The Aggie men’s 4×400 relay came within three hundredths of a second of the collegiate record on Saturday at the Arkansas Invitational. Their time of 3:03.23 is second only to the 3:03.20 mark they set in College Station at the 2014 SEC Championship.
The team consisted of Gregory Coleman (47.15), Bralon Taplin (44.79), Shavez Hart (46.18) and Deon Lendore (45.13). The foursome finished a full six seconds ahead of the competition.
“I’m extremely pleased with men’s mile relay running that fast at the end of January,” said head track coach Pat Henry to reporters after the meet.
Teams running this fast during the first month of the year is rare. In fact, it’s never happened before. The Aggies’ mark is the fastest ever recorded during the month of January. But this team knows they still have room to improve.
“We came close to our record,” anchor leg Deon Lendore. “But it’s January so we can go back to practice and work on the finer stuff and be ready for the championship races to try to do better.”
That record setting finish in the 4×400 boosted the Aggie men up to third place in this weekend’s Arkansas Invitational. A&M finished with 84 points, only a point and half behind No. 3 Arkansas and a single point behind No. 2 Florida.
The Aggie women finished in fourth with a total of 70 points behind SEC rivals No. 5 Arkansas, No. 1 Florida and LSU.
Hillary Montgomery ran a personal indoor best of 4:51.71 to claim second place in the women’s mile. Teammates Aaliyah Brown and Jennifer Madu took second and third in the women’s 60 meters. The women’s 4×400 relay team of Ebony Crear, Olivia Ekpone, Brown, and Shamier Little finished in second place with a time of 3:48.14. Brea Garrett took first place in the weight toss on Friday.
For the men, Hart and Devin Jenkins captured first and second place in the 60 meters for the Aggies. Cameron Villareal posted a time of 8:12.92 in the 3000 meter run, the third best mark in his section and 12th fastest time in school history.
The Texas A&M track team will see its next bit of action will be here at home in the Aggie Invitational Meet. The meet kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium.