Selena Sierra begins her competition at the World University Games in the first round of the 3,000-meter steeplechase beginning at 10:45 p.m. CT, Wednesday. Junior throwers Mikaila Martin and Taylor Scaife will each be in action for the hammer throw qualification round beginning at 11:45 p.m.
Hawkins and Hardnett will return to action on Thursday morning for the semifinals of the 400-meter dash at 12:15 a.m. CT, while Samuels will conclude action in the long jump at 5:40 a.m.
Burrell and Collins will return for the semifinals of the 100-meter dash at 6:20 a.m. CT, before concluding the event with the finals at 7:40 a.m.
Asked about the future of track and field, Lewis said he and coach Burrell are involved in a youth track and field club and their objective is to teach young people to help the sport grow.
“Because as time goes on, as we’ve gone through the last 10 or 15 years, the last 10 years especially, the sport hasn’t grown,” Lewis said
“That’s what we’re teaching young people at the University of Houston, that you need to make your job unique and grow your sport and not just grow yourself,” he said.
Asked what he would advise aspiring sprinters, Lewis said: “Fast people are everywhere. Just don’t feel like there’s any reason you can’t run fast.”
WHAT’S UP NEXT The triple jump competition begins the third day of action at the World University Games, where senior Tonye’cia Burks will be in action at 8:20 p.m. CT, on Thursday. Burks will be followed by Tori Williams in the women’s 200-meter dash at 9:15 p.m. CT, and Jacarias Martin and Curtis Brown in the men’s 200 at 10:15 p.m. CT.
The semifinals of the men’s and women’s 200-meter dash will wrap the third day of action for the Cougars at 4:00 a.m., and 4:30 a.m. CT, on Friday, respectively.
Senior jumper Tonye’cia Burks opened Friday’s action in the first round of the triple jump. After a mark of 41-5.25 (12.63m) on her first attempt, Burks leapt over a foot further at 42-5.5 (12.94m) in her second attempt to set her top mark and qualify seventh for Sunday’s final.
On the track, Tori Williams took to the curve to open competition in the 200-meter dash. In the opening round, Williams clocked the fourth fastest time at 23.78 to punch her spot in the semifinals. In the afternoon session, Williams returned to run 23.79 and book a slot in the finals with the seventh-fastest time.
Junior Jacarias Martin impressed the field when he posted the fastest overall qualifying time in the men’s 200-meter dash. Martin ran 20.87 to win heat eight and earn a berth in the final round, while Curtis Brown ran 22.21 to finish 44th.
Senior distance runner Brian Barraza booked a spot in the finals for the 5,000-meter run as the Houston Cougar Men’s and Women’s Track & Field teams wrapped the fourth day of action at the World University Games, on Saturday, in Taipei.
Barraza’s race wrapped competition for Saturday’s evening session, where he competed in the first heat. Barraza crossed the line in 14:34.87 to finish fifth in the heat and qualify 14th overall for Monday’s final race.
The Cougars opened the day with a pair of distance runners in action in separate events. Junior Jennifer Dunlap began the day with a 21st place finish in the women’s 1,500-meter run in a time of 4:42.92, while alum Drevan Anderson Kaapa ran 1:52.76 to rank 33rd in the men’s 800-meter run.
On the straight-track, alum Tori Williams wrapped her competition in the finals of the 200-meter dash. Williams ran 23.78 and 23.79 in the first and semifinal rounds respectively before returning to post a 24.03 to finish eighth.
In the men’s 200-meter dash, Jacarias Martin returned to action for the semifinal round. After posting the top qualifying time in the first round at 20.87, Martin clocked a time of 20.96 to post the seventh fastest time in the round, however he did not qualify for the finals due to advancement rules that were set in place prior to the meet.
Junior Amere Lattin was the final Cougar to make his World University Games debut, when he stepped on the track for the first round of the 110-meter hurdles. Lattin went up-and-over the hurdles in 13.95 to finish third in Heat 1 and earn a berth in the semifinal round.
Each of the Houston Cougar Track & Field Men’s and Women’s 4x100-meter relay squads, as well as the men’s 4x400-meter relay team, advanced to the finals on the penultimate day of the World University Games in Taipei.
The women’s 4x100-meter relay team was on the track first, when they crossed the finish line in 45.15 to finish fourth in the heat and qualify seventh overall for Monday’s final. The men’s team would follow with the fastest overall time of the event, winning heat two in 39.16.
The men’s 4x400-meter relay closed out the fifth night of action in Taipei in heat one of Sunday’s final event. The Cougars crossed the line in 3:08.28 to finish second in the heat and post the third-fastest overall time heading into the final.
In the field events on Sunday, senior Tonye’cia Burks was in action for the finals of the women’s triple jump. Burks used her third and final attempt to leap 41-0.5 (12.51m) to place 12th. In the men’s long jump, senior Antwan Dickerson leapt 22-7.75 (6.90m) to place 19th in his qualifying group.
