Results
HOUSTON, Texas (SMU) -- SMU started the year with 13 top-10 finishes at the Leonard Hilton Memorial Invitational in Houston this weekend. Head Coach A'Havahla Haynes said the meet was a solid season opener.
"We had personal bests and consistent results, and it is always exciting to end a meet with a 4x400 win," Haynes said.
Three of the top-10 finishes came from the field events where Raelyn Roberson and Olivia Dobson placed fifth and eighth in the long jump and Maykayla Jackson placed eighth in the triple jump.
During the running part of the competition, Nea Sanders ran a time of 8.86 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles to qualify for finals where she placed eighth. Hali Murphy placed third in the 600 followed by Arianna Sutton in fourth and Mackenzie Montandon in tenth. In the 800, Emily Waller ran a time of 2:19.45 for third place.
The mile brought success and PRs to the Mustangs led by Macey Hilton placing second with a new personal best time of 4:53.32. Faustine Chaboche followed in fourth, and Kendall Saeger and Kaitlyn Gearin also ran personal best times to place them in the top-10 finishers.
The meet came to a close with SMU's relay team made up of Nea Sanders, Camryn McPhaul, Arianna Sutton, and Hali Murphy running a time of 3:48.56 to win the 4x400.
"It is just the start, not the end destination," Haynes said.
The distance ponies will compete next in Boston while the sprinters and jumpers will be in New Mexico on January 26th and 27th.
FULL MUSTANG RESULTS
Shot Put
17 Gabriella Ayiteyfio 10.58m
Long Jump
5 Raelyn Roberson 5.71m
8 Olivia Dobson 5.55m
Triple Jump
8 Maykayla Jackson 11.48m
60m Prelim
12 Gabriella Ayiteyfio 7.65
19 Funminiyi Olajide 7.76
30 K'Nyah Isaac 7.93
42 Maykayla Jackson 8.12
600y
3 Hali Murphy 1:23.84
4 Arianna Sutton 1:26.10
10 Mackenzie Montandon 1:29.53
60mH Prelim
6 Nea Sanders 8.86 Q
24 Kirin Chaccia 9.08
60mH Final
8 Nea Sanders 12.40
1 Mile
2 Macey Hilton 4:53.32 (PR)
4 Faustine Chaboche 4:56.05
7 Kendall Saeger 5:01.89 (PR)
13 Kaitlyn Gearin 5:10.37 (PR)
14 Flora Tissier 5:11.49
21 Nikoleta Rafailaki 5:15.45 (PR)
22 Jessie Crowley 5:17.23
800m
3 Emily Waller 2:19.45
12 Giavanna Vinciguerra 2:44.27
200m
18 Camryn McPhaul 25.35
4x400
1 Sanders, McPhaul, Sutton, Murphy 3:48.56
8 Chacchia, Ayiteyfio, Montandon, Hilton 3:59.12
14 Chaboche, Rafailaki, Saeger, Crowley 4:18.45