BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Gabriyella Torres won the women's pentathlon with a career performance to highlight opening-day action for UTSA at the Air Force Reserve Conference USA Indoor Track & Field Championships at the CrossPlex.
Torres posted a personal-best total of 3,722 points to secure her first career conference crown. The senior opened the five-event competition by clocking a 9.00 in the 60-meter hurdles, good for 910 points. She then cleared 5-5 (1.65 meters) in the high jump and measured 34-2 (10.41m) in the shot put.
With two disciplines remaining, the Port Isabel native posted the top long jump in the 19-person field with a leap of 18-2 ½ (5.55m) and then secured the gold medal with a time of 2:25.82 in the 800m.
Torres topped 700 points in four of the five events in eclipsing her previous PR of 3,692 posted at the 2018 Charlie Thomas Invitational. She is UTSA's eighth league champion in the pentathlon and the first since Aimee Jonas won the 2011 Southland Conference Indoor title.
Danielle Spence secured a silver medal in the long jump with a personal-best showing on Saturday afternoon. The sophomore from Jamaica leaped to a mark of 19-8 ¾ (6.01m) on the first of six attempts and wound up in second place behind Rice's Michelle Fokam (6.11m/20-0 ½). Today's jump was an improvement of more than six inches from her previous PR and she is the first Roadrunner to appear on the C-USA Indoor podium in the event since Ernestine Cray in 2014.
Maia Campbell also scored points via a sixth-place finish in the weight throw. The junior turned in a new personal best with a mark of 59-8 ¼ (18.19m) on her sixth and final throw.
In the final race of the day, Colleen Gilbert, Creshaun Cresser, Rian Rodriguez and Amber Boyd passed the baton in the distance medley relay to a time of 12:29.72 for eighth place.
Behind that quartet of top-eight finishes, the Roadrunners are in fourth place in the team standings with 22 points, trailing Rice (31), Charlotte (28) and UAB (24).
On the men's side, Vincent Perez collected a bronze medal in the weight throw with a school record-tying effort. The senior heaved the implement to a career-best distance of 64-5 (19.63m) to place third in the field and earn his first podium finish at a conference meet. The San Antonio Marshall High School product matched the school record established by his older brother, Victor, in 2017 by bettering his previous PR of 63-11 ½ (19.49m) set two weeks ago at the Charlie Thomas Invitational.
Steven Thomas also posted a personal-best effort in the weight throw to earn four more points for the Roadrunners. The junior turned in a PR of 60-2 ½ (18.35m) to place fifth and better his previous career best of 59-1 ½ (18.02m) in the event.
UTSA scratched for nine points in the high jump. Davante Edwards sailed over the bar set at 6-10 ¾ (2.10m) for fourth place and a new PR. Jake McDaniel also posted a new personal record by clearing 6-8 ¾ (2.05m) for fifth.
In the final race of the day, the distance medley relay team of Monty Bertschy, Andrew Pirog, Zack Kovar and Luca Chatham finished third with a time of 10:14.65. Those six points put UTSA in third place in the team standings with 30 behind Middle Tennessee (51) and Charlotte (32).
Gary Haasbroek has the lead through four events of the heptathlon with 3,133 points. The freshman from Australia, who shattered the UTSA record with 5,959 points at the Houston Invitational last month, clocked a 7.02 in the 60m and leaped to a distance of 23-10 ¼ (7.27m) in the long jump, both marks that led the 11-man field. After a 36-9 (11.20m) measurement in the shot put, he topped 6-7 ½ (2.02m) in the high jump to build a 100-point lead ahead of second-place Charlie Card-Childe of Rice with three events remaining.
Haasbroek also provided five points in the field with a sixth-place leap of 23-6 ¾ (7.18m) in the long jump and a seventh-place clearance of 16-0 (4.88m) in the pole vault.
McDaniel is in third place in the heptathlon with 2,925 points. The junior from Houston opened with a personal best 7.38 in the 60m before measuring 22-4 ½ (6.82m) in the long jump and 37-11 ½ (11.57m) in the shot put. He closed the first day with a 6-7 ½ (2.02m) clearance in the high jump.
In preliminary action on the track, the men advanced six to Sunday's running finals.
Senior All-American Patrick Prince moved on in his specialty, the 60m hurdles, with a season-best 7.93 clocking, the second-fastest time in the prelims. The Conroe native also advanced in the 60m with a time of 6.88.
Not only did Chatham anchor the DMR to third place, the senior from Dallas also qualified for a pair of finals. He clocked a 1:55.62 to advance in the 800m and also crossed in 4:20.54 to move on in the mile.
Bertschy, who led off the DMR, also qualified for the mile final with a time of 4:18.63, while Vasha Sheriff will race in the 400m final after posting a 47.87.
