CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Gary Haasbroek won the men's decathlon to headline action for the UTSA track & field teams Friday at the Air Force Reserve Conference USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Irwin Belk Track & Field Center.
The Roadrunners also collected a pair of bronze medals on the men's side, as Jake McDaniel placed third in the decathlon and Vincent Perez had the third-best throw in the hammer.
Competing in his first decathlon of his debut season, Haasbroek entered the second day of the 10-event competition with 3,838 points, good for a 241-point lead ahead of Rice's Charlie Card-Childers. The Melbourne, Australia, native began the final day by scoring 842 points after winning the 110-meter hurdles in 15.06 seconds and then notched the second-best discus throw with a mark of 38.56 meters (126-6) for 635 more points.
The C-USA Indoor heptathlon champion created some separation after the eighth event, as he cleared 4.60m (15-1) to top the 10-man field and add 790 more points, while Card-Childers no-heighted. He then tallied 655 points with a javelin throw of 54.46m (178-8) and closed out the gold-medal performance with a 4:47.32 clocking in the 1,500m.
Haasbroek, who set UTSA and Australian national records in the heptathlon earlier this year, moved into a tie with Tommy Wolfe for the No. 3 spot on the program's all-time performers list with his 7,395 point total. The 2019 C-USA Indoor Freshman of the Meet became the fourth Roadrunner to capture a conference crown in the decathlon and the first since Wolfe in 2008, and he joins Wolfe as the only men in school history to sweep the indoor and outdoor multi-event titles in the same year.
UTSA posted 19 total points in the decathlon behind Haasbroek's win, McDaniel's bronze and a sixth-place showing from Justin Wright.
McDaniel accumulated 6,547 points to earn a spot on the medal stand and he nearly matched his personal record of 6,648 set in a winning performance at the Roadrunner Invitational in March.
The junior came into the final day in third place with 3,569 points and he opened Friday's action with a 16.10 clocking for 722 points in the 110m hurdles. The Houston native then measured 32.93m (108-0) in the discus before topping 3.60m (11-9 ¾) in the pole vault. After tossing the javelin to a distance of 50.65m (166-2), McDaniel concluded the 10-event competition with a 4:48.63 clocking in the 1,500m.
Wright moved up two spots in the decathlon standings on Friday, finishing sixth to notch three points for UTSA. The freshman from Dripping Springs tallied 5,883 points and he highlighted his final day with a 15.56 clocking in the 110m hurdles and a 4.10m (13-5 ¼) clearance in the pole vault.
Perez posted a PR in collecting the bronze medal and six points in the hammer. The senior opened his series of throws with a 56.44m (185-2) mark, good enough to advance to the finals. The San Antonio native then unleashed a career-best heave of 59.65m (195-8) on his fourth attempt of the day, which held strong for third place. That measurement bettered his previous PR of 59.46m (195-1) set at the Roadrunner Invitational in March and he remains fourth on UTSA's all-time performers chart.
Steven Thomas turned in a seventh-place finish in the hammer, as UTSA tallied eight total points in the event. After fouling on his first two attempts, the senior from Baltimore pulled out a mark of 48.95m (160-7) to move into the finals. On his next attempt, he posted his best throw of the day, a 52.91m (173-7) measurement to secure two points for the Roadrunners.
UTSA is tied with Charlotte atop the men's team standings through the first three events with 27 points. Rice and UTEP are knotted for third with 24.
On the women's side, Gabriyella Torres finished sixth in the heptathlon with a season-best 5,036 points. The senior from Port Isabel moved up one spot on the final day of the seven-event competition after entering Friday with 2,690 points through four disciplines.
The 2019 C-USA Indoor pentathlon champion leaped 5.62m (18-5 ¼) for 735 points in the long jump and then measured 36.60m (120-1) for 602 more in the javelin. She closed out the day with a 2:26.36 clocking for 739 points in the 800m and ended up just 225 points behind individual champion Callie Jones of Southern Miss (5,261) in a tight race.
Maia Campbell scratched for two points with a seventh-place effort in the women's hammer throw. The junior from Converse Judson High School posted a mark of 51.39m (168-7) in notching her third top-eight finish of the year between the two conference meets.
The women are in ninth place with five points after the first three events in a team race led by Southern Miss (20).
The schedule for the third day of the C-USA Outdoor has been adjusted due expected inclement weather on Saturday afternoon. Field events will get underway with the women's discus and men's long jump at 8 a.m. CT. Running events will start with the 1,500m prelims at 9 a.m.
UTSA Results
Men
10,000 Meters
14. Josh Rodriguez 34:05.71
Hammer Throw
3. Vincent Perez 59.65m (195-8)
7. Steven Thomas 52.91m (173-7)
Decathlon
1. Gary Haasbroek 7,395 points
100 Meters (10.88/888); Long Jump (7.16m [23-6]/852); Shot Put (11.31m [37-1 ¼]/565); High Jump (1.87m [6-1 ½]/687]); 400 Meters (49.33/846); 110-Meter Hurdles (15.06/842); Discus (38.56m [126-6]/635); Pole Vault (4.60m [15-1]/790); Javelin (54.46m [178-8]/655); 1,500 Meters (4:47.32/635)
3. Jake McDaniel 6,547 points
100 Meters (11.51/750); Long Jump (6.91m [22-8]/792); Shot Put (10.60m [34-9 ½]/522); High Jump (1.99m [6-6 ¼]/794); 400 Meters (53.32/711); 110-Meter Hurdles (16.10/722); Discus (32.93m [108-0]/522); Pole Vault (3.60m [11-9 ¾]/509); Javelin (50.65m [166-2]/598); 1,500 Meters (4:48.63/627)
6. Justin Wright 5,883 points
100 Meters (11.99/653); Long Jump (6.17m [20-3]/624); Shot Put (10.36m [34-0]/507); High Jump (1.81m [5-11 ¼]/636); 400 Meters (55.81/567); 110-Meter Hurdles (15.56/783); Discus (28.04m [92-0]/426); Pole Vault (4.10m [13-5 ¼]/645); Javelin (45.73m [150-0]/526); 1,500 Meters (5:07.82/516)
Women
Hammer Throw
7. Maia Campbell 51.39m (168-7)
11. Faith Olszak 48.17m (158-0)
15. Cynthia Gonzales 45.21m (148-4)
19. Brenttany Birdow 40.81m (133-10)
Heptathlon
6. Gabriyella Torres 5,036 points
100-Meter Hurdles (14.84/863); High Jump (1.61m [5-3 ¼]/747); Shot Put (11.00m [36-1 ¼]/595); 200 Meters (26.49/755); Long Jump (5.62m [18-5 ¼]/735); Javelin (36.60m [120-1]/602); 800 Meters (2:26.36/739)
14. Chase Whiting 4,283 points
100-Meter Hurdles (15.40/790); High Jump (1.43m [4-8 ¼]/544); Shot Put (10.04m [32-11 ¼]/532); 200 Meters (27.29/688); Long Jump 5.25m [17-2 ¾]/628); Javelin (36.45m [119-7]/599); 800 Meters (2:46.41/502)
