Houston freshman Darius Rodgers sprints alongside his opponents during the men’s 60-meter dash at the Howie Ryan Invitational, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, in Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
Houston track and field showcased their talent across multiple indoor events this season, with impressive individual and team performances.
NCAA Indoor Championships
Houston’s men’s and women’s track and field teams wrapped up the NCAA Indoor Championships with impressive results, earning a top-five finish for the men and a 14th-place finish for the women.
Graduate KeAyla Dove delivered a standout performance, taking third place in the women’s shot put with a mark of 18.91 meters, earning First Team All-America honors for the second time in her career.
Sophomore Antrea Mita also impressed, finishing in eighth place in the men’s high jump with a clearance of 2.16 meters, earning First Team All-America honors for the first time.
Senior Jamar Marshall Jr. capped off his indoor season with a 16th-place finish in the men’s 60-meter hurdles, securing Second Team All-America honors for the first time in his career.
Big 12 Indoor Championships
At the Big 12 Indoor Championships, Houston claimed four individual titles, one silver medal and multiple personal bests.
Freshman Invida Maurina made history, setting a school record in the women’s 600-yard dash with a time of 1:20.34.
Houston’s victories began on the final day with senior John Adesola’s victory in the men’s 60-meter dash with a time of 6.59, marking the Cougars’ first Big 12 title in that event.
Graduate Shaun Maswanganyi, making his season debut, secured a fifth-place finish in the same race.
Senior Grant Levesque triumphed in the pole vault with a 5.41-meter clearance, and Dove continued her dominant season by winning the women’s shot put with a throw of 18.29 meters.
Mita clinched Houston’s final title in the men’s high jump, clearing 2.22 meters.
Ted Nelson Invitational
At the Ted Nelson Invitational, Dove and Marshall Jr. each set new facility and meet records, with Dove winning the women’s shot put with a program-record throw of 17.76 meters, while Marshall Jr. captured the men’s 60-meter hurdles title with a personal best of 7.59.
The men’s 4×400-meter relay team of senior Trey East III, freshman King Taylor, freshman Prentice Sanders II and freshman Sahfi Reed ran a season-best 3:07.22, securing second place and ranking eighth in the nation.
Robert Platt Invitational
Houston made a strong showing at the Robert Platt Invitational, recording nine victories, seven second-place finishes and eight third-place finishes.
The women’s pole vault squad swept the podium, with freshman Evina Panagiotou taking first with a career-best 4.03 meters.
Freshman Grace MacDonald also secured Houston’s first win in the women’s 1000-meter race, finishing in 2:55.03.
Freshman Indiva Maurina continued to impress by winning the women’s 600-yard dash with a time of 1:21.35.
Senior Brice Chabot claimed the men’s 200-meter title with a time of 21.05, while sophomore Cordell Nwokeji led the men’s shot put podium sweep, winning with a throw of 17.90 meters.
Charlie Thomas
At the Charlie Thomas, Dove set a new school record in the women’s shot put with an 18.16-meter throw, solidifying her spot as one of the nation’s best in the event.
Freshman Evina Panagiotou also had a strong performance in the women’s pole vault, clearing 4.15 meters to claim second place in Houston’s record books.
Senior John Adesola achieved a personal best in the men’s 60-meter dash, finishing in 6.65 seconds.
Howie Ryan Invitational
The Cougars capped off their indoor season at the Howie Ryan Invitational, collecting 12 victories, 12 second-place finishes and eight bronze medals.
Dove continued her stellar form, winning the women’s shot put with a throw of 19.46 meters, setting a personal record and taking the top spot in the nation.
The Lady Cougars also swept the pole vault event, with Panagiotou leading the way with a personal-best 4.17 meters.
The men’s high jump saw Mita leap to the top of the national rankings with a personal-best clearance of 2.26 meters, while senior My’Kell Beck secured second place with a career-high 2.21 meters.
Freshman Taylor Jackson claimed gold in both the women’s 60-meter dash (7.49) and 200-meter (24.13), with fellow Cougar freshmen taking second in both events.
Houston track and field’s indoor season was marked by record-breaking performances, podium sweeps and personal bests, with standout athletes such as Dove, Mita and Marshall Jr. leading the charge.
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“Houston track and field finishes strong to cap off stellar indoor season” was originally posted on The Cougar