Utah Tech track and field athletes set two program records and earned five top-3 finishes at the Utah Tech Invitational held on March 21 at Greater Zion Stadium.
The event saw the Trailblazers achieve a total of 22 top-8 finishes across various events. The meet began with junior Makayla Pitcher finishing second in the 5000 meter race, clocking a time of 17:42.68, which ranks as the sixth fastest in outdoor program history.
In field events, senior Lainee Leavitt tied for second place in the high jump by clearing a personal best of 1.66 meters, marking the second-best performance in program history. On the track, senior Megan Jenkins placed fifth in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 14.42 seconds, while junior Reyes Hernandez finished seventh with a time of 14.65 seconds.
A highlight for Utah Tech came when Whitney Christiansen won the women’s 800 meter race with a time of 2:14.43. This victory marked her twelfth career event win and third win at a Utah Tech Invitational during her tenure as a Trailblazer.
Two school records were set during the afternoon session. Averie Perriton finished third in the women’s 3000 meter steeplechase with a record-setting time of 11:01.41, while Grayson Peterson established a new men’s record in the same event by finishing in 9:37.76.
Other notable performances included strong showings from relay teams and individual athletes across sprints, hurdles, jumps, and distance races for both women’s and men’s squads.
Looking ahead, Utah Tech will compete next at the UNLV Rebel ELITE meet hosted by UNLV in Las Vegas on April 3-4.
