Houston freshman Colton Harrison readies himself for the Javelin Throw during the Cameron Burrell Invitational, Friday, May 2, 2025, in Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
Houston has built on its impressive start to the season, continuing to deliver strong performances as a team, with personal bests individually throughout the past month.
Coach Carl Lewis is aware of the potential his group holds, as well as the noise surrounding the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championship that awaits Thursday.
“Right around now is when everyone pops in, so I think the big thing is to tamp down the need for the expectations, and just understand we can do it,” Lewis said.
A dominant showing at the Cameron Burrell Invitational
Houston claimed 15 victories and earned 26 personal bests in the Cameron Burrell Invitational at the Carl Lewis International Complex beginning on Thursday, May 1.
The field squad started the invitational with three wins on day one. Freshman Demaris Eberle won her first collegiate event in the women’s high jump with a mark of 1.60 meters. Senior Grant Levesque was third in the men’s pole vault, but added to Houston records with the 10th highest mark of 5.20 meters.
The Cougars swept the men’s high jump as sophomore Antrea Mita took the win with a mark of 2.20 meters, with junior Turey Stoudemire in second and senior My’Kell Beck in third.
Houston won the men’s discus with a throw of 57.29 meters from senior Kevin Grubbs.
The field team continued their success on day two, with four more victories. Freshman Athena Smith won the women’s long jump with a mark of 5.84 meters. Junior Zaeda Houff won the women’s hammer throw with a personal best of 58.02 meters.
Freshman Stephanie Ume-Ezeoke took first place in the women’s triple jump thanks to an 11.53-meter effort. UH also won the men’s portion of the event with senior Kevin Snyder’s mark of 15.13 meters.
Houston’s track team had eight wins total on Friday, and started with sophomore Patrick Flowers in the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase, who ran a winning time of 9:19.93.
UH swept both the men’s and women’s 4×100-meter relay. The women’s team of junior Maltide Ochoa, freshmen Taylor Jackson, Norah Nwonumah and Carlysia Cresser ran a season-best time of 44.82. Meanwhile, the men’s team of freshman Germain-Smith Mata, sophomore Cayden Broadnax, junior Ryan Mulholland, and senior Brice Chabot won with a time of 40.02.
Houston also took over the podium in the women’s 100-meter hurdles, as junior Kaycee McCoy ran a time of 13.47 for first, junior Ali Mack took second with 13.60 and sophomore Madison Dominguez claimed third with a time of 13.91.
Junior Anthony Trucks won the men’s 110-meter hurdles with a winning time of 13.86. Broadnax claimed first in the men’s 200-meter and ran a time of 20.74. Houston swept the women’s 5000-meter as three freshmen took the podium. Cadence Patterson won it in a time of 17:22.96, followed by Addison Hite in second and Lily Campos in third.
On the men’s side, junior Miles Cox led UH with a time of 14:54.63.
Texas Invitational
The action began April 24 as the first group competed in the Texas Invitational at the University of Texas in Austin. In the event, the athletes achieved two podium finishes and established three personal bests.
Freshman Kaylee Daniel landed second after clearing 4.00 meters in the women’s pole vault.
On the men’s side, Mita placed third with a clearance of 2.13 meters.
Senior Charlie O’Block and sophomore Logan Lyght set personal best records in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, crossing the line at 52.42 and 53.06, respectively.
Freshman Madyson Thurmond also recorded a personal best in the women’s 200-meter with her time of 24.76.
Friday, the Cougars finished up in Austin. Senior Jamar Marshall Jr. crossed the finish line at 13.39 in the men’s 11-meter hurdles. His time earned him a second-place spot and moved him to third on Houston’s all-time performance list.
Houston finished strong, the team came home with seven more personal best records. Notably, McCoy finished with a time of 13.34 in the women’s 100-meter hurdles. Her time ranks eighth in program history.
Penn Relays
April 25, another group of Cougars traveled to Philadelphia to compete in the Penn Relays.
The men’s 4×100-meter relay crossed the line at 39.96, qualifying for the Championship of America final. The relay squad includes Smith-Mata, Broadnax, junior Gerard Holmes and Chabot.
Senior Trey East III joined the squad in Smith-Mata’s place for the men’s 4×200-meter relay final. The team placed third in 1:22.41.
The 4×400-meter relay squad, run by freshmen Damarien Jacobs, King Taylor, Jaylin Santiago and Sahfi Reed, advanced to the final with a time of 3:07.11.
