BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Oreoluwa Adamson won the women's long jump with a record-setting performance and Christiaan Le Roux made it a UTSA sweep of the event to headline Saturday action at the Conference USA Indoor Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
The long jump champions guided the Roadrunners to four total podium finishes on the opening day of the league's annual indoor meet. In fact, UTSA tallied a combined 12 top-eight placements in 12 event finals on Saturday. The men are in fourth place with 35 points, only one point behind UTEP in the standings led by Rice (56.5). The women sit in fifth place with 25 points, just one point behind Middle Tennessee and 2.5 shy of Charlotte.
Adamson claimed her first gold medal as a Roadrunner by breaking her teammate's previous school standard in the long jump. The third-year veteran from London, England, touched the sand at a distance of 6.46 meters (21-2.5) on her first attempt of the day to eclipse the previous UTSA mark of 6.42m set by Ingeborg Gruenwald, who placed fourth today with a mark of 6.07m (19-11), at last year's C-USA Indoor.
Adamson's opening measurement carried her into the final and from there she held on for the win ahead of Middle Tennessee's Esther Isa, who earned the silver with a leap of 6.41m (21-0.5) on her sixth and final try. Adamson's jump puts her ninth currently on the national list and her win is UTSA's third straight league title after Gruenwald's back-to-back long jump golds entering this year's meet.
Le Roux nearly took down the school record in the men's long jump while collecting his first career conference victory. The sophomore from South Africa led the competition throughout after opening with a mark of 7.41m (24-3.75). The 2022 outdoor honorable mention All-American then posted his top measurement of the day with a 7.64m (25-0.75) leap, only one centimeter off the UTSA standard of 7.65m established by Gary Haasbroek in 2019.
Le Roux began the final with a mark of 7.51m (24-7.75) before matching his top jump of the day in the fifth round. He then leaped 7.54m (24-9) on his final trip down the runway and finished comfortably ahead of Middle Tennessee's Benjamin Onyekwelu, the runner-up at 7.43m (24-5).
The Roadrunners showed their depth in the men's long jump, scoring 23 total points behind four top-seven finishers.
Gabriel Binion grabbed the bronze medal with a 7.36m (24-1.75) mark, just ahead of Jemuel Miller's fourth-place leap of 7.34m (24-1). Jacob Jenkins scratched for a pair of points with a seventh-place showing (7.23m/23-8.75).
Meanwhile, Michael Campbell secured the silver medal in the men's weight throw, which marked UTSA's first top-three finish of the weekend. The junior transfer assured himself a spot in the final with an 18.12m (59-5.5) mark on his third attempt after opening with a pair of fouls. Sitting in fourth place before dropping to sixth after five rounds, he saved his best for last with a personal-best heave of 19.29m (63-5.5) on his final throw of the day, moving into second place behind Rice's Nick Hicks (21.09m/69-2.5) and into the No. 4 spot on UTSA's all-time performers chart.
In other finals action for the men, the distance medley relay team closed the night with a fifth-place finish, as Spencer Herbstritt, Noah Rhodes, Chuey Hernandez and Caden Cunningham passed the baton to a time of 10:22.99.
On the women's side, Acacia Astwood claimed fifth place in the weight throw with a season-best measurement of 18.30m (60-0.5), while the DMR quartet of Madi Henry, Mackenzie Grimes, Savannah Lopez and Abby Balli crossed in sixth place in 12:26.62.
Earlier in the day, Sigrid Kleive and Maren Wilms finished seventh (3,270) and eighth (3,261), respectively, in the women's pentathlon.
Meanwhile, Jack Turner opened his quest for a third C-USA heptathlon title in good shape, as the England native leads the competition through four events with 3,245 points, 166 ahead of UTEP's Jalen Cadet. He opened with the second-fastest 60-meter dash time, a 7.03, before claiming the lead with a 7.33m (24-0.75) leap in the long jump that was worth 893 points. After measuring 13.31m (43-8) in the shot put, he closed day one with a clearance of 1.99m (6-6.25) in the high jump.
Joel McFarlane and Justin Wright are in sixth (2,618) and seventh (2,311), respectively, with three disciplines remaining on Sunday.
In preliminary action on the track, the Roadrunners registered 16 qualifying times — eight for each team — to advance to Sunday's finals.
Brice Chabot stayed alive in the 60m with a 6.75 clocking and in the 200m with the second-best time of the day, a 21.18.
Mike Roth (21.30), Dennis Phillips (21.46) and Trevion McCalla (21.64) also moved on in the deuce, while Roth (48.53) and Logan Masters (48.71) advanced in the 400m.
Defending champion and UTSA record holder Bashiru Abdullahi will race in Sunday's 60m hurdles final after winning his prelim heat in 8.00.
Abby Balli and Alanah Yukich both advanced in a pair of races.
Balli will chase her third consecutive medal in the mile after clocking the sixth-fastest prelim time (5:02.31), and the Pasadena, Texas, native also moved on in the 800m (2:16.45).
