner Kenneth Talavera clocked a 3:54.75 time in men’s 1500-meter run section two, ranking him among the top five in C-USA.

Day Three 

In the men’s 110-meter hurdiles, Woodley clocked in at 13.44 (+2.4) and third overall. Burgher clocked in at 22.85 (+2.3) in the women’s 200-meter dash invitational, finishing fourth out of 15 runners. Simpson then clocked at 12.95 (+2.7), finishing second overall in the women’s 100-meter final. 

The UTEP women’s 4×100 meter relay team finished with a time of 44.40, making fifth place. In San Marcos sophomore sprinter Mathew Polk clocked in a time of 47.05 in the men’s 400-meter dash, placing him sixth out of 58 runners. Polk did his best 10.88 in the men’s 100-meter dash.

UTEP Track and Felid will travel again for a pair of meets at the Beach Invitational (Long Beach State) and the Bryan Clay Invitational (Azusa Pacific) on April 11-13.

Catching Marginot is a contributor and can be reached at [email protected].