Smith-Mata closed out Friday with a personal best time of 10.64 in the men’s 100-meter.
Saturday, the 4×400 squad wrapped up in Philadelphia with a time of 3:04.89, placing fourth overall and ranking eighth on Houston’s all-time list.
J. Fred Duckett Invitational
Beginning April 26, the Cougars earned two victories, three second-place finishes and three third-place finishes in addition to setting 11 more personal best times.
Flowers won the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase with a personal best time of 9:05.29. This was Flowers’ first collegiate victory in the event and the ninth-fastest time in program history.
Sophomore Cordell Nwokeji collected another victory in the men’s shot put with a distance of 18.07 meters. Sophomore Kaden Edwards joined Nwokeji at the podium, securing third at 17.50 meters.
The Cougars continued their podium streak with senior Caleb Malbrough, who was the top-collegiate finisher, placing second with a personal best of 7.61 meters. Marlborough was joined by Smith, who also set a personal best of 6.02 meters for second place.
Senior Kevin Grubbs threw a 54.47-meter discus in the men’s discus to earn Houston’s final second-place finish of the invitational.
Finishing out the weekend, freshman Remay Abraha collected a third-place win in the men’s 1500-meter with a personal best of 3:47.06, the ninth-fastest time in program history.
Freshman Marcela Trevino added another win to Houston’s record book with her third-place finish in the women’s hammer throw and tying her personal best with a mark of 50.59 meters.
Cougars make history at 44 Farms Invitational
The team travelled to College Station on Friday, April 11, to compete at the 44 Farms Team Invitational. The meet was hosted at Texas A&M’s E.B. Cushing Stadium.
Record-breaking kickoff
The Cougars kicked off the meet with a strong performance from Freshman Evina Panagiotou. She earned the squad’s first victory with a clearance of 4.26 meters. Panagiotou now holds the program record, which was previously held by Karley King (4.21 meters) for 10 years.
Senior Adam Mason earned another first-place finish in the men’s 800-meter, clocking a personal-best time of 1:48:30. Mason’s time moves him up the ranks of the UH record books; he now holds the No. 2 spot in program history. His time also breaks another 10-year streak, as he bests Yonas Tesfai’s 2014 mark of 1:48.40.
Abraha finished in second place in the men’s 1500m with a 3:52.2.
In the women’s 5000-meter, Hite took third place with a 17:24.44.
To finish off the first day, Chabot placed second with a time of 20.59 (+2.4 m/s).
Saturday, Marshall Jr. finished with a 13.13 (+5.2 m/s) to earn first in the 110-meter men’s hurdles.
The men’s 4×100-meter relay team finished in third at 39.71 seconds. The squad consisted of Smith-Mata, Broadnax, Chabot and senior John Adesola.
Additionally, the men’s 4x400m squad earned another podium finish, crossing the finish line at 39.71 seconds. The team was led by East III and senior Adam Mason, the pair was joined by Reed and Santiago.
Legacy in motion: The Tom Tellez Invitational cut short but full of big moments
The University of Houston Track & Field Program welcomed former head coach Tom Tellez back for the unveiling of his statue at the Tom Tellez Invitational, held at the Carl Lewis International Complex.
The Cougars racked up seven first-place finishes, nine runner-up finishes, and nine third-place finishes across the two-day meet.
Opening day highlights and a legendary tribute
On April 4, field events opened with a victory from freshman Tirea Reed with a women’s discus throw of 49.6 meters.
Freshman Kaylee Daniel contributed a third-place win to the Cougars’ record with a women’s pole vault clearance of 3.88 meters. This personal best also moves her up the ranks in the UH record books; she now holds the sixth-highest clearance in program history.
On the men’s side, Grubbs claimed second place in the discus event with a throw of 58.19 meters, securing the fifth-best mark in school history.
The Cougars made significant strides in the running events as well.
East III clocked 46.70 seconds in the men’s 400-meter to earn second place, while freshman Damarien Jacobs followed closely, grabbing third in 46.78 seconds.
The unveiling ceremony was the perfect conclusion to the meet’s first day, as fans and alumni, including Lewis, watched Tellez unveil his statue.
Tellez led the Cougars for over two decades from 1976 to 1998. During his time, he coached some of the nation’s best athletes, including Lewis, a nine-time Olympic gold medalist.
