SAN ANTONIO — The outdoor track & field season is slated to get underway this week, as the UTSA Invitational will be held on Thursday-Saturday, March 18-20, at Park West Athletics Complex. No spectators will be allowed at the meet due to COVID-19 protocols.
Now in its seventh year and returning following a one-year hiatus after the 2020 outdoor season was canceled because of the pandemic, the annual home meet will see the Roadrunners compete against Baylor, Kansas State, Rice, Stephen F. Austin, Texas, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas State, UIW, UTEP and UTRGV.
The three-day meet will get underway at noon Thursday with the first event — the 100 meters — of the men's decathlon, followed shortly by the women's heptathlon 100m hurdles at 12:30 p.m. The remaining first-day disciplines in those combined events will round out Thursday's action.
On Friday, the heptathlon long jump and decathlon 110m hurdles will kick things off at 10 a.m. Field events are slated to start at 2 p.m. with the women's hammer throw and the men's shot put, while the distance runners will take to the track at 8 p.m. for the 3,000m steeplechase and 5,000m.
The final day will begin at 11 a.m. with field events, while races are scheduled for 2 p.m.
The Roadrunners won five events at the last UTSA Invitational held on March 15-16, 2019. Included in those victorious performances was current UTSA senior Caleb Devereaux, who was the top collegiate finisher in the men's 800m with a time of 1:54.42. UTSA also secured nine silver medals in that meet, including runner-up showings by current Roadrunners Vera Chinedu in the 100m (12.09), Brooke Lomax in the 800m (2:16.44), Maia Campbell in the shot put (14.61m/47-11.25), Kaleb Campbell in the 100m (12.67) and Andrew Pirog in the 400m hurdles (53.46).
UTSA last competed at the Conference USA Indoor Championships on Feb. 20-21 in Birmingham, Ala. The Roadrunners piled up 15 total podium finishes, as the men had eight top-three performances en route to a third-place showing, while the women collected seven medals to also place third in the team race.
For the men, Jack Turner won the heptathlon and placed third in the long jump and the sophomore from England was named C-USA Indoor Men's Field Performer of the Meet. Grant Szalek captured gold in the triple jump and bronze in the high jump.
Ingeborg Gruenwald led the way for the women by winning the long jump and finishing third in the triple jump, while Abby Balli earned runner-up honors in the mile and Danielle Spence secured silver in the triple jump.
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