Southern Utah will travel to Orem, Utah, for the UVU Collegiate Invite, according to a March 25 announcement. The event will bring together elite athletes from across the state for a one-day track and field competition.
The meet provides an opportunity for Southern Utah’s teams to gain experience and improve their performances early in the season. Head Coach Eric Houle said, “There will be plenty of in-state competition at UVU this week. I’m looking for steady improvement across the board and in all our event groups.”
In recent competition, Southern Utah’s men’s team recorded three event wins and several podium finishes. Junior Isley Gutierrez set a meet record by winning the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.25 seconds. Senior Bronis MacDougall claimed first place in the javelin with a throw of 66.16 meters, ranking him fourth all-time for Southern Utah. Additional strong results included Kadan Allen finishing second in the 800 meters (1:50.83), Ashton Miller and Tyler Myrup taking second and third respectively in the 400-meter hurdles (52.44 and 53.03), as well as runner-up honors for the men’s 4×400 relay team (3:19.42). Third-place finishes were also earned by Logan Peel (5,000 meters), Divin Kalanga (long jump), Andrew Cooper (shot put), and Zsombor Takacs (discus).
On the women’s side, sophomore Jaylee Gandert led her team by winning the javelin with a throw of 48.26 meters (158-4). Freshman Timmia Rucks finished second in triple jump (11.23m) while also competing in sprints; meanwhile, their women’s 4×100 relay placed fourth with a time of 48.33 seconds. Aspen Hacker posted top-10 finishes both in the 1,500 meters and the steeplechase events.
The Thunderbirds’ participation at UVU is expected to further develop their athletes’ skills as they continue through their season.