“We are here for who I think is the greatest coach of the 20th century,” Lewis said. “He changed thousands of people’s lives, and we’re just excited to dedicate the future, because people like Coach Tellez need to be, not just known and loved, but remembered.”
Stormy finish: Houston battles weather, still delivers on day two
The second day was shortened by poor weather, yet the Cougars still showcased an impressive performance overall.
Graduate KeAyla Dove kicked off the day, earning her first outdoor season victory, setting a school record with a shot put throw distance of 18.10 meters.
Nwokeji and Edwards followed suit in the men’s shot put. Nwokeji’s 17.76-meter mark gave him a victory for the day, while Edwards came in second at 17.60 meters.
Hoff placed third in the women’s hammer throw with a mark of 55.85 meters. This personal best throw allowed her to climb to fourth on the women’s all-time list.
Back on the men’s side, freshman Ty Lott earned a second-place spot in the men’s shot put with a 60.76-meter mark. His mark also put him in fourth place on Houston’s men’s all-time list.
Redshirt sophomore Tairah Johnson placed second in the women’s long jump with a mark of 5.92 meters.
Freshman Darius Rodgers, Broadnax, Chabot and Adesola earned a first-place spot in the 4×100-meter relay, clocking a time of 40.06.
In the men’s 1500, Abraha also brought home a victory, crossing the line at 3:53.08. Sophomore Grant Sims came in third with a time of 3:55.12.
The men’s hurdles squad swept the opposition in the 110-meter hurdles. Trucks led with a first-place time of 13.95. Sophomores Jairius Burton (13.97) and Logan Lyght (14.09) came in second and third place, respectively.
Jumping back over to the women’s 100-meter hurdles, junior McCoy earned second place with her personal best time of 13.39. This time moved her into the tenth spot all-time in Houston’s record book.
Before the Tellez Invitational was cut short, Adesola earned a second-place win in the men’s 100-meter dash with a 10.66.
Houston Track and Field program collected hardware across two cities while competing at the Texas Relays and the Victor Lopez Invitational on Saturday, March 29.
Texas Relays, Austin, Texas
On Mar. 27, Mita made a strong outdoor season debut, posting a personal best mark of 2.21 meters in the men’s high jump to win first place.
Beck cleared 2.21 meters to take third in the competition.
Adesola earned a spot on the podium in the men’s 110-meter hurdles, clocking a personal best time of 12.45 to finish third. His performance puts him in sixth place on Houston’s outdoor all-time list.
Victor Lopez Invitational
Back in Houston, the remaining Cougars raced to seven victories, nine second-place finishes and four third-place finishes to cap off an already successful day at the track.
Houston dominated the men’s 110-meter hurdles, sweeping the race. Senior Tyler Graves led the charge, clocking in at 14.36. Sophomore Gerardo Mejia and freshman Noah Hanson weren’t far behind, coming in at 14.50 and 14.52, respectively, to take second and third place.
Graves also took home hardware in the men’s 400-meter hurdles with a second-place finish.
The Cougars claimed victories in the men’s and women’s 4×400-meter relays. The men posted a time of 3:12.04 while the women crossed the finish line at 3:48.16.
Freshman Tirea Reed took the gold in the women’s discus with a mark of 50.02, securing her first victory of the outdoor season.
Snyder leaped to a personal best of 7.60 meters to win the men’s long jump competition. Malbrough followed with a mark of 7.20 to take second place.
Stith represented the women’s side, winning the competition with a mark of 5.86 meters.
Freshman Kaylee Daniel entered Houston’s all-time outdoor performance list at No. 10, clearing 3.74 meters in the women’s pole vault to claim second place. junior Aubrey Tupper matched her performance to take third place.
Santiago sprinted to victory in the men’s 400-meter with a time of 47.05. Following closely behind was sophomore Joshua Sims-Waddy, who finished second and set a personal best at 47.06.
Cougars sprint into outdoor season, add five names to top-ten program list at Kirk Baptiste Invitational
Houston opened their outdoor season with the Kirk Baptiste Invitational on March 20 at the Carl Lewis International Complex.
The Cougars scored 15 victories, 13 second-place finishes and 14 third-place finishes in their debut.
The invitational opened with field events, and the Cougars quickly got to work. Panagiotou’s 4.12-meter clearance earned her the No. 3 spot in program history. Panagiotou’s clearance surpassed UH alumna Sarah Howe’s mark of 4.10 meters in 2022. The freshman standout set the tone for the rest of the invitational.
