CLEMSON, S.C. – Texas A&M capped its first day at the Tiger Paw Invitational with some fast 400m races. Aggie junior Devin Dixon led the way with an indoor career best of 45.68 seconds, lowering his previous best set three weeks ago by over a second.
In the second of five Invitational 400m sections, Dixon was runner-up to Houston’s Obi Igbokwe, who won the race in a world-leading time of 45.35. Dixon’s time currently ranks as third best in the world this indoor season. Igbokwe came through the first lap in 21.36 with Dixon at 21.64.
Dixon, who had an indoor best of 47.37 coming into this season and improved to 46.95 on January 19, now moves to No. 6 on the A&M all-time list. In between his 400m PRs, this indoor season Dixon broke the American collegiate record in the 800m with a world-leading 1:45.27.
South Carolina’s Quincy Hall claimed another section of the Invitational 400m in 45.72 to place third overall. Houston’s Kahmari Montgomery won the first section in 45.74, good for fourth best on this evening.
Aggie Bryce Deadmon finished second in his section with a 46.39 while Rutger’s Izaiah Brown edged him at 46.23. They were the fifth and sixth best overall. A&M’s Kyree Johnson (46.93) and Ilolo Izu (47.02) were 11th and 12th overall.
In the women’s Invitational 400m, it was Syaira Richardson leading the way for the Aggie crew as she won her section in an indoor best of 53.06, improving the 53.18 she established earlier this indoor season. Richardson is No. 7 on the A&M all-time list.
Richardson placed fourth overall in the Clemson meet as Penn State’s Alexis Holmes led the charge with a 52.58 and was followed by the South Carolina pair of Wadeline Jonathas (52.86) and Aliyah Abrams (52.91).
Other Aggies in the women’s Invitational 400m included Tierra Robinson-Jones (53.40), Jaevin Reed (53.70), Jarra Owens (53.80), and Julia Madubuike (54.32). They finished 7-9-10-14 overall.
Jon Bishop placed second in the men’s mile with a time of 4:09.16, finishing behind the winning effort of 4:05.27 by Ohio State’s Luke Landis. Bishop improved his season best time a 4:10.54 from January. Wes McPhail (4:17.22) and Jake Bootz (4:18.90) were 11th and 12th overall after they finished fourth and fifth in the second section.
In her debut event as an Aggie, junior college transfer Deborah Acquah placed seventh in the long jump with a mark of 19-10 ¾ (6.06), moving to No. 13 on the A&M all-time list. Acquah matched the sixth place mark held by Houston’s Samiyah Samuels, who had a better second mark, and was just an inch behind Kentucky’s Tatiana Aholou in fifth place.
In the men’s long jump Tahar Triki placed sixth with a leap of 24-3 ½ (7.40) in taking only three attempts.
Triki is scheduled to compete in the triple jump on Saturday.
The mile trio of Valarie Bradley, Hannah Campbell and Rachel Bernardo placed 9-10-11 from separate races. Campbell raced in the first section, placing ninth in 4:55.55. Bradley and Bernardo then finished 1-2 in the second section as both recorded career-best times of 4:55.53 and 4:57.24.
Running with a lead pack of six runners, Bradley moved to the lead with just over a lap remaining in the race with Bernardo following. One lap later Bradley had the section victory with Bernardo runner-up.
Among another section of 400m races, DeWitt Thomas improved his previous best of 47.72 set just last week by half a second in winning his section with a 47.22. He was second overall to a 46.65 by Houston’s Jermaine Holt.
A&M’s Roger Ethridge (47.91) finished second to Thomas in the same section and was fifth overall. Colby Zamzow (48.21) and Infinite Tucker (48.39) were ninth and 14thoverall.
A trio of career-best times were attained in the women’s 60m hurdles by Gabrielle McDonald (8.39), Taryn Milton (8.40) and Kennedy Smith (8.47) in the second round of the event. McDonald moved to No. 11 and Milton improved to No. 12 on the Aggie all-time list.
Tyler Guillory ran 8.01 in the opening round of the men’s 60m hurdles to win his heat and posted an 8.00 in the second round of the hurdles. Brenessa Thompson advanced out of the first round of the 60m with a 7.52 and then improved to 7.45 in the second round. Jace Comick’s 6.82 just missed the cutoff of 6.81 to advance out of the opening round of the men’s 60m.
Augusta Thomason finished ninth in the pole vault as she cleared a season-best height of 13-0 ¾ (3.98). Gabriel Oladipo placed 11th in the men’s shot put with a toss of 56-2 (17.12). Celine Markert finished 16th in the women’s shot put with a mark of 45-10 ¾ (13.99).
