CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah University track & field program will participate in the 2024 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships from Thursday, March 7 to Saturday, March 9. The T-Birds will be represented by runner Isaiah Labra in the mile run and in the triple jump by Astley Davis.

MEET INFORMATION

LIVE STATS

FRIDAY LIVESTREAM

SATURDAY LIVESTREAM

Head Coach Eric Houle Said:

"Isaiah and Astley are so evenly matched with others in their event that we could get great results from this weekend's National meet."

Meet Info

Competition will take place on the campuses of Boston College and the University of Massachusetts Lowell, located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts. The meet will begin on March 7 with the weight throw at 4:00 p.m. MT and conclude on March 9 with the women's triple jump at 4:30 p.m. MT.

Astley Davis

Davis has showcased his exceptional talent and dedication in the realm of track and field, particularly in the triple jump event, throughout his collegiate career. Davis has consistently pushed the boundaries of his abilities, setting records and making significant strides in his performance. His journey to qualify for the Triple Jump at the 2024 Division I indoor nationals was marked by remarkable achievements, notably during the 2024 indoor season. At the Lumberjack Team Challenge, Davis made waves by clinching first place in the triple jump with a phenomenal distance of 50'-10.00", setting a new school record in the process. His momentum continued at the Stacy Dragila Invitational, where he further improved the school record with an impressive jump of 53'05.00".

With his aforementioned career-high, Davis will be slotted into the eighth seed in the men's triple jump event behind athletes from other exceptional track programs such as Kentucky, Nebraska, and Texas.

The men's triple jump event will take place on Saturday, March 9 with the prelims set to begin at 1:30 p.m. MT.

Isaiah Labra

Labra has been consistently improving over the course of the indoor season. Labra has set and broken records this winter, all leading up to his spectacular mile run at the WAC Indoor Championships in Albuquerque in February. Earlier this season, Labra set a personal record at the Huskey Classic, finishing the mile in 3:58:50. The run put him in the fourth-best spot in the SUU record book at the time. 

With his first-place finish of 3:55.02 in the mile run at the WAC Championships, Labra will be placed in the thirteenth seed at the event, behind representatives from schools such as BYU, Northern Arizona, and Washington.

The men's mile run semifinal is set to begin on Friday, March 8 at 2:00 p.m. MT. Qualifiers will then move on to the finals which will take place on Saturday, March 9 at 2:00 p.m. MT.

SUU In the National Rankings

In week six of the 2024 NCAA DI Men's Indoor Track & Field Rating Index, the Thunderbirds reached national recognition, reaching #60 overall in the country placing them ahead of every other school in Utah.

This week, the 'Birds jumped up to 55th in the nation, placing them ahead of quality programs such as Texas State and Notre Dame.

Last Time Out

Two weeks ago, both teams competed in the Western Athletic Conference championships in Albuquerque.

With 171 points, the men's team dominated their way to the WAC title, putting up 71.5 more points than second-place teams Grand Canyon and UT Arlington.

Reigning WAC Track Athlete of the Week Dylan Gibson led the way in the 200m prelim with a time of 20.85 seconds, setting a new personal record and school record. Gibson followed that up with another first-place finish in the 200m with a time of 21.15 seconds. 

Isaiah Labra took first and set a new school record in the mile run with a time of 3:55.02. This time also set a brand new conference record in the WAC championships, breaking the old record set over 45 years ago.

In the 5000m, Travis Feeny took the top spot with a time of 14:15.56. Coleman Cragun and Max Jones also finished strong in the event in fourth and sixth with times of 14:22.48 and 14:24.67 respectively.

Feeny also led the way in the 3000m with a time of 8:03.45, putting him in sixth place all-time in the event at SUU.  Labra and Santiago Gaitan followed close behind in second and third place with times of 8:05.00 and 8:11.73, giving the 'Birds a podium sweep in the event.

Cedar English won the conference championship in the long jump with a distance of 25'00.50", also giving him a brand new indoor school record.  Astley Davis took second place in the event with a jump of 24'03.75" and Levi Smith took fourth with a 23'09.50".  These finishes would also give them second and fourth all-time in school history.

In the pole vault, Trenton Maurer claimed second place in school history with a jump of 16'01.75", also giving him sixth in the event

With a fifth-place finish, the women's team scored 57 points, behind UTRGV, Utah Valley, UT Arlington, and conference champion Grand Canyon.

In the high jump, Ajia Hughes claimed the top spot with a distance of 5'10.75", also setting a new indoor school record.

Madison DeBos improved her seventh-all-time mark in the mile run with a third-place finish and a time of 4:49.56.  Savannah Nielson also improved her second-place spot in the 60m hurdles in school history with a time of 8.50 seconds, good for second place in the event.

In the 800m, Josii Johnson secured a second-place finish with a time of 2:10.43.  Following close behind her in seventh place was Kimmie Winward with a time of 2:16.68.

Makenna Skoczylas finished strong in the pole vault with a third-place finish and a jump of 12'04.75".

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