T&F Breaks Even with UTA At Saturday Dual Meet

DENTON, Texas – North Texas track and field split the team titles with UTA Saturday at the UNT vs. UTA Dual, with the men's team recording a 96-71 victory at the Soccer and Track & Field Stadium.

"It was a great day," director of track & field Carl Sheffield said. "The atmosphere was really good. It's really fun to compete, head up on a one-to-one basis. We've been trying to do this for two or three years now, and I think it's fun that we finally pulled it off. We're excited about it."

Alec Esposito was the man of the hour for the Mean Green men's team, taking home victories in the 800 meters, 1,500 meters and 3,000 meters. The senior from Houston, Texas, led the way in the 1,500 meters with a near-personal best 3:50.89 to take the title. Mason Garner (3:56.35) and Jack Beaumont (3:57.26) took second and third, respectively, with personal-best times.

"That was impressive," Sheffield said. "I think the distance running men are really coming around. I think they are really starting to pull it together. So, I was excited about them."

Esposito followed with a win in the men's 800 meters, clocking a personal-best time of 1:54.73 before making it three-for-three in the 3,000 meters with a time of 8:25.12 in his first-ever time competing in the event outdoors.

"Alec has shown that he's coming back," Sheffield said. "He had some injuries last year, but he's fit now and the speed looks like it's coming around. I was really impressed with the distance runners today."

The North Texas men went three-for-three in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4x100-meter relay.

Samir Williams made his outdoor solo debut with a win in the men's 200 meters, registering a time of 21.22. In the men's 100 meters, Karlington Anunagba won with a time of 10.64. The Mean Green grabbed the victory head-to-head in the men's 4x100-meter relay as Williams, Davonye Jones, Tyler Walls and Anunagba clocked a time of 40.59.

"Samir has not competed in an outdoor event since his senior year in high school," Sheffield said. "We were kind of in a training phase, so we hadn't done a lot of speed work. So, for him to open up the first time outdoors like that, I think it was good. I think there were some good races from the sprinters, and I think we'll get better each week through the month of March."

Kennedy Adams won the title in the women's long jump in her North Texas outdoor debut, recording a mark of 18-3 (5.56m). Glenquioa Hardy was the runner-up with a jump of 17-6 (5.33m). Adams pulled off the double win with a triple jump of 40-2 (12.24m) to finish in first place.

In the men's hammer throw, Chris Samaniego picked up where he left off with the victory, recording a toss of 190-2 (57.98m). Jake Parchman (personal-best 175-11 - 53.63m) and Wardell Glaspie (166-1 - 50.62m) finished in second and third, respectively.

Samaniego also won the men's shot put with a throw of 54-1 (16.48m), followed by Kendall Maples in second with a mark of 45-0.25 (13.72m).

UNT had the top-four scorers in the men's discus, led by Parchman getting the win with a throw of 152-8 (46.55m). Glaspie (139-8 - 42.58m), Maples (138-10 - 42.32m) and Samaniego (137-6 - 41.92m) completed the Mean Green sweep.

"A couple people got personal records in the throws," Sheffield said. "Samaniego also stood out in the shot put, which was his key event."

The Mean Green finished 1-2-3 in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, led by Victor Neiva in first with a 14-second personal-best time of 9:20.16. Luke Canon (9:37.42) and Braden Lange (9:37.42) recorded their first-ever times in the event.

Lyric Choice got the win in the women's 100-meter hurdles, recording a time of 14.44.

In the men's 400 meters, Davonye Jones finished in first place with a time of 49.13 in his first-ever race in the event.

Jordan Coates-McBride cruised to victory in the men's 400-meter hurdles with a time of 55.23.

In his UNT outdoor debut, Nicholas Frazier-Davis got the win in the men's high jump with a mark of 6-2.75 (1.90m).

Megan Palu was the runner-up in the women's high jump with a mark of 5-2.25 (1.58m).

Madison Sloan (138-8 - 42.28m) and Dionna James (116-2 - 35.41m) made their debuts in the women's hammer throw, placing second and third, respectively. James took second in the shot put with a throw of 44-6.25 (13.57m), while Sloan took third with a mark of 41-2.25 (12.55m).

Miranda Vreeland took third in the women's 1,500 meters in her outdoor debut, clocking a time of 4:46.46. She followed that up with a runner-up finish in the 3,000 meters, running a time of 11:01.07.

Lauren Brown finished as the runner-up in the women's 100 meters with a time of 12.04.

Liah Collins was the runner-up in the women's 800 meters with a time of 2:36.43

Kayla McDonald finished as the runner-up in the women's 200 meters with a time of 25.00, followed in third by Arissa Thompson at 25.12.

Makayla Roy made her debut with a runner-up finish in the women's javelin, recording a throw of 153-11 (46.92m).

In the men's javelin, Akeel Hanchard also made his first appearance and recorded a runner-up finish (212-9 - 64.85m).

UNT closed out the day with a victory in the men's 4x400-meter relay as Ziphion Reevey, Clayton Boyce, Samir Williams and Davonye Jones clocked a time of 3:24.87 to give the Mean Green the 96-71 advantage.

The final score of the women's competition had UTA coming away with an 91-55 victory.

"A lot of people opened up in their first meet better than they did last year," Sheffield said. "That's something we always look at. I think the freshman girls look good from where they started last year in high school. There's a lot of promise there. It's just going to take time for them, getting used to college and the training and competing. But they're competitive, and I think at some point they'll roll around this year and become who we think they are."

North Texas will be back in action next Saturday at its first full outdoor meet of the season, the TCU Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas.

"We'll keep getting closer to our primary events individually," Sheffield said. "We have some work to do on the relays. We try to get ready for those in Texas Relays. So, we'll spend some time there getting those ready. I think each week, everybody will come back to their primary event. That's kind of how training is structured right now, to try to get holistic and then get more specific each week as we get up to April."

Be sure to keep an eye on MeanGreenSports.com, follow Mean Green Sports on social media @MeanGreenSports and Mean Green track & field/cross country at @MeanGreenTFXC for the latest information.

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Players Mentioned

Kennedy Adams

Karlington Anunagba

Jack Beaumont

Clayton Boyce

Lauren Brown

Luke Canon

Lyric Choice

Jordan Coates-McBride

Liah Collins

Alec Esposito

Nicholas Frazier-Davis

Mason Garner

Wardell Glaspie

Akeel Hanchard

Glenquioa Hardy

Dionna James

Davonye Jones

Braden Lange

Kayla McDonald

Victor Neiva

Megan Palu

Jake Parchman

Ziphion Reevey

Makayla Roy

Chris Samaniego

Madison Sloan

Arissa Thompson

Miranda Vreeland

Tyler Walls

Samir Williams

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