Indoor Track & Field Off to the AAC Indoor Championships

Friday, February 24

Birmingham, Alabama

Tulane University

American Athletic Conference

2023 AAC Indoor Track & Field Championships Preview

Indoor Track & Field Off to the AAC Indoor Championships

Feb 23, 2023 | Track & Field

Championship Central | Live Results | Live Video (Friday) | Live Video (Saturday)

NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane indoor track & field program is back in action and on the road this weekend as the program participates in the 2023 American Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships in Birmingham, Ala. at the Birmingham CrossPlex. The action starts on Friday at 9 a.m. with the 60m hurdles of the women's pentathlon. Saturday's day begins at 9:45 a.m. with the women's high jump.

This is the seventh straight year that the AAC Indoor Championships will be held at the Birmingham CrossPlex. The two days of the meet will also be broadcasted on ESPN+ with Hayden Cox and Trevor Fulkerson on the call (please see above for the individual video links). The Tulane women's team placed eighth in last year's competition with 36 points. The program was only five points from sixth place. Kristen O'Handley medaled in 2022 for the first time in her indoor career by finishing second in the pentathlon at the meet with 3,884 points.

This year the program is sending Norah Bice (shot put), Maren Butler (shot put), Mackenzie Callahan (mile), Janae Dean (800m), Alyssa Dismuke (shot put), Alexis Esteves, Megan Fitzgerald (pole vault), Laura Fodor (pentathlon), Bella Gonzalez (shot put), Abigail Heck, Kristina Leggas (pole vault), Sophia McNerney (3000m, 5000m), Allison Nelson (3000m), Kristen O'Handley (pentathlon), Patricija Ozolina (pentathlon), Alexandra Potts (pole vault), Reese Ragland (800m), Victoria Robinson (800m), Kate Sander (pole vault), Kara Steele (triple jump), Margot Temines (pentathlon, high jump), Kaia Todd (pentathlon, triple jump), Macy Turcotte (5000m).

The women's team has six athletes that are ranked among the top 10 in the South Central Region in Mackenzie Callahan – 7th – mile, the 4x400m Relay Team – 9th, the Distance Medley Relay Team – 9th, Kara Steele – 9th – triple jump, Kristen O'Handley – 4th – pentathlon and Margot Temines – 8th – pentathlon.

The women's program also has 16 athletes that are ranked among the top 10 in the American Athletic Conference in an event in Kristen O'Handley – 9th – 400m, Victoria Robinson – 2nd – 800m, Janae Dean – 3rd – 800m, Sophia McNerney – 10th – 800m, Mackenzie Callahan – 2nd – mile, 4x400m relay – 6th, distance medley relay – 5th, Kristen O'Handley – 10th – high jump, Alexandra Potts – 6th – pole vault, Kristina Leggas – 9th – pole vault, Megan Fitzgerald – 10th – pole vault - Kara Steele – 5th – triple jump, Maren Butler – 2nd – shot put, Kristen O'Handley – 2nd – pentathlon, Margot Temines – 3rd – pentathlon and Patricija Ozolina – 8th – pentathlon.

Tulane, after the first seven 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 (20th – total 15.24m – average – 3.81m), women's 800m (40th – total 8:45.60 – average of 2:11.40) and women's high jump (48th – total 6.56m – average 1.64m).

Last time out, an event victory and 19 top-10 finishes highlighted the action for the Tulane indoor track and field program at the LSU Twilight on Friday and the Alex Wilson Invitational on Saturday. Tulane picked up a total of five top-three finishes and had nine personal bests during the competitions.

Aaron Gilliam placed sixth in the men's mile at the Alex Wilson Invitational in South Bend, Indiana with a 4:08.46. He was the only Tulane student-athlete that participated in the meet as the rest of the squad participated in the LSU Twilight.

Roman Schrader won the men's mile with his personal record time of 4:16.80. Niall Ryan also set a personal record in placing fourth with a 4:22.16. Tucker Poshard earned fifth with his person record time of 4:22.22. Charlie McLawhorn placed ninth with a 4:27.45, while Jamie Polakoff ran a personal record time of 4:29.79 to earn 10th.

Parker Samuelson finished second in the men's pole vault (4.60m).

Donal Devane placed second in the men's 3000m (8:46.36). Adam Aldahir earned third in the same event with a personal record of 8:51.39.

Iker Yturralde finished ninth in the men's 800m (2:07.28).

Francisco Roman III was the team's highest finisher in the 60m (7.50 – 45th) and the 400m (56.76 – 20th)

Reese Ragland led the women's squad with a 2:23.26 to earn second in the 800m.

Lilian Grant finished fourth in the women's 3000m with personal record time of 10:28.97. Alexandra Sharp earned eighth (10:55.26), while Brenda Ellis finished ninth (11:11.31).

Kristina Leggas earned fifth in the pole vault (3.70m). Cosette Fleury set a personal record with a 3.40 in taking eighth.

Shamiso Zihumo took fifth in the triple jump (10.46m).

Bella Gonzalez finished sixth in the shot put with her 11.95m. The mark is a personal record and currently ranks her 15th in the AAC. Emma Simons took home eighth with a season-best throw of 9.21m.

Tolu Ajayi finished 10th in the 200m with a 26.56. She was also Tulane's highest finisher in the 60m (8.04 – 27th).

Alyssa Taylor finished 11th in the 400m with a personal record time of 1:02.06.

Next, the program will send individual and event team qualifiers to the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships from March 10-11 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Tulane is scheduled to start outdoor season on March 17-18 at the Louisiana Classics in Lafayette.
 
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