By: Braden Dean- Sports Information GA
Orem, Utah – Southern Utah track and field continued its outdoor campaign at the UVU Collegiate Invite, posting several strong performances across throws and distance events. The Thunderbirds were highlighted by an event win in the women's javelin and multiple top-10 finishes across both the men's and women's squads.
Head Coach Eric Houle Said
"This meet gave some of the younger athletes a great opportunity to test themselves. Great improvements across the board for preparation next week in California."
UVU Collegiate Invite Results
Results of the UVU Collegiate Invite can be found here.
UVU Collegiate Invite Recap and Results
Men's Track & Field
The Thunderbirds men's team was highlighted in the hammer throw finals, where Wilmarson Van Hecke delivered a strong performance to place sixth with a throw of 52.17 meters, which is tenth all-time in Southern Utah history. Andrew Cooper followed with an eighth-place finish at 49.53 meters, while Matthew Brinck finished 12th (41.93m) and Jacob Harkins placed 15th (38.71m). On the track, Southern Utah recorded multiple finishes in the men's 5,000 meters, led by Todd Yeates, who placed seventh with a time of 15:18.90. Tyler Saunders followed in eighth at 15:29.42, while Richard Crane finished 12th in 16:11.54.
Women's Track & Field
On the women's side, Southern Utah was led by Jaylee Gandert, who captured the women's javelin title with a throw of 46.80 meters to lead the Thunderbird throwers. The women's hammer throw group produced several strong marks in the finals. Jessica Jericoff paced Southern Utah with a sixth-place finish at 51.28 meters, while Kiara Hansen finished ninth with a mark of 48.35 meters. Brooke Lynch added a 12th-place finish at 47.18 meters, with Chayanne Gordon placing 18th (44.26m) and Carly Trujillo finishing 19th (43.77m). Quincy Esplin rounded out the Thunderbird competitors with a 25th-place mark of 41.83 meters. In the women's javelin, Southern Utah added depth behind Gandert with Kadee Harland, who placed eighth with a throw of 38.40 meters, while Brooke Lynch finished 10th (35.40m). Southern Utah also saw action in the high jump, where Riley Gough cleared 1.50 meters to place 11th, while Lily Collier finished 18th after clearing 1.45 meters.
Up Next
Southern Utah will split its team next week, sending competitors to the Stanford Invitational and the UNLV Rebels Elite. Both competitions will be two-day events held April 3-4.
Follow Us
Stay current on the Thunderbird track and field programs by following @SUUTFXC on Twitter and Instagram and liking the Southern Utah Track and XC page on Facebook.
Donate
To help support Thunderbird athletics, consider donating today! To learn more about how you can support, click here.
