HOUSTON — Wins by Bashiru Abdullahi, Ingeborg Gruenwald and Noah Rhodes highlighted action for the UTSA track & field teams on Saturday at the H-Town SpeedCity Series.
Abdullahi cruised to victory in the men's 60-meter hurdles, Gruenwald posted the top leap in the women's long jump and Rhodes crossed first in the men's 400m to lead the way for the Roadrunners in their indoor season opener at Yeoman Fieldhouse.
Gruenwald grabbed UTSA's first gold medal of the year with a winning mark of 5.95 meters (19-6 ¼) in the women's long jump early in the day. The sophomore from Austria led wire to wire in the event, as she measured 5.78m on her first attempt, better than runner-up Kaitlin Smith's top jump of 5.74m, before notching the longest leap of the afternoon on her third try. It marked her second collegiate win, as the 2020 Conference USA Indoor bronze medalist also took top honors in the event at the FasTrak Collegiate one year ago in this same facility.
Abdullahi clocked a time of 7.93 seconds to beat North Texas' Joseph Squire (8.05) to the finish line in the 60m hurdles. The defending C-USA Indoor champion and school record-holder posted a 7.91 in the preliminary round before registering his fourth win in five total races in the event as a Roadrunner.
Rhodes led a 1-2 finish for UTSA in the men's 400m, as the freshman from Kerrville Tivy High School posted a 51.05 to edge teammate Dylan Heritage's runner-up time of 51.57.
Grant Szalek used a collegiate-best effort in the triple jump to notch another runner-up finish for the men. The Perth, Australia, native posted a mark of 15.11m (49-7) on his fifth attempt of the day to better his previous PR of 14.83m (48-8) set in placing fifth at the 2020 C-USA Indoor, and he moved into the No. 4 spot on UTSA's all-time performers list in the process.
Meanwhile, Jack Turner and Joel McFarlane finished 3-4 in the men's long jump. Turner, who hails from Exeter, England, leaped to a mark of 7.00m (22-11.75) and McFarlane, a native of Monikie, Scotland, broke the sand at 6.95m (22-9.75).
Gruenwald also picked up a silver medal in the women's triple jump after skipping to a 11.44m (37-6 ½) measurement, while fellow sophomore Maren Wilms finished third in the long jump with a personal-best mark of 5.52m (18-1 ½).
The women closed out the meet with a podium finish in the 4x400m relay, as the quartet of Kaylah Dove, Wilms, Orla Brothers and Mackenzie Grimes placed third with a time of 4:00.88.
The Roadrunners will return to action next Saturday, Jan. 23, when they travel to College Station for the Aggie Invitational.
UTSA Results
Men
60 Meters (prelims)
9. Kaleb Campbell 6.98
13. Joel McFarlane 7.10
14. Zach Perkins 7.18
15. Lirim Emerllahu 7.20
200 Meters
7. Kaleb Campbell 22.46
8. Logan Masters 22.57
9. Lirim Emerllahu 22.62
11. Zach Perkins 22.83
400 Meters
1. Noah Rhodes 51.05
2. Dylan Heritage 51.57
60-Meter Hurdles (prelims)
1. Bashiru Abdullahi 7.91q
6. Jack Turner 8.55q
8. Gabriel Green 8.69q
60-Meter Hurdles (final)
1. Bashiru Abdullahi 7.93
7. Gabriel Green 8.67
4x400-Meter Relay
— Noah Rhodes, Logan Masters, Gabriel Green, Dylan Heritage DNF
Pole Vault
6. Jake Sauls 4.60m (15-1)
Long Jump
3. Jack Turner 7.00m (22-11.75)
4. Joel McFarlane 6.95m (22-9.75)
Triple Jump
2. Grant Szalek 15.11m (49-7)
Women
200 Meters
7. Taylor Armstrong 25.68
400 Meters
5. Orla Brothers 1:03.52
6. Kaylah Dove 1:05.70
60-Meter Hurdles (prelims)
4. Alanah Yukich 8.79q
10. Mackenzie Grimes 9.48
11. Maren Wilms 9.49
60-Meter Hurdles (final)
5. Alanah Yukich 8.76
4x400-Meter Relay
3. Kaylah Dove, Maren Wilms, Orla Brothers, Mackenzie Grimes 4:00.88
Long Jump
1. Ingeborg Gruenwald 5.95m (19-6.25)
3. Maren Wilms 5.52m (18-1.5)
Triple Jump
2. Ingeborg Gruenwald 11.44m (37-6.5)
-UTSA-
