Track and Field | 7/24/2017 9:17:00 AM

Cross Country Season
Texas State opened the 2016 cross country season in Waco, Texas at the Baylor Twilight Invitational on September 1. The men claimed second with a meet best split of 10.2 seconds between the Bobcats' first and fifth runners. Jose Angel Gonzalez led a contingent of four consecutive TXST runners to cross the finish line with a sixth place finish. He was followed by Joseph Meade, Kyle Denomme and Logan Pittdman.
 
Baylor Twilight Invitational
 
The Bobcat men followed by claiming the 41st Annual Justin Cooper Rice Invitational title behind Gonzalez's four place finish out of 137 runners. That day saw the Bobcats finish ahead of regionally ranked Baylor, Lamar, McNeese, Rice and Stephen F. Austin.
 
Justin Cooper Rice Invitational
 
After the men's team strong performances over the first two races, they achieve their highest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) South Central regional ranking in program history of seventh. Over that time frame, Texas State went 9-1 against other ranked South Central regional teams.
 
Regional Ranking
 
The third meet of the season took the Bobcats to Stillwater, Oklahoma for the Cowboy Jamboree on Sept. 24 with both teams finishing in sixth place. The top finisher for the women was Madilyn King, who also was the first Bobcat finish in the first two races of the year as well.
 
Cowboy Jamboree
 
On October 8, TXST concluded the regular season at the Incarnate Word Invitational. The men finished second thanks to personal best times and top 10 finishes from Joseph Pena, Joseph Meade and Gonzalez. Pena crossed the line for second place (24:07), Pena finished fourth (24:20) and Gonzalez was eighth (24:37).
 
UIW Invitational
 
At the Sun Belt Conference Championships at the end of October, the Bobcat men finished in third place. It was the best finish in program history since joining the league. Gonzalez, Meade and Pena finished in the top 10 to earn All-SBC Second Team honors. Meade lead the way with an eighth-place finish, the highest finish by a TXST runner at the conference meet in school history, and was followed by Gonzalez and Pena. Gonzalez also became the first Bobcat to place in the top 10 in multiple seasons after finishing 10th in 2015. Overall, the men totaled 88 points which is the fewest ever recorded by TXST since joining the Sun Belt Conference.
 
The women tied their best finish in school history since becoming a SBC member with an eighth-place finish. Devina Schneider was the team's top finisher for the second year in-a-row after crossing the line in 18th-place.
 
SBC Championships
 
The men's team competed at the South Central Regionals and recorded a history day for the program. The Bobcats finished eighth to match the best finish in school history since 2005. Pena was the first Bobcat across the finish line in 31:23.3 to place 31st. It was the highest finish by a TXST runner at the regional dating back to 2005. Also finishing in the top 50 were Meade (41st) and Pittdman (46th).
 
SC Regional
 
Indoor Season
Texas State opened the year strong with 37 top-8 finishes and six titles at the Purple Tiger Invitational held in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on January 6. Julie Lange won the shot put with a then indoor personal best of 15.88 meters (52-1.25). Also claiming then personal bests were Abby Hani and Kylah Smith in the long jump.
 
Purple Tiger Invitational
 
Eight days later, the Bobcats traveled to College Station, Texas for the Texas A&M Team Invitational. Lange highlighted the meet for TXST by breaking the school record in the weight throw with a toss of 19.45m (63-9.75). Both Chelsie Decoud and T'Mond Johnson recorded top SBC field event marks in the high jump and shot put, respectively. Johnson posted a new personal record in the shot put with a toss of 17.44m (57-2.75) on his last attempt.
 
Tramesha Hardy started her season off with the quickest time in the conference in the 400m at 55.20. She also teamed with Dawnshae Evens, DeAijha Hicks-Boyce and Sydni Willis to run a 3:44.23 in the 4x400m relay that ranked first in the SBC after the weekend. The men's 4x400m relay squad of Tyrone Jackson, Dexter Lee, Lincoln Warren and Gilson Umunnakwe also laid down the fastest time in the league at 3:12.92.
 
