San Antonio, TEXAS – The Tiger track and field team will take a smaller contingent than usual to the Howie Ryan Invitational at the University of Houston this Friday, Feb. 13. Valentine's Day weekend is always busy for track and field throughout the nation, and it will be no different down in Houston this year. This will be the most competitive meet of the year thus far for Trinity, who are beginning to sharpen for the SAA Indoor Championships, which begin on Feb. 27.
The Tigers have put together a strong season so far, as they vie for their first conference championship in the SAA. Last weekend, also competing at the University of Houston, four athletes set new indoor school records, and the program top-10 lists were rewritten in almost every event.
School Records Galore
Annabelle Lanik set a school record in the women's long jump, taking the win by a large margin with a mark of 5.91m. Currently third in NCAA DIII and having all but locked up a bid to the NCAA Indoor Championships, Lanik put herself right back where she left off in her first meet of the season. She's set to compete in the 200-meter and long jump, two events in which she holds the indoor school record.
Bocar Diagana broke his own school record for the third straight meet in a row, taking second in the men's triple jump with a mark of 14.69m. With the jump, he moved into a tie for ninth nationally, and will almost certainly qualify for nationals in March. Diagana is set to compete in long jump and triple jump, but may rest this weekend on account of breaking too many records.
Halle Hamilton broke her own school record in the women's 800-meter, taking the win in 2.17.74. She has now run the four fastest indoor times in program history, and will be in the hunt for her first conference title come the end of February, as she sits second in the SAA by less than a second. She'll seek to lower her school record in the 800-meter once again this weekend.
Gianna Keena set a new school record in the women's mile, running 5:04.73 to take third. She'll be looking to move up in distance this weekend, taking on the 3,000-meters. With a PR of 10:18.20, set at the squad's McNeese State rustbuster, it would be no surprise to see Kianna be the first woman in school history to break 10 minutes over 3,000-meters.
Looking Ahead
The Tigers will gear up for the SAA Indoor Championships from Feb. 27-28, hosted in Danville, Kentucky. Centre College appears to be the biggest competition for Trinity on both sides, providing a test to see if the Tigers can keep the momentum rolling from the fall cross country season.
