Segiun, Texas – The Trinity men's and women's track & field teams showed off their talent and their depth with numerous event winners and medalists at the Texas Lutheran University D3 Challenge on Satruday.
All told, Trinity piled up 37 top-five finishes in the meet, which included eight event winners and nine runners-up. There were nine additional performances to earn bronze in the various events.
Kierra Francois (Rosharon, Texas / Arlington) had an impressive day in the throwing events for the Tigers, picking up a victory in the women's hammer throw, a second-place finish in the shot put, and taking bronze in the discus. Maggie Nava (San Antonio, Texas / Holy Cross) also picked up a third-place medal in the shot put and was fifth in the hammer.
Joy Areola (Tomball, Texas / Rosehill Christian) excelled in the jumps on Saturday, winning the triple jump and finishing as the runner-up behind a Tiger teammate in the long jump.
Speaking of the long jump, that event was a sweep for the Trinity teams as All-Americans Jordyn White (St. Louis, Mo. / Lutheran North) and Sean Majors (Fredericksburg, Texas / Fredericksburg) both earned individual victories. Casey Hampton (Houston, Texas / Westbury Christian) joined Majors on the podium with his third-place finish in the long jump, leaping more than seven meters for the first time in his career. Kyra Stafford (Albuquerque, N.M. / Hope Christian) also took third in the women's triple jump.
From the jumping pits to the track, Majors also anchored the runner-up 4x400-meter relay team that included Josue Parra (Nile, Ill. / Maine East), Grant Bishop (Seguin, Texas / Navarro), and Justin Johnson (Houston, Texas / Manvel).
White also anchored the women's 4x400 relay and led her team to a third-place finish. She was joined by Taylor Kotfas (Blanco, Texas / Blanco), Hayley Huck (Prosper, Texas / Prosper), and Carter Gray (Scottsdale, Ariz. / Notre Dame Prep).
On the track, Madison Habeck (Lake Jackson, Texas / Clute Brazoswood) and Will Salony (Dallas, Texas / JJ Pearce) also secured a sweep for the Tiger women's and men's teams, respectively, as both took top honors in the 800-meter run. That event was rich with standout performances for Trinity, including a runner-up finish for Gish Sainz (El Paso, Texas / Coronado) on the women's side. In the men's race, Trinity had seven of the top 10 finishers, including Marco Jonsson (Sugar Land, Texas / Dulles) in third place.
Azariah Anderson (Saint Charles, Mo. / Francis Howell North) took the top prize in the 110-meter hurdles, followed closely by his teammate Johnson in third place. That race was also full of Tigers as Trinity took six of the top 10 places.
Chad Conway (Moorpark, Calif. / Moorpark) rounds out Trinity's event winners for the day as he won the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Three Tiger runners were in the top three of the men's and women's 1,500-meter run, led by a second-place finish from Diego Flores (San Antonio, Texas / Great Hearts Monte Vista North). Eli Karg (Friendswood, Texas / Friendswood) was third in the men's race, while Kat Elizondo (San Antonio, Texas / Jefferson) finished third for Trinity's women's team.
Robert Slaybaugh (Missouri City, Texas / Elkins) earned a pair of individual runner-up finishes, coming in second place in both the discus and shot put on Saturday. He also finished fourth in the men's hammer throw event.
Sealan Ledat (Richardson, Texas / Richardson) and Tanner Lacy (Oak Ridge North, Texas / Oak Ridge) also won second place in their respective events. Ledat raced to a second-place finish in the women's 400-meter dash, while soared his way to a silver medal in the men's pole vault.
Up Next
The Tiger teams will both be back in action next week at the David Noble Relays in San Angelo, Texas. The multi-day meet is hosted by Angelo State University and runs from Thursday, March 31, until Saturday, April 2.