Yukich stayed alive in the 60m hurdles after turning in the third-best time of the day, an 8.61 that won her heat. The Perth, Australia, native then moved on in the 400m after clocking a 55.97.
Lauren Roy advanced to the 200m final after posting a 24.20, Madi Henry made the mile final with a prelim time of 5:03.27, while Marie Duvigneau (56.53) and Ayumi Kobayashi (8.87) will join Yukich in the 400m and 60m hurdles finals, respectively.
The C-USA Indoor will resume at 8:30 a.m. Sunday with the second day of the heptathlon followed by field events at 10 a.m. and running events at noon.
Live Coverage
Championship Central — https://conferenceusa.com/tournaments/?id=481
Live Results — https://results.adkinstrak.com/meets/19795
Live Video (Sunday) — https://conferenceusa.com/watch/default.aspx?Live=19799&path=conf
2023 Conference USA Indoor Championships
Birmingham CrossPlex • Birmingham, Ala.
UTSA Results
Men
60 Meters (prelims)
7. Brice Chabot 6.75q
10. Trevion McCalla 6.80
11. Dennis Phillips 6.80
16. Antony Ma 6.92
200 Meters (prelims)
2. Brice Chabot 21.18q
4. Mike Roth 21.30q
6. Dennis Phillips 21.46q
8. Trevion McCalla 21.64q
18. Antony Ma 22.35
400 Meters (prelims)
4. Mike Roth 48.53q
6. Logan Masters 48.71q
10. Noah Rhodes 49.55
5,000 Meters
9. Jake Smith 15:19.56
60-Meter Hurdles (prelims)
4. Bashiru Abdullahi 8.00Q
10. Gabriel Green 8.80
Distance Medley Relay
5. UTSA (Spencer Herbstritt, Noah Rhodes, Chuey Hernandez, Caden Cunningham) 10:22.99
High Jump
9. Dylan James 1.89m (6-2.25)
Long Jump
1. Christiaan Le Roux 7.64m (25-0.75)
3. Gabriel Binion 7.36m (24-1.74)
4. Jemuel Miller 7.34m (24-1)
7. Jacob Jenkins 7.23m (23-8.75)
- Joel McFarlane FOUL
Weight Throw
2. Michael Campbell 19.29m (63-3.5)
Heptathlon (Day 1)
1. Jack Turner 3,245 — 60 Meters (7.03/872); Long Jump (7.33m/893); Shot Put (13.31m/686); High Jump (1.99m/794)
6. Joel McFarlane 2,618 — 60 Meters (7.12/840); Long Jump (6.79m/764); Shot Put (12.19m/618); High Jump (1.51m/396)
7. Justin Wright 2,311 — 60 Meters (7.92/583); Long Jump (6.12m/613); Shot Put (10.32m/505); High Jump (1.78m/610)
Women
60 Meters (prelims)
9. Lauren Roy 7.55
16. Thennelle Williams 7.73
200 Meters (prelims)
4. Lauren Roy 24.20q
21. Geraldy Barron 25.46
23. Thennelle Williams 26.13
400 Meters (prelims)
4. Alanah Yukich 55.97q
6. Marie Duvigneau 56.53q
12. Ibiso David-West 57.41
13. Geraldy Barron 57.41
20. Mackenzie Grimes 59.47
800 Meters (prelims)
6. Abby Balli 2:16.45Q
17. Luzaan De Wit 2:21.07
19. Joy Baxter 2:21.45
20. Maddy Blair 2:22.78
Mile (prelims)
6. Abby Balli 5:02.31Q
9. Madi Henry 5:03.27q
17. Savannah Lopez 5:13.69
23. Chante Dixon 5:20.89
5,000 Meters
20. Sabrina Goains 18:28.29
60-Meter Hurdles (prelims)
3. Alanah Yukich 8.61Q
8. Ayumi Kobayashi 8.87q
Distance Medley Relay
6. UTSA (Madi Henry, Mackenzie Grimes, Savannah Lopez, Abby Balli) 12:26.62
Long Jump
1. Oreoluwa Adamson 6.46m (21-2.5)
4. Ingeborg Gruenwald 6.07m (19-11)
9. Sigrid Kleive 5.72m (18-9.25)
19. Maren Wilms 5.30m (17-4.75)
Weight Throw
5. Acacia Astwood 18.30m (60-0.5)
10. Isabella Simonelli 15.85m (52-0)
Pentathlon
7. Sigrid Kleive 3,270 — 60-Meter Hurdles (9.19/871); High Jump (1.66m/806); Shot Put (11.69m/641); Long Jump (5.65m/744); 800 Meters (3:19.06/208)
8. Maren Wilms 3,261 — 60-Meters Hurdles (9.76/758); High Jump (1.54m/666); Shot Put (9.11m/471); Long Jump (5.28m/637); 800 Meters (2:27.12
14. Marilis Remmel 2,830 — 60-Meter Hurdles (11.46/463); High Jump (1.48m/599); Shot Put (10.40m/556); Long Jump (5.18m/609); 800 Meters (2:37.40/603)
-UTSA-