Lott delivered a career-best performance with a hammer distance of 57.41 meters. Lott’s mark solidified his No. 6 spot on Houston’s all-time outdoor performance list.
Meanwhile, freshman Marcela Trevino secured the No. 10 spot in the UH record books with a 49.59-meter hammer throw, earning second place at the invitational.
The freshmen continued on their hot streak during the javelin throw event. In her collegiate debut, freshman Amelia Pantojas cemented the No. 10 spot in program history with a throw of 39.63 meters. Freshman Owen Levesque launched the javelin 51.39 meters on the men’s side, earning third place.
Freshmen Taylor Johnson and Athena Stitch claimed second and third place, respectively, in the women’s long jump. Johnson put up a distance of 5.94, and Stith followed close behind with 5.81 meters.
Grubbs’s discus distance of 57.59 meters gave him the title of eighth-best throw in program history. Nwokeji followed in third place at 50.94 meters. On the women’s side, freshman Tiera Reed claimed second place with a mark of 50.40 meters.
Edwards placed second in his outdoor shot put debut with a distance of 17.88 meters. Nwokeji followed in third at 17.80 meters.
Freshman Sydney Freeman launched a 13.05-meter throw that finished third in the women’s shot put event.
Finishing off-the-field events, Mack continued the win streak, placing first in the women’s high jump with a distance of 1.50 meters. Beck also finished strong in second place with a personal best of 2.16 meters.
Sweeping the City
Mason stole the show when he broke the men’s 800-meter Kirk Baptiste Invitational meet record with a time of 1:49.82.
Houston’s men’s and women’s 4×100 relay teams put on a dominant performance, setting the pace for an impressive showing in the running events.
The women’s squad, which consisted of Jackson, junior Matilde Ochoa, freshman Norah Nwonumah, and freshman Carlysia Cresser took first place with a time of 45.24.
The men’s crew of Mulholland, Broadnax, Chabot, and Smith-Mata also took the first-place victory, clocking a time of 39.49.
McCoy followed that up with another first-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles; her time of 13.54 doubles as her personal best. Mack and Johnson followed closely behind McCoy in second and third place. The pair finished at 13.85 and 13.99, respectively.
Similarly, the Cougars also swept the men’s 110-meter hurdles. Sophomore Jairius Burton took home a first-place victory with a time of 14.04. Trucks and freshman Noah Hanson followed right behind Burton, clocking 14.04 and 14.33, respectively.
Jackson showed out yet again in the women’s 100,-meter crossing the line at 11.79 in second place.
Broadnax was also successful in the men’s 100-meter, clocking a personal best time of 10.21, finishing in second place and earning the top collegiate finisher title.
In the men’s 400-meter, freshman King Taylor took first at 47.33. The sweep was completed by Reed and sophomore Joshua Sims-Waddy, who followed suit with times of 47.76 and 47.84, respectively.
The freshman continued their star-studded performance with yet another sweep in the women’s 800-meter. Grace MacDonald won, clocking in at 2:13.95, Kali Magana took second place, finishing in 2:17.87, she was followed by Aubrey Varner who came in at 2:19.71.
Senior Nakoah Witt finished the men’s 400-meter hurdles in first place with a 51.54; the time doubles as a new career best. Senior Tyler Graves followed up in third place with his first podium finish with Hoston, clocking in at 52.85.
In the women’s 400-meter hurdles, sophomore Madison Dominguez placed third with a 1:04.97.
Houston found more success in the women’s 3000-meter, with another sweep. Hite won it all with a time of 10:06.88, she was followed by Cadence Patterson’s second-place time of 10:08.06 and Lily Campos in third at 10:12.94.
The Cougar freshmen 4×400-meter team, consisting of Thurmond, Douglas, MacDonald, and Kali Magana, earned first place with a time of 3:53.81.
Houston finished on a high note, as the men’s “A’ team also took home a first-place victory. The crew, which includes sophomore Nicholas Byrd, Santiago, senior Adam Mason, and freshman Damarien Jacobs, clocked in at 3:11.08.
Next, UH will travel to Lawrence, Kansas, for the Big 12 Outdoor Championship starting on Thursday, May 15.
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“Houston track and field builds momentum ahead of Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championship” was originally posted on The Cougar