Texas track and field teams sweep Big 12 outdoor meet, prep for regionals

Texas’ track and field program swept the Big 12 outdoor championships this past weekend in Waco.

Up next? The NCAA West preliminaries hosted by Arkansas May 22-25.

The Texas women dominated the conference field with 150 points while winning a fifth straight outdoor Big 12 title under the guidance of head coach Edrick Floréal. Those five consecutive titles match the longest streak of outdoor championships for men or women in Big 12 history.

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The women dominated from the start while scoring in 21 of 24 events and winning six gold medals. Ackelia Smith won the triple jump with an NCAA-leading mark of 45 feet, 8 inches, and freshman Akala Garrett won the 400-meter hurdles with a personal best time of 54.73 seconds, the second-fastest time in program history and fourth in the world this season. She also added a third-place finish in the 100 hurdles with a time of 13.30

Ziyah Holman and Dejanea Oakley won the 400 and 200, respectively. Holman's season-best time of 50.99 moved her to No. 8 in the NCAA this season and to No. 9 on the Texas’ all-time list

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Kristine Blazevica won her fourth straight Big 12 heptathlon title with 5,954 points. The seven-time Big 12 champion becomes the first athlete, male or female, in conference history to win a multi-event four consecutive years.

Senior Marilyn Nwora led the women in the shot put, claiming her second conference title with her throw of 58-2½.

The Texas men edged Texas Tech 134-115 for the team title. Yusuf Bizimana who won the 800 with a facility record time of 1:46.07. Bizimana is now a nine-time Big 12 Champion and a four-time 800 champion.

Leo Neugebauer completed the long jump sweep at the conference meets after his first-round jump of 25-6.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas track and field teams sweep Big 12 outdoor meet, prep for regionals