TicketsTAMPA, Fla.— The University of Cincinnati men's and women's track and field teams opened the 2023 American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships by earning two podium finishes and breaking three records on day one at the USF Track Complex on Friday.
Through one day, the UC women's team leads the team standings with 23 points, while the men's squad sits in third with 10 points.
Due to lightning in the Tampa area, the men's and women's 10,000-meter run was postponed until 8 a.m. Saturday and will begin day two of the Championships.
Junior Leonie Troeger led the way for the Bearcats by claiming the women's javelin conference title by breaking her own school record with a throw of 55.05m (180'7"). The Berlin, Germany native bested her previous personal best by more than five feet to earn her first career conference title. Troeger's record throw currently ranks inside the top 15 in the nation.
In the women's 1,500-meter run, freshman Gwen Stare demolished the Cincinnati freshman mark with a time of 4:27.60 in the prelims. She broke former Bearcat Angie Kist's 24-year-old record time of 4:35.18. The Newark, Ohio native's time is also the third-fastest in program history.
Stare, along with teammates senior Rylee Penn (4:26.56), who won her heat, and junior Jodie Pierce (4:30.27), qualified for Sunday's final.
Senior Hannah Jackson recorded the first medal of the weekend for the Bearcats by placing second overall in the women's hammer throw. Jackson earned the medal with a toss of 60.62m (198'10"), a new personal best. Her mark is also the second-best throw in program history.
Also recording a record-breaking performance was graduate student Nyile Facey in the women's 400-meter hurdles. Facey broke her own school record with a time of 58.66 and qualified for the finals. This is the second time this year she has achieved the feat.
Senior Victoria Abunaw also qualified for the women's 400-meter hurdles final after running a personal best time 1:00.48. Her time is the fourth-fastest in UC history.
Multi-athlete sophomore Dominique Hall sits at the top of the decathlon standings at the end of day one. Hall capped the day in first with 3,944 points as he won the 400-meter dash by breaking the meet record with a time of 47.86 seconds and placed second in the men's long jump (7.07m/23'2.5"). He also placed third in both the 100m dash (10.92) and high jump (1.89m/6'2.25").
Both senior Tyler Wirth and junior Matt Hoak advanced to Sunday's men's 1500-meter final. Wirth ran the third-fastest qualifying time (3:50.73) and Hoak was right behind, recording the fifth-fastest qualifying time (3:51.17).
Both sprinters sophomore Naquille Harris and freshman Camden Beatty advanced to Sunday's finals in their individual events. Harris ran the seventh-fastest 200-meter in program history, 21.10, to qualify for finals. Beatty's 400-meter hurdle time of 53.21 secured him a spot on Sunday.
Senior Alexandria Hunter improved her personal best by more than seven meters in the women's hammer throw. She placed fourth overall with her throw of 58.72m (192'8"). Her mark is also the third-best throw in school history.
Three Bearcats scored in the men's hammer throw. Freshman Ben Fiser was the highest-placing Bearcat as he finished fourth overall (54.98m/180'4"). Fiser was followed by juniors Korbin Spencer in sixth (48.70m/159'9") and Giovanni Gutierrez (47.28m/155'1") in eighth.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats will continue their quest for an AAC Championship title on day two of the 2023 AAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Saturday's schedule will begin at 8 a.m. with the women's 10,000-meter race followed by the men's 10,000m.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati Track and Field/Cross Country, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. and follow @GoBearcatsTFXC on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Through one day, the UC women's team leads the team standings with 23 points, while the men's squad sits in third with 10 points.
Due to lightning in the Tampa area, the men's and women's 10,000-meter run was postponed until 8 a.m. Saturday and will begin day two of the Championships.
Junior Leonie Troeger led the way for the Bearcats by claiming the women's javelin conference title by breaking her own school record with a throw of 55.05m (180'7"). The Berlin, Germany native bested her previous personal best by more than five feet to earn her first career conference title. Troeger's record throw currently ranks inside the top 15 in the nation.
In the women's 1,500-meter run, freshman Gwen Stare demolished the Cincinnati freshman mark with a time of 4:27.60 in the prelims. She broke former Bearcat Angie Kist's 24-year-old record time of 4:35.18. The Newark, Ohio native's time is also the third-fastest in program history.
Stare, along with teammates senior Rylee Penn (4:26.56), who won her heat, and junior Jodie Pierce (4:30.27), qualified for Sunday's final.
Senior Hannah Jackson recorded the first medal of the weekend for the Bearcats by placing second overall in the women's hammer throw. Jackson earned the medal with a toss of 60.62m (198'10"), a new personal best. Her mark is also the second-best throw in program history.
Also recording a record-breaking performance was graduate student Nyile Facey in the women's 400-meter hurdles. Facey broke her own school record with a time of 58.66 and qualified for the finals. This is the second time this year she has achieved the feat.
Senior Victoria Abunaw also qualified for the women's 400-meter hurdles final after running a personal best time 1:00.48. Her time is the fourth-fastest in UC history.
Multi-athlete sophomore Dominique Hall sits at the top of the decathlon standings at the end of day one. Hall capped the day in first with 3,944 points as he won the 400-meter dash by breaking the meet record with a time of 47.86 seconds and placed second in the men's long jump (7.07m/23'2.5"). He also placed third in both the 100m dash (10.92) and high jump (1.89m/6'2.25").
Both senior Tyler Wirth and junior Matt Hoak advanced to Sunday's men's 1500-meter final. Wirth ran the third-fastest qualifying time (3:50.73) and Hoak was right behind, recording the fifth-fastest qualifying time (3:51.17).
Both sprinters sophomore Naquille Harris and freshman Camden Beatty advanced to Sunday's finals in their individual events. Harris ran the seventh-fastest 200-meter in program history, 21.10, to qualify for finals. Beatty's 400-meter hurdle time of 53.21 secured him a spot on Sunday.
Senior Alexandria Hunter improved her personal best by more than seven meters in the women's hammer throw. She placed fourth overall with her throw of 58.72m (192'8"). Her mark is also the third-best throw in school history.
Three Bearcats scored in the men's hammer throw. Freshman Ben Fiser was the highest-placing Bearcat as he finished fourth overall (54.98m/180'4"). Fiser was followed by juniors Korbin Spencer in sixth (48.70m/159'9") and Giovanni Gutierrez (47.28m/155'1") in eighth.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats will continue their quest for an AAC Championship title on day two of the 2023 AAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Saturday's schedule will begin at 8 a.m. with the women's 10,000-meter race followed by the men's 10,000m.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati Track and Field/Cross Country, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. and follow @GoBearcatsTFXC on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.