Montgomery’s winning time of 46.28 in the 400-meter dash bested the previous facility record of 46.77 set by 2008 400-meter Olympic gold medalist LaShawn Merritt. The time is the fifth fastest in the nation this season and the best in The American Athletic Conference for the 2018 NCAA champion in the outdoor version of the event.
Junior Jermaine Holt joined Montgomery on the podium, taking third with a time of 47.80, moving to No. 4 on The American’s performance list.
Just 80 minutes later it was Igbokwe’s turn to rewrite the record books as he cruised to a win in the 200-meter dash with a time of 20.85 to snap the previous facility record of 20.91 set by Merritt, and record the third-fastest time nationally this season. The time is also the fastest in The American this season and the fourth-fastest time in Houston history.
Ibokwe led a sweep of the event as Mario Burke took second with a PR of 21.08 and Amere Lattin was third with 21.23. Nicholas Alexander was fourth with a time of 21.73.
Senior Trumaine Jefferson improved his PR in the long jump by over five inches to claim a win in the event with a mark of 25-7.50 (7.81). The mark is the fifth-best jump in Houston history, the longest in The American and moves Jefferson to No. 7 on the NCAA list this season.
The men’s high jump saw Houston claim a 1-2 finish as Brendon Rivera took the event by clearing a height of 6-10.75 (2.10) to move to No.3 on The American’s performance chart. Colin George took second, clearing 6-8.75 (2.05).
In the final event on the oval, the quartet of Brandon Adams, Zion Smith, Frederick Lewis and Trumaine Jefferson claimed the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:16.40 as Jefferson took the baton for the anchor leg and deftly moved away from the competiton.
Lattin, who entered the day No. 8 in the nation in the 60-meter hurdles, claimed Saturday’s crown in the event with a time of 7.83.
Houston alum Chris Carter snapped his own two-year old facility record in the triple jump, winning the event with a world-leading mark of 56-4.50 (17.18).
Brianne Bethel clocked a time of 24.20 to take second in the 200-meter dash. The time moves Bethel to No. 4 on The American’s performance chart this season.
Houston took the top two spots among collegiate competitors in the women’s 3,000-meter run as Meredith Sorensen clocked a PR of 10:07.06 to take second overall and first among collegiate competitors. Jahnavi Schneider was just behind her with a time of 10:07.21.
Junior Justice Henderson clocked a PR of 7.50 to take third overall in 60-meter dash and move to No. 6 on The American’s performance chart. Classmate Samiyah Samuels was just behind in fourth with a time of 7.58.
Samuels advanced to the finals after clocking a personal best of 7.53 in the event’s semifinals while Henderson clocked a time of 7.54.
Samuels also took second in the invitational long jump, finishing the day with a top mark of 19-11.75 (6.09) from her sixth and final attempt. Henderson also competed in the event, taking seventh with a jump of 18-2.25 (5.54) while Naomi Taylor was eighth with a mark of 17-11.50 (5.47).
Taylor was back on the track shortly after the long jump for the finals of the 60-meter hurdles where she finished second overall and first among collegiate competitors with a time of 8.36. Whitney Ochiam finished fifth with a PR of 8.67 to move to No. 7 on The American’s performance list.
Taylor advanced to the finals by running away with the event’s first heat in a time of 8.34 while Ochiam ran 8.73.
Freshman Devin Vallejo-Bannister shaved over nine seconds off his PR in the mile, finishing sixth with a time of 4:19.07.