HOUSTON — Gary Haasbroek broke a school record and is in first place after the first day of the heptathlon, as the UTSA track & field teams opened competition in the Houston Invitational on Friday at Yeoman Fieldhouse.
Haasbroek leaped 7.65 meters (25-1 ¼) to break the UTSA men's indoor long jump record in his second of four events on the first day of the heptathlon. On his third and final attempt, the freshman from Australia eclipsed the previous school standard of 7.63m set by Tyler Williamson in 2012.
Haasbroek leads the heptathlon field of 13 athletes with a total of 3,255 points. He opened with a 7.02 clocking in the 60m and followed his record-setting long jump performance with a 37-9 ½ (11.52m) measurement in the shot put and a 6-8 clearance in the high jump. With three events — 60m hurdles, pole vault and 1,000m — remaining on Saturday, he has his sights set on the Australian national record of 4,875 points and the UTSA standard of 5,519 established in 2005 by Brandon Buteaux.
Jake McDaniel is in seventh place with 2,847 points and Justin Wright is 10th (2,272) entering the final day of the heptathlon.
The men secured a pair of runner-up finishes on Friday.
Vincent Perez finished second in the weight throw with a mark of 60-5 ¾ (18.43m). The senior from San Antonio won this same event at the same facility with a personal-best throw at last week's FasTrak Invitational.
Meanwhile, in the final race of the day, the men's distance medley relay team of Luca Chatham, Zack Kovar, Caleb Devereaux and Monty Bertschy crossed second with a season-best 10:08.06 clocking.
On the women's side, Danielle Spence set a new personal best with a 19-2 ¾ (5.86m) measurement to finish second in the long jump and qualify for Saturday's Invitational section. The sophomore from Jamaica bettered her previous indoor PR of 16-11 ½ (5.17m) by more than two feet.
Gabriyella Torres scored a fourth-place finish in the pentathlon with 3,661 points. The senior from Port Isabel, Texas, opened the five-event competition with a personal-best 8.91 clocking in the 60m hurdles and followed that with a 5-3 ¼ (1.61m) clearance in the high jump. Torres measured 32-4 ¾ (9.87m) in the shot put and matched a career best with a mark of 18-10 ¾ (5.76m) in the long jump before clocking a 2:30.44 in the 800m.
In other action for the women, Caroline Bellows cleared 12-1 ½ (3.70m) to finish 10th and better her previous PR of 12-0, while Olivia Esemena placed third in the B section of the 200m in 25.47 and fourth in the qualifying section of the 60m in 7.66.
Meanwhile, Vasha Sheriff and Mikael Dawkins finished third (21.77) and fourth (22.16), respectively in the B section of the men's 200m, while Chris Rosales clocked a 50.13 for fourth in the B section of the 400m.
The final day of the Houston Invitational will get underway on Saturday morning.
UTSA Results
MEN
60 Meters (Qualifying)
12. Mikael Dawkins 6.95
31. Jayden Bunting 7.19
200 Meters (B Section)
3. Vasha Sheriff 21.77
4. Mikael Dawkins 22.16
22. Jayden Bunting 23.46
400 Meters (B Section)
4. Chris Rosales 50.13
19. Jared Taylor 52.88
Distance Medley Relay
2. Luca Chatham, Zack Kovar, Caleb Devereaux, Monty Bertschy 10:08.06
Weight Throw
2. Vincent Perez 18.43m (60-5 ¾)
6. Steven Thomas 17.26m (56-7 ½)
Heptathlon (Day 1/Through Four Events)
1. Gary Haasbroek 3,255 points
60 Meters (7.02/875); Long Jump (7.65m [25-1 ¼]/972; Shot Put (11.52m [37-9 ½]/577; High Jump (2.03m [6-8]/831)
7. Jake McDaniel 2,847 points
60 Meters (7.40/745); Long Jump (6.89m [22-7 ¼]/788); Shot Put (11.32m [37-1 ¾]/565); High Jump (1.94m [6-4 ¼]/749)
10. Justin Wright 2,272 points
60 Meters (7.58/687); Long Jump (5.89m [19-4]/563); Shot Put (9.87m [32-4 ¾]/478); High Jump (1.70m [5-7]/544)
WOMEN
60 Meters (Qualifying)
4. Olivia Esemena 7.66
200 Meters (B Section)
3. Olivia Esemena 25.47
60-Meter Hurdles (Qualifying)
19. Chase Whiting 10.41
Pole Vault
10. Caroline Bellows 3.70m (12-1 ½)
— Alexandria Gray NH
Long Jump
2. Danielle Spence 5.86m (19-2 ¾)
Weight Throw
7. Maia Campbell 15.70m (51-6 ¼)
16. Faith Olszak 13.68m (44-10 ¾)
17. Cynthia Gonzales 13.62m (44-8 ¼)
— Lacee Barnes FOUL
Pentathlon
4. Gabriyella Torres 3,661 points
60-Meter Hurdles (8.91/929); High Jump (1.61m [5-3 ¼]/747); Shot Put (9.87m [32-4 ¾]/521); Long Jump (5.76m [18-10 ¾]/777); 800 Meters (2:30.44/687)
