SAN ANTONIO — Jake McDaniel leads the decathlon and Gabriyella Torres is in second place in the heptathlon to highlight action for the UTSA track & field teams on the opening day of the Roadrunner Invitational on Thursday at Park West Athletics Complex.
McDaniel has scored 3,595 points through the first five events of the decathlon and he has the lead ahead of fellow Roadrunner Justin Wright, who is in second place with 3,173 points.
Meanwhile, Torres has tallied 3,016 points through the first four events of the heptathlon and is in second place, just 183 points behind day-one leader Sashane Hanson of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
McDaniel opened the 10-event decathlon by racing to a personal-best time of 11.61 seconds in the 100 meters, good for 730 points, before leaping to a mark of 6.77 meters (22-2 ½) —an outdoor personal record — for 760 points in the long jump. The junior from Houston then measured 10.73m (35-2 ½) in the shot put and then cleared 2.05m (6-8 ¾) in the high jump to match his overall career best and set a new outdoor PR. He closed the first day with a 51.99 clocking in the 400m.
Wright is in second in the decathlon with 3,173 points. The freshman got his day started with an 11.98 clocking in the 100m before touching the sand at a distance of 6.33m (20-9 ¼) in the long jump. A native of Dripping Springs, he posted a mark of 10.56m (34-7 ¾) in the shot put before closing the day with a 1.84m (6-0 ½) clearance in the high jump and a 53.07 clocking in the 400m.
Torres clocked a 14.80 in the 100m hurdles — just .02 seconds off her PR — to open the seven-event heptathlon with 868 points. The senior from Port Isabel then cleared 1.63m (5-4 ¼) for 771 points in the high jump before posting a personal-best mark of 11.35m (37-3) in the shot put. The reigning Conference USA Indoor pentathlon champion concluded her first day with a 26.44 clocking in the 200m for 750 more points.
Chase Whiting is in seventh place in the heptathlon with 2,560 points after an opening day that included a 15.05 clocking in the 100m hurdles and a time of 26.85 in the 200m.
The second day of the Roadrunner Invitational will get underway with the decathlon and heptathlon events starting at 10 a.m. Field events will get underway with the hammer throw and shot put at 1 p.m. followed by the javelin at 5 p.m. Admission and parking are free.
UTSA Results
MEN
Decathlon
1. Jake McDaniel 3,595 points
100 Meters (11.61/730); Long Jump (6.77m [22-2 ½]/760); Shot Put (10.73m [35-2 ½]/530); High Jump (2.05m [6-8 ¾]/850); 400 Meters (51.99/725)
2. Justin Wright 3,173 points
100 Meters (11.98/655); Long Jump (6.33m [20-9 ¼]/659); Shot Put (10.56m [34-7 ¾]/519); High Jump (1.84m [6-0 ½]/661); 400 Meters (53.07/679)
3. Davante Edwards
100 Meters (11.15/827); High Jump (2.02m [6-7 ½]/822)
WOMEN
Heptathlon
2. Gabriyella Torres 3,016 points
100-Meter Hurdles (14.80/868); High Jump (1.63m [5-4 ¼]/771); Shot Put (11.35m [37-3]/618); 200 Meters (26.44/759
7. Chase Whiting 2,560 points
100-Meter Hurdles (15.05/835); High Jump (1.39m [4-6 ¾]/502); Shot Put (9.54m [31-3 ¾]/499); 200 Meters (26.85/724)
