BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Grant Szalek won the triple jump and Jack Turner led a UTSA sweep of the top three places in the heptathlon on Sunday to lead the men to third place at the Conference USA Indoor Track & Field Championships at Birmingham CrossPlex.
The Roadrunners tallied 90 points on the strength of eight total podium finishes to finish third in the team standings. It marked the program's seventh straight top-three showing at the C-USA Indoor and its 20th top-three finish overall. The Roadrunners edged Rice by two points for third behind Charlotte (177) and North Texas (114).
Traditionally strong in the combined events, UTSA showed its prowess with a 1-2-3 finish in the heptathlon. Turner grabbed the gold medal, while Joel McFarlane and Justin Wright collected the silver and bronze, respectively.
Turner successfully defended his league crown won as a true freshman one year ago by scoring 5,489 points. He entered the final day in first place with 3,138 points through the first four events and the sophomore from England maintained that lead through the final three disciplines. He opened with a time of 8.62 seconds to cross first in the 60-meter hurdles and earn 832 points before clearing 4.45 meters (14-7.25) for 746 points in the pole vault. He closed out the competition by running away with the 1,000m in 2:49.31 to tack on 773 points.
Turner's win gives UTSA three straight C-USA Indoor heptathlon titles and it marks the program's eighth overall league championship in the event. Turner, who also claimed the bronze medal in the long jump on Saturday, became the third Roadrunner to capture back-to-back conference heptathlon crowns, joining Brandon Buteaux (2005-06) and Tommy Wolfe (2008-09).
McFarlane secured the silver medal with 5,149 points, staying in second place throughout Sunday's action. The sophomore from Scotland clocked an 8.94 for 759 points in the 60m hurdles before topping 4.15m (13-7.25) in the pole vault and finishing the 1,000m in 2:56.18.
Wright collected his first career conference medal by scoring 4,390 points for third place. He posted the second-fastest time in the 60m hurdles with an 8.63 clocking good for 829 points to move from fifth to fourth place. The Dripping Springs product then cleared 3.75m (12-3.5) in the pole vault to jump into third before securing the bronze with a time of 3:04.04 in the 1,000m.
Szalek followed Saturday's bronze-medal performance in the high jump with his first career conference crown in the triple jump on Sunday. After fouling on his first trip down the runway, the Perth, Australia, native secured a spot in the final with jumps of 14.70m (48-2.75) and 14.95m (49-0.75), giving him a lead he would not relinquish. He then skipped to a 15.17m (49-9.25) measurement that would have been good enough for gold before unleashing a career-best mark of 15.27m (50-1.25) on his fifth attempt to put a stamp on his win.
Szalek's triple jump win is UTSA's second straight in the event at the C-USA Indoor and its fifth conference indoor triple jump title in program history.
Christie Le Roux added four points to UTSA's team tally by finishing fifth in the triple jump with a 14.43m (47-4.25) effort.
Bashiru Abdullahi added another medal to his collection by finishing second in the 60m hurdles. The junior from Nigeria clocked an 8.03 to earn the silver medal one year after winning the event with a school-record time of 7.80.
In other field action, Jorge Ayala and Angel Robles finished fifth (15.80m/51-10) and eighth (14.97m/49-1.5), respectively, in the shot put, while Paul Bouey was ninth (14.87m/48-9.5).
On the track, Zack Kovar placed sixth in the 800m with a 1:58.12 clocking, while the 4x400m relay team of Dylan Heritage, Logan Masters, Caleb Devereaux and Noah Rhodes combined for a sixth-place time of 3:23.31.
UTSA Results
60 Meters (prelims)
9. Bashiru Abdullahi 6.97
10. Kaleb Campbell 6.97
17. Lirim Emerllahu 7.28
200 Meters (prelims)
10. Lirim Emerllahu 22.44
12. Noah Rhodes 22.86
14. Kaleb Campbell 22.94
400 Meters (prelims)
11. Logan Masters 50.79
13. Noah Rhodes 50.92
16. Dylan Heritage 51.53
800 Meters (prelims)
5. Zack Kovar 1:57.27q
9. Caleb Devereaux 1:58.62
15. Michael Paredes 2:01.44
800 Meters (final)
6. Zack Kovar 1:58.12
Mile (prelims)
10. Harrison Wade 4:21.52q
11. Jake Smith 4:23.92
14. JD Corona 4:32.14
Mile (final)
10. Harrison Wade 4:33.66
3,000 Meters
14. Jake Smith 8:46.01
60-Meter Hurdles (prelims)
1. Bashiru Abdullahi 7.98Q
9. Devall Harris 8.69
— Sam Healy DQ
60-Meter Hurdles (final)
2. Bashiru Abdullahi 8.03
4x400-Meter Relay
6. Dylan Heritage, Logan Masters, Caleb Devereaux, Noah Rhodes 3:23.31
Distance Medley Relay
7. JD Corona, Dylan Heritage, Caleb Devereaux, Jake Smith 10:33.81
High Jump
3. Grant Szalek 2.09m (6-10.25)
8. Joel McFarlane 1.89m (6-2.25)
— Jack Turner NH
Pole Vault
7. Jake Sauls 4.59m (15-0.75)
10. Marcus Ramirez 4.44m (14-6.75)
Long Jump
2. Sam Healy 7.21m (23-8)
3. Jack Turner 7.18m (23-6.75)
4. Christie Le Roux 7.15m (23-5.5)
6. Joel McFarlane 7.05m (23-1.75)
Triple Jump
1. Grant Szalek 15.27m (50.1.25)
5. Christie Le Roux 14.43m (47-4.25)
Shot Put
5. Jorge Ayala 15.80m (51-10)
8. Angel Robles 14.97m (49-1.5)
9. Paul Bouey 14.87m (48-9.5)
Weight Throw
14. Angel Robles 13.47m (44-2.5)
16. Jorge Ayala 12.48m (40-11.5)
Heptathlon
1. Jack Turner 5,489
60 Meters— 7.11 (844); Long Jump — 7.09m/23-3.25 (835); Shot Put — 12.04m/39-6 (609); High Jump — 2.05m/6-8.75 (850); 60-Meter Hurdles — 8.62 (832); Pole Vault — 4.45m/14-7.25 (746); 1,000 Meters — 2:49.31 (773)
2. Joel McFarlane 5,149
60 Meters — 7.14 (833); Long Jump — 7.01m/23-0 (816); Shot Put — 12.56m/41-2.5 (640); High Jump — 1.93m/6-4 (740); 60-Meter Hurdles —8.94 (759); Pole Vault — 4.15m/13-7.25 (659); 1,000 Meters — 2:56.18 (702)
3. Justin Wright 4,390
60 Meters — 7.86 (601); Long Jump — 6.14m/20-1.75 (617); Shot Put — 10.37m/34-0.25 (508); High Jump — 1.84m/6-0.5 (661); 60-Meter Hurdles — 8.63 (829); Pole Vault — 3.75m/12-3.5 (549); 1,000 Meters — 3:04.04 (625)
-UTSA-
