University of Minnesota Athletics
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Houston Earns Triple Jump Title in Arkansas
4/28/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
National Relays Results | SMU Open Results
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Sammie Houston picked up his first triple jump victory of the 2018 outdoor campaign on Saturday as the University of Minnesota men's track & field program closed out the weekend at the inaugural National Relays.
The Maroon & Gold claimed two event titles at the competition with Houston leading the triple jump field at Arkansas' John McDonnell Field on Saturday with his winning leap of 15.01 meters (49.03 ft.). Obsa Ali won the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Friday at 8:51.25.
The Gophers finished sixth out of 16 teams in the relay competitions as Minnesota competed in four of the seven relays, totaling 13 points. Four of the five teams ahead of the Gophers were nationally ranked while the Maroon & Gold finished ahead of No. 7 Florida State, No. 14 TCU, No. 20 Stanford and No. 21 Baylor.
The 4x800 meter relay squad of Josh Tracy, Lucas Trapp, Chris Trotter and Dawson LaRance picked up eight of Minnesota's 13 team points with a second-place showing at 7:28.66. The 'U' added three points in the 4x400 meter relay when Jonathan Webb, Matthew Baker, Ben Psicihulis and Jackson Wellenstein finished sixth at 3:07.80. Minnesota final two points in the team standing came on Friday night with a seventh-place finish in a 4x1,500 meter relay race when Sam Carlson Owen Hoeft, Jack Manderscheid and Jordan MacIntosh ran a 15:47.57. Mason Roomes, Webb, Zach Nelson and Baker also finished ninth in the 4x100 at 40.76 on Saturday.
In other notable individual action, Jonathan Tharaldsen posted a personal record of 18.54 meters (60-10 ft.) to finish sixth in the shot put on Saturday. Tharaldsen jumped up to ninth all-time at Minnesota with the performance.
Meanwhile, the Maroon & Gold were also in action at both the SMU Open and the Drake Relays on Saturday. At St. Mary's, the Gophers claimed seven event titles with unattached freshman Anthony Fleischfresser claiming both the high jump at 2.00 meters and the long jump at 7.15 meters. Glen Harold won the pole vault at 5.01 meters while James Travis was the winner in the triple jump at 14.37 meters. Unattached rookie Cory Mensah won the 100 meters at 10.78, and unattached freshman Collin Sieffert claimed the 400-meter hurdles crown at 53.79.
At Drake, Hamza Ali finished eighth in the 5,000 meters at 14:22.92.
Minnesota returns to action on Wednesday, May 2 with the Bearcat Twilight at Concordia-St. Paul.