TicketsLAWRENCE, Kan. — The University of Cincinnati men's and women's track and field teams finished day one action at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships hosted at the Rock Chalk Park on Thursday.
Two program records were set, five Bearcats notched podium finishes, three advanced to event finals and four others earned UC all-time top ten marks.
The Bearcats men's team currently owns sixth place (out of 16 teams), totaling nine points, while the women's squad currently sits in eighth place with seven points. BYU is first in the men's at the moment with 22 points and TCU is first in the women's tallying 19 points.
Freshman Macaela Walker raced to a program record 57.43 seconds in the 400m hurdles, finishing third in the preliminary round and advancing to Saturday's final. On the men's side, junior Camden Beatty broke the 400m hurdle record which was set 10 years ago by Andre Anderson (51.12) back in 2015. Beatty scorched the track with a time of 51.08 seconds to get 10th place.
UC's hammer throwers impressed, as three notched points. Graduate student Orry Willems set the tone early as he took home a fourth-place finish with a mark of 64.71m. On the women's side, graduate student Hannah Blood recorded a toss of 59.89m for sixth place. Senior Miranda Tcheutchoua wrapped up the trio of point scores with a seventh-place finish. Tcheutchoua launched a throw for 58.95m.
The first day of the heptathlon and decathlon competition wrapped up. Graduate student Justin Abrams currently sits in sixth place with 3,902 points in the decathlon; the 110m hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and 1500m remain. Sophomore Juliette Laracuente-Huebner owns the third-best score in the heptathlon, with 3,341 points. The Marengo, Ohio, native notched top-five finishes in three of the four completed events, earning first in the high jump with a mark of 1.66m. The long jump, javelin throw and 800m remain for the heptathlon.
Junior Claire Curtsinger had a strong performance in the 10,000m to put a close on the first day of action for the Bearcats. Curtsiniger crossed the finish line at 34:03.39 to earn a seventh place podium finish, gaining Cincinnati two points.
Day two action kicks off with multi events at 12 p.m. ET, followed by field events at 5 p.m. ET and running events at 6 p.m. ET.
// CATS WHO ADVANCE TO FINALS
Jed Helker, Macaela Walker and Kya Epps all advanced to Saturday's finals in their respective events after impressive first round performances.
Helker secured third place in the 1500m with a personal best time of 3:40.60. He will compete in the final on Saturday at 6:25 p.m. ET.
Walker claimed third place in the 400m hurdles, setting a new program record of 57.43 seconds. She returns for the final on Saturday at 8:15 p.m. ET.
Epps captured third place in the 200m dash with a personal best time of 22.99 seconds. She will race in the final on Saturday at 8:35 p.m. ET.
// CINCY POINT SCORERS
Field Events
For all the latest information on Cincinnati Track and Field/Cross Country, please visit GoBEARCATS.com and follow @GoBearcatsTFXC on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
To support the Bearcats Track and Field program click HERE.
Two program records were set, five Bearcats notched podium finishes, three advanced to event finals and four others earned UC all-time top ten marks.
The Bearcats men's team currently owns sixth place (out of 16 teams), totaling nine points, while the women's squad currently sits in eighth place with seven points. BYU is first in the men's at the moment with 22 points and TCU is first in the women's tallying 19 points.
Freshman Macaela Walker raced to a program record 57.43 seconds in the 400m hurdles, finishing third in the preliminary round and advancing to Saturday's final. On the men's side, junior Camden Beatty broke the 400m hurdle record which was set 10 years ago by Andre Anderson (51.12) back in 2015. Beatty scorched the track with a time of 51.08 seconds to get 10th place.
UC's hammer throwers impressed, as three notched points. Graduate student Orry Willems set the tone early as he took home a fourth-place finish with a mark of 64.71m. On the women's side, graduate student Hannah Blood recorded a toss of 59.89m for sixth place. Senior Miranda Tcheutchoua wrapped up the trio of point scores with a seventh-place finish. Tcheutchoua launched a throw for 58.95m.
The first day of the heptathlon and decathlon competition wrapped up. Graduate student Justin Abrams currently sits in sixth place with 3,902 points in the decathlon; the 110m hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and 1500m remain. Sophomore Juliette Laracuente-Huebner owns the third-best score in the heptathlon, with 3,341 points. The Marengo, Ohio, native notched top-five finishes in three of the four completed events, earning first in the high jump with a mark of 1.66m. The long jump, javelin throw and 800m remain for the heptathlon.
Junior Claire Curtsinger had a strong performance in the 10,000m to put a close on the first day of action for the Bearcats. Curtsiniger crossed the finish line at 34:03.39 to earn a seventh place podium finish, gaining Cincinnati two points.
Day two action kicks off with multi events at 12 p.m. ET, followed by field events at 5 p.m. ET and running events at 6 p.m. ET.
// CATS WHO ADVANCE TO FINALS
Jed Helker, Macaela Walker and Kya Epps all advanced to Saturday's finals in their respective events after impressive first round performances.
Helker secured third place in the 1500m with a personal best time of 3:40.60. He will compete in the final on Saturday at 6:25 p.m. ET.
Walker claimed third place in the 400m hurdles, setting a new program record of 57.43 seconds. She returns for the final on Saturday at 8:15 p.m. ET.
Epps captured third place in the 200m dash with a personal best time of 22.99 seconds. She will race in the final on Saturday at 8:35 p.m. ET.
// CINCY POINT SCORERS
- Hammer Throw (M) – 4th place – Orry Willems, 64.71m – 5 points
- Javelin (M) – 5th place – Ryan Rieckmann, 66.81m – 4 points
- Hammer Throw (W) – 6th place – Hannah Blood, 59.58m – 3 points
- Hammer Throw (W) – 7th place – Miranda Tcheutchoua, 58.65m – 2 points
- 10,000m (W) – 7th place – Claire Curtsinger, 34:03.39 – 2 points
Field Events
- Hammer Throw (W), No. 4: Hannah Blood, 59.58m
- 200m (M), No. 4: Naquille Harris, 20.98
- 200m (W), No. 2: Kya Epps, 22.99
- 400m Hurdle (M), No. 1: Camden Beatty, 51.08
- 400m Hurdle (W), No. 1: Macaela Walker, 57.43
- 1500m (M), No. 2: Jed Helker, 3:40.60
For all the latest information on Cincinnati Track and Field/Cross Country, please visit GoBEARCATS.com and follow @GoBearcatsTFXC on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
To support the Bearcats Track and Field program click HERE.