The Texas A&M distance squad made history in the Tar Heel state this weekend.
The distance team, led by junior Eric Casarez and sophomore Maddie Livingston, continued their outdoor season by traveling to ACC territory to compete at the Raleigh Relays at Paul Derr Track & Field Facility in Raleigh, North Carolina. The events took place on the campus of NC State over the span of Thursday, March 23-25.
Thursday was headlined by a solid outing from the Aggies, including a record-breaking performance by Casarez. Casarez secured his third school record while participating in the men’s 5000m. Casarez reeled in a time of 13:42.63 to surpass former A&M track standout Henry Lelei’s record of 13:45.30 in 2013. Meanwhile, senior Chandon Chhikara ran 14:34.79 to conclude the 5000m.
In the 1500m, junior Gavin Hoffpauir led the way, raking in a time of 3:47.32, while sophomores Cooper Cawthra and Victor Zuniga finished at 3:48.00 and 3:50.82 each.
The 3000m steeplechase event saw junior Teddy Radkte and sophomore Jonathan Chung clocking in times of 9:10.30 and 9:12.21.
On the women’s side of the events, Livingston led the way Thursday night for the Aggies in the 10,000m. Joined by seniors Grace Plain and Abbey Santoro, Livingston moved up to become the 10th-best performer in school history, achieving a time of 35:00.65. Plain crossed the finish line at 35:31.52 and Santoro concluded at 35:37.08.
On Friday, the maroon and white concluded their time in North Carolina with senior Julia Abell placing 17th in the 3000m steeplechase. Abell finished with a time of 10:44.36.
The Aggies will head to Gainesville, Florida on Wednesday, March 29, to compete in the Florida Relays at Pressly Stadium at Percy Beard Track.