The Texas A&M men’s and women’s track and field teams hosted the Alumni Muster for their regular season finale Saturday, April 30. It was a bittersweet evening at E.B. Cushing Stadium for over a dozen senior Aggies who stood on the track with family members, holding framed pictures and mementos of their college careers at A&M.
The seniors were all smiles and embraced by loved ones as they prepared to compete in Aggieland one last time.
“This is a great senior class,” coach Pat Henry told 12thMan.com ahead of the last home meet of the season.
Hitting the track blazing in the women’s 4×100-meter relay was senior Jania Martin, sophomore Laila Owens, graduate student Deshae Wise and fifth-year Kaylah Robinson. The squad teamed up to give the Aggies first place in the opening event of the evening, with a finishing time of 43.57.
Senior Gavin Hoffpauir continued the strong momentum for the maroon and white by taking first place in the men’s 1,500-meter. Hoffpauir also set a meet record with a finishing time of 3:45.01.
In the women’s 100-meter hurdles, Robinson picked up another first place win in the event and set a meet record with a time of 12.93.
The Aggies continued to dominate as fifth-year Syaira Richardson and graduate student Jaevin Reed set records with season best times in the women’s 400-meter. Richardson clocked in at 52.97 to take first place, and Reed took second place with a time of 53.21.
Sophomore mid-distance runner Brandon Miller was explosive in the men’s 800-meter, setting a season’s best record as well as a meet record. Miller took first place clocking in at 1:46.43. Sophomores Ashton Schwartzman and Cutler Zamzow joined in on setting records. Both earned personal best records in the men’s 400-meter relay.
Wise set a meet record, clocking in at 57.02 in the women’s 100-meter hurdles to pick up another first place victory.
The Aggies completely swept the competition in the men’s 400-meter hurdles. Senior Moitalel Mpoke earned first place and set both a season’s best as well as a meet record. Mpoke clocked in at 48.99. Right behind him was junior James Smith II clocking in at 49.83. Sophomore Kirk Collins Jr. set a personal best in the event with a finishing time of 50.83.
The maroon and white had no plans of slowing down in the last stretch of the meet as senior Julia Black was victorious in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, setting a meet record. Black placed first, clocking in at 10:33.91.
Junior Teddy Radtke carried the same dominance into the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase sweep, finishing with a 15-second personal best time of 9:05.52.
The Aggies placed first in the women’s 4×400-meter relay, setting a meet record with a 3:25.92 finishing time. Junior Grace Plain set a personal best record clocking in at 16:48.50 to place second in the women’s 5,000-meter.
Closing out the victorious night for the Aggies was junior Brady Grant placing second in the men’s 5,000-meter, setting a personal best with a finishing time of 14:46.45.
Next up for the Aggies is the SEC Outdoor Championships hosted at the Ole Miss Track & Field Complex May 12-14.
