Tulane Track & Field Wins Five Events in Houston

Friday, March 22

Houston, TX

Tulane University

Victor Lopez Classic

Photo by: Buddy Delahoussaye

Tulane Track & Field Wins Five Events in Houston

Mar 23, 2019 | Track & Field

Meet Results

HOUSTON – The Green Wave track & field teams got excellent performances in Friday night's distance races and followed it up with a victory in the pole vault on Saturday at the Victor Lopez Classic.

All combined, the Green Wave had five event victories, 16 top-five finishes and three new entries into the school's all-time top 10 during their trip to Houston this weekend.

For the third straight competition, Tom Coe picked up a victory for the Green Wave. But for the first time this year, he broke the four-minute mark in the 1500. On Friday night, Coe saved his best 400 for last, splitting a 1:00.57 on the final lap to defeat Lamar's Kyle Garcia by eight tenths of a second.

In the women's 1500, Reid Belanger was eighth in her heat and 22nd overall with a time of 5:07.18. The race was the first 1500 of her college career.

Emmanuel Rotich made it two men's distance victories for the Green Wave later in the evening with a win in the 3K steeplechase. The senior – who qualified for the national championship meet in the event last season – won by nearly 15 full seconds with his time of 9:08.56. In the entire field, he ran five of the six total laps that were under 1:12.

Mckenzie Melius made it a Green Wave steeplechase sweep, taking the women's crown in 10:54.39. Melius ran five of her laps faster than 1:27 and was the only athlete to complete a lap below that time.

Emma Newton had another top-five finish for the Green Wave, taking fourth in the 5K with a time of 17:38.40. She moved up from sixth in the pack midway through the race to finish in her final fourth-place showing. In the men's 5K, Evans Kipchumba took sixth place in 15:04.50 while Carlos Zervigon was 12th in 15:31.44.

In the 10K late in the evening, Mary Catherine Stovall picked up the Green Wave's fourth win of the night, taking the finish line in 38:31.27, the new ninth-fastest time in program history. Bridgid Selfors was second in 38:45.62, and Nichole Phaneuf was sixth in 43:25.30. For the men, Ian Valdez was fifth in 34:23.64 and Jamie Polakoff was ninth in 36:09.96.

On Saturday, Rebekah Markel earned the team's only victory of the day in the pole vault. Markel set a new outdoor personal best when she cleared 4.20 meters (13-9.25), breaking her previous outdoor PR of 4.11 meters. The American Athletic Conference Indoor Champion, Markel cleared 3.90 and 4.00 on her first attempt, got over the bar at 4.10 on her last try and then sailed over 4.20 on her second attempt. Two other pole vaulters cleared 4.20 meters, but it took them three tries each.

Nastja Modic had a fourth-place finish in the pole vault when she got over 4.00 meters, tying herself for fifth all-time in team history. And Alex Potts' clearance of 3.80 meters was good for sixth place. Megan Fitzgerald was ninth by clearing 3.55 meters, and Rose Brutkiewicz was 13th in 3.55 meters.

Louise Jones was second in the 400 hurdles with a mark of 1:03.64, bettering her previous college best by nearly three full seconds.

Also taking second for the Green Wave was Kyah Loyd in the top finals of the 100 hurdles. Loyd posted a time of 14.05 seconds

Maya Harewood placed third in the top final of the 400 in a time of 55.89 seconds while Tahja Mitchell was close behind with a mark of 56.10.

Also Saturday, Coe came in third in the 800, ending his race with a time of 1:55.94 for his best mark at Tulane to date by .12 seconds. Paige Fatland was 11th in the women's 800 in 2:28.79.

Oneke Gwan and Kyra Ness-Lanckriet were fourth and fifth overall in the B group of the 400, with Gwan finishing in 58.27 seconds for an outdoor personal best. Ness-Lanckriet also had a new PR with a time of 58.43, bettering her mark from last week's Louisiana Classic by .11 seconds.

Finishing in fifth as well was Trina Malej in the triple jump. The freshman got better as the day progressed, clearing 11.56 meters, 11.64 meters and 12.00 meters before reaching 12.05 meters (39-6.5) on her fourth attempt. That mark ties her for 10th all-time in team history.

James Thomas Watson also got better as his day went on, saving his best throw in the javelin for last. He got to 50.26 meters on his first three throws, but on his sixth and final of the day he reached 53.42 meters (175-3) as he claimed seventh place.

Olivia Hicks came in ninth in the high jump with a clearance of 1.57 meters (5-1.75), and Emma King was 12th when she got over 1.52 meters on her first attempt.

In the 200, Loyd placed 10th in 25.01 seconds, and Gwan won her heat but came in 15th overall in 25.37 seconds. Ness-Lanckriet was 20th in 25.75 seconds.

Pierce Hill took 11th in the top final of the 1500 in 4:04.77. On the women's side, Jennifer LaMori was ninth in 4:39.86 and Mckenzie Melius was 13th in 4:45.62.

Danielle Wember was 24th in the 100 with a time of 13.37 seconds. Jones came in 27th in the 100 hurdles B group with a time of 16.92 seconds.

In the field on Saturday, Kyla Denwood came in 17th when she reached a distance of 36.74 meters (120-6) on her second throw of the day in the discus. Wember was 22nd in the long jump as she got to 5.29 meters (17-4.25) on her second jump.