A week after sweeping the 2021 Big 12 Indoor Championships, the Texas track and field team opened the outdoor season this past weekend by hosting the Longhorn Invitational. The Longhorns won 13 individual events and easily earned the men’s and women’s team titles in their first outdoor meet since June 2019. 
 
The meet included an array of fresh and familiar faces with dominating performances backed by several athletes’ personal bests.
 
The women’s shot put kicked off the meet with a sweep. Senior Elena Bruckner made her season debut with a 16.81m/55-2 shot — an outdoor personal best. Bruckner also won the women’s discus throw with a mark of 54.24m/177-11. Sophomore Marilyn Nwora finished closely behind her in shot put with 15.43m/50-7.5 effort, earning second. Freshman Kiana Lowery earned the last spot on the podium with a mark of 15.09m/49-6.25.
 
Senior O’Brien Wasome excelled in his first appearance of 2021. Not only did he post a winning mark of 17.06/55-11.75 (+2.4) on his second attempt at the triple jump, but his first jump attempt broke a 33-year-old school record.
 
Senior Steffin McCarter dominated the men’s long jump with a winning leap of 8.27m/27-1.75 (+2.2), making him one of three men in school history to break the 27-foot mark.
 
Junior Rhiley Fritz won her Texas debut at the women’s javelin by more than four meters with a throw of 46.70m/153-2.
 
The Longhorns remained hard to catch, sweeping the short-hurdles races. Freshman Aasia Laurencin won in the women’s 100-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 13.30. In the men’s 110-meter hurdles, the Longhorns swept the top three spots. Senior Charles Brockman III clocked the top finish of 14.03 with freshman Nathan Franco and junior Alex Loving following closely behind.
 
On the distance side, the men’s and women’s teams performed well at Myers Stadium. Senior Kathryn Gillespie made her outdoor debut at Texas in the 1500-meter run with a sub-five minute mile. Her time of 4:22.91 earned her the women’s 1500-meter title. In the 5,000-meter run, senior Claudine Blancaflor and freshman Kelsie Vicknair finished first and second. Blancaflor sped past the finish at 17:08:09, and Vicknair followed a couple strides behind at 17:20.85.

Texas will compete at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, later this week.