DMR, javelin pick up wins as Longhorns place fifth to end regular season
In a season that has seen a young team with many moving parts, two events of the Texas men’s track team have been nothing but consistent.
The distance medley relay team is now two-for-two on the year, picking up its second win of the season on Saturday by posting the fourth-best time in school history.
“I was thrilled to see our men’s DMR win another big race. That group has performed so well for us, winning Big 12 Indoors, the Texas Relays and now here against some top competition,” Texas interim head coach Tonja Buford-Bailey said. “They deserve it for all their hard work.”
On the field, senior javelin thrower Fabian Dohmann has yet to lose a meet this year. Dohmann picked up yet another victory in the event this weekend. He is still the only thrower in the Big 12 to post a mark of over 70 meters, a distance he has reached in each meet.
“Fabian continues to produce big throws,” Texas assistant coach Ty Sevin said. “This is the most consistent he has been in his time here, and he is proving to be one of the top javelin throwers in the NCAA this year.”
As the Longhorns attempt to win their fourth straight Big 12 outdoor championship, the experience that comes from the competition faced this weekend could prove to be valuable.
“This was a great meet for our sprinters from a competition standpoint,” Texas assistant coach Zach Glavash said. “Not only were the relay events top notch, but the open running events on Friday were of the caliber of a conference or even national championship.”
Women’s track gears up with final meet before conference championships
One last meet remained on the schedule for the Texas women’s track team before May’s Big 12 Championships. The Longhorns traveled to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to get one last weekend of racing in before shifting their focus to trying to win a fourth straight outdoor championship.
Senior Kally Long had another big day on Saturday to add to her already-impressive outdoor pole vault season. Long finished in fourth place, but it came with a little bit of drama. On her first three clearances, she went to the third and final attempt. Then, her final mark of 4.36 meters came on her second attempt. Long wasn’t able to clear 4.51 meters, which would have tied her for first place and set a Texas record. But Long was able to put herself in the top 10 of the NCAA ranks.
Long’s Texas teammates who competed on Friday also had impressive finishes.
Serenity Douglas placed second in the 400-meter dash, finishing 0.7 seconds off of the event leader. Douglas now has the second-fastest time in the Big 12 and the 10th fastest in the nation.
Her teammate, Zola Golden, finished fourth to add another Longhorn in the top five. Golden ran the fastest she had all season. Texas interim head coach Tonja Buford-Bailey took notice of the performances by Golden and Douglas.
“They are translating what they are doing in practice every day to competition, and they are seeing the results,” Buford-Bailey said. “We will rely on them both heavily at the conference championship, and to see them running so well right now is very nice.”
