University Star

The Texas State track and field team brought home wins in both the Alumni Classic in San Antonio and the Bobby Lane Invitational in Arlington this weekend.

Clay Holland, assistant coach, said the top finishes are a result of the team’s hard competition.

“We had a lot of good performances,” Holland said. “As a team, you could tell everyone was competing very hard. So we are pretty pleased with the overall outcome of the meet.”

The majority of the track and field team competed at the Alumni Classic. First place finishers Elena Horn, mathematics junior, William Taudien, graphic design sophomore and Tina Valenzuela, biology freshman, led the Bobcats. Horn vaulted her season-best record with a height of 3.75 meters. Taudien recorded a time of 1:52.57 in the 800-meter run. Valenzuela won the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.03, her best of the season.

Bringing home a first place finish was the women’s 4-by-400-meter relay team consisting of Katie Miller, communication studies junior, Hayley Helfenbein, marketing freshman, Kellie Trinkaus, pre-nursing sophomore and Jennie Thomas criminal justice sophomore. The Bobcats recorded a time of 3:49.21.

Logan Cunningham, kinesiology sophomore, posted his personal-best record and placed first in the men’s pole vault, clearing a height of 5.05 meters.

“Logan vaulted his personal best,” Holland said. “I believe this is only the third time he has ever cleared this height.”

Landon Ferguson, business sophomore, competed in the men’s pole vault. Ferguson cleared 4.75 meters and won third place.

Katherine Evans, international studies senior, competed in the triple jump and set a personal-best record of 12.16 meters, placing fourth overall.

“Katy tried triple jump this week,” Holland said. “She hit a new personal best by a full foot and a half.”

Kelsey Titzman, biology sophomore, led the throwing events. She placed second in the hammer throw with a distance of 47.38 meters. Jalisa Hall, undecided sophomore, placed third in the hammer throw with a distance of 45.82 meters.

At the Bobby Lane Invitational Titzman, Hall and Jiovanna Martinez, nutrition and foods senior, competed for the Bobcats on the women’s side. Titzman recorded a distance of 48.19 meters in the hammer throw, placing third overall, while Hall finished fourth with a distance of 46.10 meters.

Martinez placed fourth overall in the women’s discus throw with a distance of 50.11, while Titzman and Hall placed seventh and 20th, respectively.

Throwers Daniel Schmidt, business management senior and Matt Oliva, international studies junior, competed in both the hammer throw and discus. Schmidt placed second overall in the hammer throw with a distance of 53.96 meters, while Oliva placed fourth with 45.12. Schmidt placed seventh in discus, and Oliva placed 12th, recording distances of 46.62 and 41.46, respectively.

Holland said the team needs to improve each week.

“We need to see that each athlete is improving in one aspect of their individual event each week,” Holland said.

The Bobcats will compete April 6 to April 9 at the Texas Relays in Austin and at the Trinity Open in San Antonio.