The women saw a pair of runners move on to Sunday's running finals.
Olivia Esemena clocked a 7.57 to advance in the 60m and Darionne Gibson is in the 400m final after crossing in 55.93.
The final day of the C-USA Indoor is scheduled to get underway at 9 a.m. with the second day of the heptathlon, followed by field events at 11 a.m. and running finals at 1 p.m. The awards presentation is scheduled for 4:15 p.m.
For complete meet coverage, including live results and video streams, please visit Championship Central.
UTSA Results
MEN
60 Meters (prelims)
8. Patrick Prince 6.88q
11. Kaleb Campbell 6.91
19. Desmond Jefferson 6.96
23. Mikael Dawkins 7.02
23. Davante Edwards 7.02
200 Meters (prelims)
12. Vasha Sheriff 21.81
20. Kaleb Campbell 22.37
21. Mikael Dawkins 22.38
400 Meters (prelims)
7. Vasha Sheriff 47.87q
11. Austin Crocker 48.62
16. Chris Rosales 49.68
19. Jonathan Boozer 50.19
800 Meters (prelims)
3. Luca Chatham 1:55.62Q
13. Zack Kovar 1:56.78
15. Caleb Devereaux 1:58.64
16. Cameron Hudson 1:58.99
Mile (prelims)
4. Luca Chatham 4:20.54Q
9. Monty Bertschy 4:18.63q
5,000 Meters
18. Josh Rodriguez 15:44.73
60-Meter Hurdles
2. Patrick Prince 7.93Q
12. Devall Harris 8.43
14. Justin Wright 8.59
Distance Medley Relay
3. Monty Bertschy, Andrew Pirog, Zack Kovar, Luca Chatham 10:14.65
High Jump
4. Davante Edwards 2.10m (6-10 ¾)
5. Jake McDaniel 2.05m (6-8 ¾)
9. Jamal Anderson 1.90m (6-2 ¾)
10 Gary Haasbroek 1.90m (6-2 ¾)
Pole Vault
7. Gary Haasbroek 4.88m (16-0)
Long Jump
6. Gary Haasbroek 7.18m (23-6 ¾)
9. Jake McDaniel 6.87m (22-6 ½)
10. Andre Douglas 6.87m (22-6 ½)
Weight Throw
3. Vincent Perez 19.63m (64-5)
5. Steven Thomas 18.35m (60-2 ½)
Heptathlon (through 4 events)
1. Gary Haasbroek 3,133 points
60 Meters (7.02/875); Long Jump (7.27m [23-10 ¼]/878); Shot Put (11.20m [36-9]/558; High Jump (2.02m [6-7 ½]/822)
3. Jake McDaniel 2,925 points
60 Meters (7.38/752); Long Jump (6.82m [22-4 ½]/771); Shot Put (11.57m [37-11 ½]/580); High Jump (2.02m [6-7 ½]/822)
10. Justin Wright 2,307 points
60 Meters (7.63/671); Long Jump (6.02m [19-9]/591); Shot Put (9.58m [31-5 ¼]/460; High Jump (1.75m [5-8 ¾]/585)
WOMEN
60 Meters (prelims)
8. Olivia Esemena 7.57q
19. Vera Chinedu 7.75
200 Meters (prelims)
18. Olivia Esemena 24.99
400 Meters (prelims)
3. Darionne Gibson 55.93q
12. Orla Brothers 56.81
16. Erin Wilson 57.83
21. Sierra Andres 58.49
Mile (prelims)
11. Amber Boyd 5:05.27
19. Charlette Janicek 5:14.76
60-Meter Hurdles (prelims)
12. Gabriyella Torres 9.09
Distance Medley Relay
8. Colleen Gilbert, Creshaun Cresser, Rian Rodriguez, Amber Boyd 12:29.72
Long Jump
2. Danielle Spence 6.01m (19-8 ¾)
12. Briana Washington 5.58m (18-3 ¾)
14. Gabriyella Torres 5.55m (18-2 ½)
Weight Throw
6. Maia Campbell 18.19m (59-8 ¼)
16. Faith Olszak 16.27m (53-4 ½)
22. Cynthia Gonzales 14.46m (47-5 ¼)
24. Lacee Barnes 13.86m (45-5 ¾)
Pentathlon
1. Gabriyella Torres 3,722 points
60-Meter Hurdles (9.00/910); High Jump (1.65m [5-5]/795); Shot Put (10.41m [34-2]/556); Long Jump (5.55m [18-2 ½]/715); 800 Meters (2:25.82/746)
12. Chase Whiting 3,040 points
60-Meter Hurdles (9.23/862); High Jump (1.47m [4-9 ¾]/588; Shot Put (9.09m [29-10]/470); Long Jump (5.13m [16-10/595); 800 Meters (2:44.23/525)
