Texas women’s track and field started its 2023 season off with a bang at the Cardinal Classic in Louisville, Kentucky.

The two-day indoor meet was held at the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center on Friday and Saturday. Spirits were high for the second meet of the season after graduate student Julien Alfred was named on the Bowerman Preseason Watchlist for the first time after four previous nominations. This marks the 43rd time a Texas woman made the list, and Alfred is the 10th individual athlete to make the list. 

Kennedy Simon, Alfred’s teammate and graduate student, was also named a National Athlete of the Week by U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. It was the second time a female Texas athlete won the award during the indoor season since 2020. Following those nominations, Texas women made it a point to bring home some hardware.

Simon made it a Longhorn sweep after winning the 500m with a time of 1:08.59, setting the second-fastest time in collegiate history. Sophomore Ackelia Smith also had a successful meet, setting the leading long jump mark on her first attempt at 6.73 meters, which is the second-best in Texas history.

Also making their Longhorn debuts in Louiseville were two former Pac-12 student athletes. Formerly with University of Southern California, graduate student Lanae-Tava Thomas competed in the 200m and the 4×400. Graduate student Ezinne Abba, formerly University of California, Berkeley, went to work in the 60m, 200m and the 4×400.

Abba won the 60m dash in 7.28 seconds after posting the fastest prelims time earlier in the day at 7.34 seconds. Simon finished third with a time of 7.50, and senior Kailei Collins finished just behind in fourth with her time of 7.57.

On Saturday, the women’s 4×400 relay, made up of graduate student Rachel Helbling, junior Rhasidat Adeleke, Alfred and Simon, ran the 14th-fastest time in UT history, with a winning time of 3:30.55.

Alfred began the day with a 200m win with a time of 23.10. Texas took six of the top 10 times with junior Kevona Davis finishing in second with 23.57 seconds, Thomas in third with 23.65 seconds, Simon in fourth with 23.81 seconds, Abba in sixth with 24.13 seconds and Collins in eighth with 24.60 seconds.

Valery Tobias led Texas to a 800m sweep to close out the wins for Texas. Tobias finished with a facility record of her own with a time of 2:08.21.