RELATED LINKSDay 1 resultsPhoto galleryChenale Smith's winning high jump clearance (video)
NORMAN, Okla. — Junior Chenale Smith won UTSA's first high jump title in 18 years and the distance medley relay of sophomores Isabel Balbontin, Grace Williamson, Nina Herrera and Alyssa Diaz gave the Roadrunners gold for the third time in the last four seasons during Friday's opening day of the Southland Conference Indoor Championships.
Smith matched her personal best with a clearance of 5-8 ¾ (1.75m) and she became the first Roadrunner since Janet Booker to win the league's high jump crown. It marked the program's third championship in the event, as Booker also was victorious in 1993.
Meanwhile, the DMR clocked the fourth-fastest performance in school annals, an 11:59.19, en route to the school's sixth title in its 21 years in the league. However, the win did not come without drama, as the sophomore quartet edged runner-up Stephen F. Austin (11:59.48) by only 29 one-hudredths of a second and third-place Lamar was just one tick behind the Ladyjacks (11:59.49).
The pair of titles pushed the program's all-time total to 55 and 13 of those have come under the direction of fourth-year head coach Aaron Fox.
The Roadrunners trail only three-time defending champion SFA in the team standings. UTSA has scored 38 points through six scored events, which is 11.5 behind the Ladyjacks. McNeese State and Texas State are tied for third with 26 points.
The Birds also picked up a combined 11 points in the weight throw after senior Taelor Wilson and junior Katie Bragg finished third and fourth, respectively.
Wilson added nearly a foot to her program record with her 59-1 ½ (18.02m) measurement, while Bragg also recorded a personal best with her toss of 58-1 (17.70m).
UTSA's other points of the day came in the long jump where sophomores Laura Oseghae and Krystal Wynn finished in a fifth-place tie with identical marks of 18-5 (5.61m).
The two-day meet concludes on Saturday.