Indoor Track & Field Competes in a Pair Of Meets This Weekend

Friday, February 17

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Tulane University

Louisiana State University

TF - LSU Twilight / Alex Wilson Invitational Preview

Indoor Track & Field Competes in a Pair Of Meets This Weekend

Feb 16, 2023 | Track & Field

Live Results | Alex Wilson Invitational

NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane indoor track & field program is back in action and on the road this weekend as the program heads to Baton Rouge for the LSU Twilight at the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse on Friday and will also send an athlete to the Alex Wilson Invitational at the Loftus Sports Center on Meyo Field on Saturday at the University of Notre Dame. The action on Friday starts with the women's weight throw at 10 a.m. The running events of the LSU Twilight begin with the men's 60m hurdles. On Saturday, the mile starts at Notre Dame at 12:35 p.m.

The program is expected to send men's team members Adam Aldahir, Donal Devane, Zander Dunbar, Charlie McLawhorn, Jamie Polakoff, Tucker Poshard, Francisco Roman, Niall Ryan, Parker Samuelson, Roman Schrader, Jalen St. Fort, Bethwel Tum and Iker Yturralde to LSU. For the women, the program is expected to send Tolu Ajayi, Brenda Ellis, Alexis Esteves, Cosette Fleury, Bella Gonzalez, Lilian Grant, Olivia Hicks, Kristina Leggas, Reese Ragland, Alexandra Sharp, Emma Simons and Alyssa Taylor to LSU.

Aaron Gilliam is the lone member of either squad that is heading to Notre Dame this weekend.

The other schools competing at LSU this weekend include Alcorn State, Dillard, Hinds C.C., LeTourneau, Loyola-New Orleans, LSU, McNeese State, Meridian C.C., Mississippi Valley State, Mobile, New Orleans, Nicholls State, Northwestern State, Southeastern Louisiana and Xavier University of Louisiana

Tulane currently is ranked in the top-20 in the South Central Regional in the women's 800m (Victoria Robinson – 14th, Janae Dean – 15th), the men's mile (Aaron Gilliam - 10th), the women's mile (Mackenzie Callahan- 7th), men's 3000m (Bradley Makuvire – 13th), the men's 5000m (Bradley Makuvire – 6th), the women's 60m hurdles (Kristen O'Handley – 18th), the women's 4x400m relay (8th), the women's distance medley relay (8th), the women's high jump (Kristen O'Handley – 16th), the women's pole vault (Alexandra Potts – 14th), the women's triple jump (Kara Steele – 9th), the women's shot put (Maren Butler – 13th), the women's pentathlon (Kristen O'Handley – 4th, Margot Temines – 8th, Patricija Ozolina - 18th).

The Green Wave also rank in the top-10 in the American Athletic Conference in the women's 400m (Kristen O'Handley – 8th), the men's 800m (Roman Schrader – 8th), the women's 800m (Victoria Robinson – 2nd, Janae Dean – 3rd, Sophia McNerney – 10th), the men's 800m (Aaron Gilliam – 10th), the women's mile (Mackenzie Callahan – 2nd), the men's 5000m (Bradley Makuvire – 6th), the men's 4x400m relay (8th), the women's 4x400m relay (5th), the women's distance medley relay (4th), the women's high jump (Kristen O'Handley – 10th), the women's pole vault (Alexandra Potts – 6th, Kristina Leggas – 9th, Megan Fitzgerald – 10th), the women's triple jump (Kara Steele – 5th), the women's shot put (Maren Butler – 2nd), the women's pentathlon (Kristen O'Handley – 2nd, Margot Temines -3rd, Patricija Ozolina – 8th)

Tulane, after the first six weeks of the 2023 indoor campaign, has #EventSquads – team's top-four competitors in each individual event - ranked among the top 50 nationally in the women's pentathlon (4th – total of 14,676 points – average of 3,669 points), women's pole vault (25th – total 15.00m – average – 3.75m), women's 800m (40th – total 8:45.60 – average of 2:11.40) and women's high jump (47th – total 6.56m – average 1.64m).

Last time out, a pair of event wins on the second day of the Music City Challenge highlighted the action for the Tulane indoor track and field program. Tulane picked up a total of five top-three finishes and had 13 ranked in the top-10 of an event during the two days of competition.

Janae Dean won the 800m with a season-best time of 2:09.20. Kara Steele also picked up an event victory on the afternoon in taking the triple jump title with a season-best leap of 12.68m.

Kristina Leggas finished as the runner-up in the open women's pole vault with a 3.75m. Her teammate Megan Fitzgerald finished third in the same event with a 3.75m.

Dean along with Laura Fodor, Kristen O'Handley and Victoria Robinson placed fourth in the 4x400m relay with their time of 3:46.33.

Maren Butler placed fifth in the women's pole vault with a toss of 15.14. Her throw was a personal best and is the second-best in the Tulane indoor record book.

Margot Temines finished sixth in the women's high jump (1.63m). O'Handley finished 10th in the event (1.57m).

Alexandra Potts placed eighth in the invited women's pole vault with a 3.82m.

Bradley Makuvire had a season-best time of 8:07.24 in the seeded men's 3000m to finished eighth. He also placed sixth in the 5000m (14:07.54).

Aaron Gilliam earned 10th in the men's mile with his time of 4:03.85. His mark was just under the school record.

Parker Samuelson earned 10thh in the men's pole vault (4.50m).

Next, the program travels to Birmingham, Alabama for the AAC Indoor Track & Field Championships starting on Friday, Feb. 24.
 
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