Aggie alum Bralon Taplin posted his second world-leading time of the 2019 indoor season, winning the 400m in 45.26 seconds on Saturday in front of 2,000 fans at Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium while Texas A&M registered 11 victories in the Aggie Twilight, the final home meet of the indoor season.
“This was an important meet for athletes who are going to the SEC meet next week as well as those who wrapped up their indoor season tonight,” noted Texas A&M head coach Pat Henry. “We had a whole lot of people get better in this meet and that’s the positive out of here.”
Taplin bettered the previous world-leading time of 45.35 set in Clemson last weekend by Houston’s Obi Igbokwe. Taplin, who equaled the world-leading 300m time with a 32.49 on Feb. 1, sports an indoor best of 44.88 that he set in 2018 on the Gilliam track.
The runner-up in the 400, winning a different section, was Aggie freshman Jamal Walton, who competed unattached this indoor season. With a time of 46.26 Walton bettered the indoor national record for the Cayman Islands. The previous record was 48.00 set by Carl Morgan in 2007. Walton holds the outdoor national record with a 44.99 from 2017.
Aggies racing at 400m included DeWitt Thomas (47.26), the top collegian, along with Richard Rose (47.58), Colby Zamzow (47.83), Roger Ethridge (47.86) and Infinite Tucker (47.89). Previously, Rose established the Twilight meet record of 46.51 in 2017.
Taryn Milton took a break from the hurdles this weekend and won the long jump with an impressive mark of 20-2 ¼ (6.15), which moved her to equal No. 9 on the A&M all-time list.
Josh Brown topped the weight throw field with a career best toss of 63-6 ¾ (19.37) while teammate Gabriel Oladipo placed second with a 63-3 ¼ (19.28). The mark by Brown improved his hold as the No. 4 performer on the Aggie all-time list. Celine Markert finished third in the women’s weight throw as she improved her career best to 56-9 ½ (17.28), moving to No. 11 on the A&M all-time list.
Danyel White improved her season best in the 200m to 23.30 as she edged out professional sprinter Tynia Gaither (23.33), who competed for USC in college. Aggie teammates Julia Madubuike (23.61), Amber Ivy (23.83) and Jania Martin (23.94) finished third, fourth and fifth.
In the women’s mile a pair of career best times were generated by Rachael Bernardo and Nikki Keys as they finished 1-2. Bernardo won with a 4:55.43, moving to No. 14 on the Aggie all-time list, while Keys clocked 4:56.78, moving to No. 17 on the A&M all-time list.
Ashton Hutcherson posted a 5:03.01 to place fourth while Megan Hopper (5:11.84) and Kylie Purifoy (5:16.98) went 1-2 in the first section and finished sixth and seventh overall. Jake Bootz led the men’s contingent in the mile with a third place time of 4:15.34 as Zephyr Seagraves (4:20.90) and Joel Potter (4:22.89) were sixth and seventh.
The Aggies also produced a 1-2 finish in the 800m as Jazmine Fray won in 2:07.06 with Brittany Parker runner-up in 2:08.77. Wes McPhail was the top collegian in the men’s 800m, placing fourth overall with a 1:52.74.
In the 3,000m the duo of Olivia Arriaza and Abbey Santoro combined for another 1-2 effort with times of 10:10.88 and 10:12.19. Racing in the men’s 3,000m the Aggies went 1-2 with Brady Grant (8:39.85) and Noah Jacobs (9:42.52).
In the women’s 60m hurdles the Aggies registered a 1-2-3-4 sweep as they were led by Gabrielle McDonald, who won in 8.41, while Kennedy Smith posted a career best of 8.46 as runner-up. Chinyere Njoku (8.57) and Falon Wilson (8.71) finished third and fourth.
Ivy also raced in the 60m, where she posted a 7.47 as runner-up in the final to Gaither, who won in 7.33. Aggie Virginia Kerley ran 7.50 to place fourth. In the men’s 60m, a meet record of 6.56 went to winner Shuhei Tada of Japan, who bettered his career best of 6.58 set earlier this month.
Alstian Walker bounced back from a no height at Clemson by clearing 6-8 ¾ (2.05) to claim a high jump victory as teammate Jake Lamberth made 6-6 ¾ (2.00) as runner-up. Kirby Matocha won the women’s high jump with a 5-7 ¾ (1.72) clearance.
CJ Stevenson won the men’s triple jump with a mark of 48-10 ¼ (14.89). In the women’s triple jump, LaJarvia Brown and Ciynamon Stevenson placed second and third while finishing as the top two collegians. Thelma Fuentes won with a 43-4 ½ (13.22) over a 42-6 ¾ (12.97) by Brown and a 42-0 ½ (12.81) by Stevenson.
Augusta Thomason and Hannah Searby both cleared 12-2 ¾ (3.73) in the pole vault. Thomason tied for third place while Searby placed fifth and moved to No. 9 on the A&M all-time list. In the men’s pole vault Robin Nool led the Aggie effort, placing third with a clearance of 16-8 ¼ (5.09).
