COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Ingeborg Gruenwald broke a 16-year-old school record and Christiaan Le Roux and Jemuel Miller swept the men's horizontal jumps to highlight action for the UTSA track & field teams at the Texas Aggie Invitational on Saturday at Gilliam Indoor Stadium.
Gruenwald leaped to the top of the school's record book with her second straight strong showing in the long jump. The Salzburg, Austria, native posted an indoor personal-best mark of 6.22 meters (20-5) to finish second and eclipse Morgan Moszee's previous UTSA standard of 6.20m set at the 2006 Southland Conference Indoor Championships.
After fouling on her first trip down the runway, Gruenwald touched the sand at a distance of 6.19m (19-11.75) to move into second place in the field. The defending Conference USA Indoor champion and reigning C-USA Field Athlete of the Week recorded her school-record jump on her fifth attempt of the day to secure the silver behind Texas A&M's Deborah Acquah (6.47m).
Meanwhile, Le Roux collected the first win of his young UTSA career in the men's long jump. The sophomore from South Africa had to bounce back from two consecutive fouls to open the competition, leaping 7.18m (23-6.75) on his third try to move to the top of the field and earn three more jumps. He did not post an improvement in the final three rounds and held on for the victory ahead of Houston Baptist's Isaiah Cash (7.09m).
Miller won the men's triple jump for the second straight week to remain undefeated in his specialty through his first two collegiate competitions. The freshman from Barbados skipped to a mark of 15.32m (50-3.25) on his first attempt of the afternoon and cruised to a comfortable win in front of Northwestern State's Andrew Gilreath (14.80m).
Grant Szalek finished third in the triple jump in his first meet of the season, measuring 14.67m (48-1.75) on his first try of the day, while Miller added a fifth-place performance in the long jump with a mark of 6.76m (22-2.25).
The sprinting duo of Dennis Phillips and Jose Garcia headlined action on the track for the Roadrunners. Phillips, a transfer from TCU, sped to a time of 21.29 seconds to win his section of the 200 meters and place third overall. Garcia, the 2021 Class 6A state champion in the 100m, was close behind in fourth with a 21.34 clocking. Phillips moved into second place on UTSA's all-time performers list with his clocking, while Garcia now stands fourth, just ahead of teammate Diego Pettorossi, who turned in a 21.35 last week.
In the relays, the quartet of Creshaun Cresser, Gabriel Green, Kaylyn Landry and Elijah Frizell passed the baton to a time of 3:45.73 to finish second in the mixed 4x400m, while the women's team of Ibiso David-West, Mackenzie Grimes, Maren Wilms and Vera Chinedu placed third in the 4x4 with a time of 3:58.77.
In her season debut, Lacee Barnes posted a pair of fourth-place finishes in the throws. The senior from the Cayman Islands registered a mark of 13.73m (45-0.5) in the shot put and later logged a personal best 15.39m (50-6) measurement in the weight throw.
In other action, Joel McFarlane matched his personal best with a 1.93m (6-4) clearance in the high jump to earn fifth place.
The meet was scored and the UTSA men tallied 58 points for fifth place, while the women were eighth with 26.
The Roadrunners will return to action next Friday-Saturday, Jan. 28-29, at the Houston Invitational.
UTSA Results
Men
60 Meters (prelims)
13. Antony Ma 7.10
19. Lirim Emerllahu 7.17
200 Meters
3. Dennis Phillips 21.29
4. Jose Garcia 21.34
7. Trevion McCalla 21.57
15. Lirim Emerllahu 22.07
16. Brice Chabot 22.10
22. Zachary Perkins 22.71
400 Meters
12. Noah Rhodes 50.51
60-Meter Hurdles (prelims)
7. Gabriel Green 8.59q
9. Joel McFarlane 8.77
60-Meter Hurdles (final)
7. Gabriel Green 8.39
4x400-Meter Relay
6. UTSA (Dennis Phillips, Brice Chabot, Lirim Emerllahu, Zachary Perkins) 3:25.75
High Jump
5. Joel McFarlane 1.93m (6-4)
Pole Vault
- Jonathan Barraza NH
- Marcus Ramirez NH
Long Jump
1. Christiaan Le Roux 7.18m (23-6.75)
5. Jemuel Miller 6.76m (22-2.25)
Triple Jump
1. Jemuel Miller 15.32m (50-3.25)
3. Grant Szalek 14.67m (48-1.75)
Shot Put
7. Angel Robles 14.77m (48-5.5)
8. Jorge Ayala 14.37m (47-1.75)
Weight Throw
8. Jorge Ayala 14.85m (48-8.75)
- Angel Robles FOUL
Women
60 Meters (prelims)
13. (12.) Thennelle Williams 7.81
17. (16.) McKenzie Cooley 7.94
200 Meters
9. Vera Chinedu 25.14
13. Thennelle Williams 25.57
17. Ibiso David-West 25.87
20. McKenzie Cooley 26.22
400 Meters
9. Mackenzie Grimes 58.44
16. Kaylyn Landry 1:03.10
60-Meter Hurdles (prelims)
11. (10.) Maren Wilms 9.59
12. (11.) Sabrina Williams 9.67
4x400-Meter Relay
3. UTSA (Ibiso David-West, Mackenzie Grimes, Maren Wilms, Vera Chinedu) 3:58.77
Long Jump
2. Ingeborg Gruenwald 6.22m (20-5)
8. Maren Wilms 5.48m (17-11.75)
10. Danielle Spence 5.33m (17-6)
Shot Put
4. Lacee Barnes 13.73m (45-0.5)
9. Sigrid Kleive 11.80m (39-8.75)
Weight Throw
4. Lacee Barnes 15.39m (50-6)
Mixed 4x400-Meter Relay
2. UTSA (Creshaun Cresser, Gabriel Green, Kaylyn Landry, Elijah Frizell) 3:45.73
-UTSA-
