COLLEGE STATION – Second day action of the SEC Indoor Championships included another Aggie school record in front of 1,949 fans at Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium. Texas A&M junior Kamaria Brown sped to a very fast time of 22.51 seconds in becoming the fifth fastest collegian ever.
Brown lowered her previous career best of 22.73 in breaking the Aggie school record of 22.70 set by teammate Ashton Purvis at last year’s SEC Indoor meet. Brown, who lowered her own world-leading time of 22.80 in the 2014 season, came close to eclipsing the SEC meet record of 22.46 set by Kerron Stewart of Auburn in 2007 on an oversized track.
On the all-time collegiate list for marks made on a 200m banked track, the only sprinters ahead of Brown include the collegiate record of 22.40 set by Bianca Knight of Texas (2008), a 22.43 by Veronica Campbell of Arkansas (2004), a 22.48 by Sanya Richards of Texas (2004) and a 22.49 by LSU’s Muna Lee (2003).
Brown also lead the qualifiers in the 400 with a stellar 52.23, just off her career best of 52.16 set in the SEC meet last year, with teammates Janeil Bellille and Shamier Little posting the second and third fastest qualifying times. Bellille set a career best of 52.75 while Little ran 52.83.
If Brown is able to claim both titles in the finals of the 200 and 400 she would become the first sprinter in the history of the women’s SEC Indoor meet, dating back to 1984, to accomplish the difficult feat. LSU’s Hazel Ann Regis won the 400 title in 2004 and then won the 200 in 2005.
Purvis ran 23.23 in the prelims of the 200 while Olivia Ekponé clocked a personal best of 23.29 as the three A&M sprinters advanced to Saturday’s final. In the 60 meters Ekponé blasted another career best as she ran 7.25 to lead another trio of Aggies into the final. Joining her were teammates Jennifer Madu, also with a 7.25 career best, and Aaliyah Brown, who posted a PR of 7.30.
The Aggie men have a total of 18.3 points in the meet after two days while the A&M women have scored 13. Arkansas currently leads both team battles with the men sporting 56 points and the women with 39 among five finals contested.
Devion Harris led the A&M men in scoring with eight points from a runner-up performance in the high jump as he equaled his career best of 7-0.5 (2.15). Adding a third of a point in finishing in a three-way tie for eighth place was Sam McSwain, who cleared 6-9 (2.06).
Leading the A&M women in scoring was Brittany Wooten in the pole vault with a career best clearance of 13-6.25 (4.12) for fifth place as well as Grace Fletcher in the 3,000 meters where her career best of 9:27.68 placed fifth. Fletcher moves to No. 3 on the Aggie all-time list with the No. 4 performance while Wooten remains the No. 2 A&M vaulter with the No. 6 performance.
Olabanji Asekun earned fifth place in the long jump with a leap of 24-3.5 (7.40) while Jonathan Turner finished seventh with a mark of 23-4.75 (7.13). Casey Strong finished fifth in the weight throw with a mark of 63-10.25 (19.46) while teammates Ben Skrla (59-5.5) and Austin Cook (59-0) placed 11thand 12th. In the women’s long jump LaQue Moen-Davis (19-11.5) and Madu (19-11) placed seventh and eighth.
Daniel Martin picked up a vital point for the Aggies in the heptathlon as he won the final event of the two day competition. Martin ran 2:33.59 in the tough 1,000m race to pick up 946 points. That moved Martin into eighth place with a career best score of 5,001 points.
Just missing on scoring chances were Brea Garrett, who finished ninth in the shot put (49-1.75), as well as Hillary Montgomery, who placed 10th in the 3,000 with a 9:41.35.
In qualifying individuals to finals of the 60, 200, 400, 800, mile and 60 hurdles for Saturday the Aggie women advanced nine places to match the output of Florida. Texas A&M has three finalists in the 60, 200 and 400.
The Aggie men also advanced nine places to the finals with four sprinters moving on in the 200 and at least one qualifier in each of the six prelim events held Friday. Florida men lead qualifiers with 13, getting three apiece in the 400, 800 and 60 hurdles.
Trinidad & Tobago's pair of Wayne Davis II and Deon Lendore and Jamaican Omar McLeod
Deon Lendore led 400 qualifying with a 45.47 that matched his collegiate leading time this season while Vernon Norwood of LSU posted a 45.54 and Florida’s Arman Hall clocked a 45.85. Wayne Davis II had the second best qualifying time in the 60 hurdles with a 7.76 behind the 7.65 by Florida’s Eddie Lovett and ahead of a 7.84 by Arkansas’ Omar McLeod.
In the 200 the four Aggies making the final were Aldrich Bailey, Jr., with a career best 20.80, Shavez Hart (20.82), Prezel Hardy, Jr. (21.01) and Michael Bryan (21.05). In the 60 meters Hart made the final with a 6.68, but a 6.70 by Hardy missed the final by 0.006 of a second in a tie with Tennessee’s Jamol James.
Isaac Spencer ran 4:07.42 to make the mile final, moving to No. 11 on the A&M all-time list. Josh Hernandez qualified in the 800 with a 1:49.47 while Hector Hernandez just missed advancing with a 1:50.07. Gaines Kinsey produced a 1:51.49 that placed 16th overall in the 800 while Cameron Villarreal ran 4:14.51 that was 17th overall
