FORT WORTH, Texas – The UT Dallas track and field teams delivered a historic performance at the TCU Alumni Invite this weekend, shattering 16 school records across both the men’s and women’s programs. The Comets rewrote the record book over two days of competition at the Lowdon Track and Field Complex, culminating in 14 novel marks set on Saturday alone. The impressive showing signals a significant step forward for the program as it heads into the latter half of the outdoor season.
The Comet women led the charge, establishing nine new school records, while the men’s team added five to the tally. The weekend’s success builds on two records broken on Friday, demonstrating consistent improvement and a high level of performance across the board. This wave of record-breaking performances underscores the dedication of the athletes and the effectiveness of the coaching staff, according to UT Dallas Athletics.
Women’s Team Dominates Record Board
Sophomore Alexia Callahan highlighted the women’s performance, eclipsing a three-year-old record in the 5,000 meters by a substantial 51.03 seconds, finishing with a time of 19:01.37. The 4×100 meter relay team of Tia Billingsly, Michelle Bakare, Faith Lacey, and Mariah Gibson also set a new standard, clocking in at 47.69 seconds to win their heat and place sixth overall.
Freshman Grace Pritchard made an immediate impact, setting a new 100-meter hurdles record with a time of 15.50 seconds. She also excelled in the triple jump, breaking the previous record by more than two feet with a leap of 10.62 meters (34 ft.-10.25 in.). Another freshman, E’Mon Mason, contributed to the record-breaking weekend, finishing the 400 meters in 56.58 seconds, surpassing the previous record by 2.61 seconds.
Bakare continued her strong showing, shaving half a second off the 100-meter dash record set in 2023, finishing in 12.22 seconds. She added another record to her name in the 200 meters, completing the race in 25.21 seconds. The 4×400 relay team of Nahia Kelley, Abby Ellisor, Catriona Walker, and Mason further cemented the team’s dominance, breaking the record by 6.63 seconds with a time of 3:58.79.
Saniya Bosby, after breaking the high jump record on Friday, continued her impressive form by shattering the long jump record set in 2023 by 2 feet, 7.5 inches, clearing 5.45 meters (17 ft.-10.75 in.). Other notable performances included Bharvi Varu in the 1,500 meters (5:10.18), Lyla Nielsen in the 800 meters (2:34.80), Rowen Hughes in the 400-meter hurdles (1:08.46), and Chisom Mbah in the shot position (11.50 meters/37 ft.-8.75 in.).
Men’s Team Achieves Personal Bests and New Standards
On the men’s side, sophomore Alex Bozhilov finished second in the 5,000 meters, breaking the 2023 record by 6.61 seconds with a time of 14:54.49. The 4×100 relay team of Matthew Oksanen, Jay Hicks, Liam Simmons, and Blake Rippy also set a new mark, finishing in 41.22 seconds and breaking a three-year-old record.
Freshman Jay Hicks had a standout performance, breaking records in both the 100 meters (10.47 seconds) and the 200 meters (21.37 seconds). The 4×400 relay team of Rafe Premo, Blake Rippy, Franklin Perez, and Liam Simmons also contributed to the record-breaking weekend, finishing in a record time of 3:17.21.
Additional strong performances from the Comet men included JD Koller in the javelin (46.19 meters/151 ft.-6 in.), Zachary Carroll in the long jump (6.29 meters/20 ft.-7.75 in.), David Vasquez in the 400-meter hurdles (55.35 seconds), Andrew Hopkins in the 800 meters (1:58.81), Liam Simmons in the 400 meters (49.61), Matthew Kenney in the 110-meter hurdles (15.62), and Colton Dillard in the 1,500 meters (4:14.07).
Looking Ahead
The UT Dallas track and field teams will continue their season at the David Noble Relays in San Angelo, Texas, starting Thursday, March 26. Full results from the TCU Alumni Invite are available here. The Comets will seem to build on this momentum and continue to improve as they progress through the season.
The remarkable achievements at the TCU Alumni Invite demonstrate the growing strength and potential of the UT Dallas track and field program. We encourage readers to share their thoughts and support for the Comets in the comments below.
