SAN ANGELO, Texas – The Trinity men's and women's track & field team celebrated the holiday weekend by breaking several personal records at the David Noble Relays hosted by Angelo State University on Friday, highlighted by a new Tiger record in the hammer throw by senior Kierra Francois (Angleton, Texas / Angleton).

Francois broke her own school record that she set almost exactly one year ago at the Incarnate Word Invitational on April 8, 2022. Today, Francois finished fifth in the event with her throw of 45.48 meters to set the new standard in the hammer. She also finished fifth in the javelin with a new PR of 36.69, improving her previous mark that has her sixth in school history.

Field Events
In addition to the broken hammer record by Francois, Heath Schake (Wimberley, Texas / Wimberley) also beat his own personal-best in the men's hammer to bolster his distance that already had him fourth in school history.

Madeline Wietstruck (Houston, Texas / Northland Christian) won silver in the women's pole vault, leading a group of three Tiger women who cleared 3.00 meters. Wietstruck was second with a new career-high vault of 3.45 meters that moves her up to third all-time at Trinity. Kaelin Leishman (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton North) set a new personal record with her vault at 3.00 meters, tying Bailey Dueitt (The Woodlands, Texas / The Woodlands) for 10th in the event.

Cooper Tyler (Austin, Texas / Anderson) finished second in the men's javelin with a throw of 53.45 meters, while Pierce Jackson (Addison, Texas / Dallas Jesuit) was fifth with a mark of 48.38 meters. Demi Durham (Parker, Ariz. / Parker) set a new PR in the women's javelin.

Joy Areola (Tomball, Texas / Rosehill Christian) earned the bronze in the triple jump with a mark of 11.36 meters, while Bocar Diagana (Edina, Minn. / Edina) was also third in the men's event with a distance of 13.40 meters. Aliya Noe (San Antonio, Texas / Reagan) also set a new PR for the Tiger women.

Areola also surpassed 5.20 meters for the third time this season in the long jump, finishing ninth in Friday's meet. Noe improved her mark for the third time this season, reaching 4.97 today. Casey Hampton (Houston, Texas / Westbury Christian) was fourth in the men's long jump, while Cullen Betsey (San Antonio, Texas / Smithson Valley) was just 0.02 meters from his personal best with a leap of 6.08 meters.

Kate Ballengee (Albuquerque, N.M. Bosque School) moved up to sixth on Trinity's all-time list with a throw of 35.38 meters in the discus, finishing 12th. She was just two spots behind Madeleine Seabolt (San Diego, Calif. / Mt. Carmel), who threw for 35.75 meters to finish 10th.Maggie Nava (San Antonio, Texas / Holy Cross)  was also 10th in the women's shot put, reaching 11.71 meters to move up to third in school history with her new personal record.

Three different Tigers finished in the top seven in the high jump: Peyton Bohlinger (Mercer Island, Wash. / Mercer Island) was seventh after clearing 1.45 meters, while Tyler (6th) and Trent Svacina (Alamo Heights, Texas / Alamo Heights) were both successful at 1.85 meters. Svacina was fifth with her newest personal-best jump.

Track Events
Azariah Anderson (St. Charles, Mo. / Francis Howell North) qualified for the men's 110-meter hurdles final by finishing second in the afternoon prelims with a time of 14.85 seconds. Avery Puig (Laredo, Texas / Alexander) also reached the 100-meter hurdles finals for the women, finishing seventh in both the prelims and finals. She ran 15.91 in the prelims, then ran in 15.89 in tonight's final.
Anderson also moved up to seventh in Trinity history with his time of 10.85 seconds in the 100-meter dash. After hitting a career-best 12.65 seconds twice this season, Danya Selber (Edinburg, Texas / Robert Vela) broke through for a new personal-best time of 12.60 meters that moves her up to sixth in school history.

Sealan Ledat (Richardson, Texas / Richardson) highlighted a handful of Trinity competitors in the 200-meter dash, finishing seventh with a time of 26.35 seconds. Evan Witt (Midland, Texas / Trinity School of Midland) also set a new personal record in the men's race. Ledat also had a season-best time of 1:00.85 in the 400-meter dash, while Aliya Jackson (Houston, Texas / Shadow Creek) also set a new PR.

