HOUSTON — Mia Hicks led the UTSA women's track & field team with a silver-medal performance in the shot put at Friday's Howie Ryan Invitational.
Hicks finished second in her specialty event with a season-best mark of 45-7 ¼ (13.90m), trailing only Rice's Ijeoma Ugwunze, who won the event with a measurement of 47-5 ¾ (14.47m). The sophomore from Conroe reached her top mark on her fourth attempt of the day. It was her first podium finish of the year and third of her young career.
Meanwhile, Katelynn Homb recorded a personal-record toss of 54-7 ½ (16.65m) in weight throw en route to fourth place in the field of 12. The fourth-longest mark in program history came on her second attempt of the competition, but the senior from Ventura, Calif., established a new PR on her first try (53-3/16.25m). Her previous best of 53-1 (16.18m) came at last year's Conference USA Indoor Championships.
Also in weight throw, Jemira Thomlinson placed eighth with her toss of 49-7 ¾ (15.13m) and a pair of Roadrunners freshmen —Brenttany Birdow (49-7 ¾/15.13m/ninth) and Cynthia Gonzales (42-7/12.98m/11th) — reached career bests.
Tameyah Carroll led UTSA on the track.
In her second meet of the season, the sophomore from Katy advanced to the finals in the 60-meter hurdles with a preliminary heats time of 8.93. She went on to cross the finish line in fourth place in the eight-woman final (8.97). Carroll also competed in the long jump and broke the sand in 19-7 ¾ (5.12m), which was good for 12th place.
Two other Roadrunners registered top-10 finishes at the one-day meet.
Jayela Slack (2:26.28) and Stephanie Sauceda (2:27.01) placed eighth and 10th, respectively, in the 800m.
UTSA will travel to Birmingham. Ala., next weekend for the C-USA Indoor Championships. The two-day meet is scheduled to begin on Saturday, Feb. 18.