In the 400-meter hurdles, Justin Johnson (Houston, Texas / Manvel) also reached the finals after finishing seventh in the prelims with a time of 55.66. Kyle Anderson (Cave Creek, Ariz. / Cactus Shadows) made it two Tigers in the final after finishing eighth with a time of 56.56 in the prelims. In the finals, Johnson hit the tape at 55.21 seconds – just 0.05 from his personal best that is tied for sixth in school history. K. Anderson also improved his personal best time by finishing sixth in the finals with a time of 55.86. That time improves his career-best time that previously got him into the top 10 at Trinity.

There were three personal records broken in the women's 800-meter run this afternoon, led by Paige Tangney (Wilmette, Ill. / New Trier Township) finishing fourth with a time of 2:22.03, and Josette Gurule (Santa Fe, N.M. / Academy for Technology and the Classics) earning a sixth-place finish in 2:23.97. The evening run also had both Madison Habeck (Lake Jackson, Texas / Clute Brazoswood) and Emily Gnecco (Livermore, Calif. / Livermore) finishing in the top 10. Sebastian Langer (Houston, Texas / Clear Lake) was the lone Tiger in the men's 800 final, finishing seventh in 1:55.98.

The 1500-meter run was highlighted by this evening's fifth-place finish in 4:01.83 by Diego Flores (San Antonio, Texas / Great Hearts Monte Vista North), who was just under two seconds from breaking into the top 10 all-time at Trinity. Ryan Rager-Aguiar (Spring Hill, Tenn. / Independence) also snagged a new PR by nearly two seconds, finishing sixth with a time of 4:02.19. James Rush (Iola, Texas / The Kinkaid School) and Joseph Gurule (Santa Fe, N.M. / Academy for Technology and the Classics) also set PRs in this afternoon's race, led by the fourth-place finish by Rush. Elaine Kaster (Lewisville, Texas / Founders Classical Academy) also set a new PR in the women's evening run.

There were eight new personal records broken in the 5,000-meter run for the Tigers, led by Eli Karg (Friendswood, Texas / Friendswood) and his second-place finish of 15:32.44. Nathaniel Trevino (San Antonio, Texas / Central Catholic) was third behind his teammate in 15:33.60, while Ryan Tresaugue (The Woodlands, Texas / The Woodlands) finished fifth just under five seconds later. Ellie Catron (The Woodlands, Texas / The Woodlands Christian Academy) was fourth in 18:51.58 and Kaster was fifth less than a second later.

The 4x100-meter relay saw the men finish fifth and the women sixth to start the evening finals session. Puig, Yasmin Subawalla (Houston, Texas / Singapore American School), Areola, and Selber ran in 49.54 seconds for their sixth-place finish. The men's relay team of Legend Grigsby (Houston, Texas / Cypress Creek), A. Anderson, Brian Rainey (Cedar Hill, Texas / Cedar Hill), and Ethan Gilmore (Houston, Texas / Lamar) ran their relay in a time of 41.78 seconds that is just 0.08 seconds from their season-best time that put them sixth on the all-time Tiger list.

The women's 4x400-meter relay was fourth in a time of 4:03.60 and featured Taylor Kotfas (Blanco, Texas / Blanco), CC Gray (Scottsdale, Ariz. / Notre Dame Prep), Ledat, and Hayley Huck (Prosper, Texas / Prosper). The men's relay team finished fifth in 3:21.72 with Nicolas Ladreyt (Santa Monica, Calif. / Harvard-Westlake School) and Josue Parra (Niles, Ill. / Maine East) joining Gilmore and Johnson for the night's final event.

Up Next
Trinity will make its way sound next weekend, competing at Texas A&M University-Kingsville's annual Cactus Cup on Saturday, April 15. The field events are scheduled to begin at Noon, while running events are set for a 5:30 p.m. start.