Others that ended the meet ranked first in the SBC were Devina Schneider (mile) and Antonisha Stewart (60m hurdles).
 
Texas A&M Team Invitational
 
Texas State made a trip to Nebraska to compete in the adidas Classic on Jan. 28. The team concluded the meet with 26 top 10 Sun Belt Conference marks with 15 being in the top three. Stewart tied her own school record in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.38. Also in the event, Kaylee Krenek ran an 8.53 to post the second fastest mark in the conference.
 
Hardy shined with three top conference times. The sophomore won the 60m dash in a personal best and third fastest in school history with a mark of 7.46. She also ran the 200m in 23.94. Her third top time came in the 4x400m relay when she, Nia Dorner, Evans and Hicks-Boyce completed the race in a then school record time of 3:43.93.
 
Walking out of the meet with the quickest time in the SBC in the men's 200m was De'Marcus Porter with a time of 48.40. Lincoln Warren also set a then personal best of 48.50 in the race.
 
In the field, Chelsie Decoud cleared a personal indoor best of 1.80m (5-10.75) to record the top mark in the league. Fellow teammate Courtney Johnson cleared 1.77m (5-9.75) to set a new personal best as well.
 
Adidas Classic
 
The final meet of the regular season took Texas State to Birmingham, Alabama for the Jaguar Invitational. The Bobcats set four meet and one school record while competing in the Birmingham Crossplex. Setting the school mark was the women's 4x400m relay of Sydni Willis, Evans, Hardy and Hicks-Boyce in 3:42.46. It was the second meet in-a-row that the 4x40m relay program record had been broken while also setting a new meet mark.
 
Hardy also recorded a new meet record in the 400m with a time of 54.50. The other two Invitational records were set in the field events by Decoud and Hani. Decoud cleared 1.74m (5-8.5) in the high jump and Hani leapt 5.91m (19-4.75) in the long jump. Hani's leap tied her indoor personal best that she set back in the season opener.
 
The men's team started the meet strong in the first track event of the day. Joseph Meade, Joseph Pena and Jose Angel Gonzalez crossed the finish line first, second and third, respectively, in the 3,000m. Gonzalez followed by winning the 5000m with a time of 15:22.64 that placed him fifth in the conference standings.
 
Jaguar Invitational
 
A return trip to the Birmingham Crossplex saw the Bobcats compete in the Sun Belt Conference Championships. After two days of competition, the women's team claimed the championship crown with 166 points. It was the most points tallied by the women in program history. The men's squad fell short of repeating as champions but were runner-up finishers while recording big performances throughout the meet.
 
Tramesha Hardy was the standout performer of the meet with four gold medals. Overall, the sophomore tallied 32.5 points to earn the Women's Top Meet Scorer. She captured the 60m, (7.46), 200m (23.69) and 400m (53.84) titles. Her times in the 60m and 400m were personal bests while all three of her marks rank in the top 10 in school history. Hardy teamed with Sydni Willis, DeAijha Hicks-Boyce and Dawnshae Evans to capture the 4x400m relay gold.
 
Scoring in three events was Devina Schneider. The freshman won the mile run despite not leading until the final step of the race. She crossed the finish line in a school record time of 4:53.47, one hundredth of a second ahead of UTA's Astrid Rosvall. Schneider claimed the silver with a personal best time and second fastest in school history in the 3000m in 9:54.91. She ended the conference meet with a sixth place finish in the 5000m.
 
Texas State recorded a podium sweep in the women's 60m hurdles. Antonisha Stewart won the event in a school record 8.32. Kaylee Krenek crossed the line second in 8.46 to tie her personal best. Following them was Kylah Smith to earn the bronze. Also picking up points for the team in the race was Abby Hani with a fifth place finish.
 
Winning her third straight indoor SBC gold medal in the high jump was Chelsie Decoud with a clearance of 1.79m (5-10.5). Courtney Johnson and Raquel Robinson both tied for sixth in the event as well.
 
Julie Lange won two medals in the field events. She earned the Bobcats' first medal of the meet in the women's weight throw. The Castroville, Texas native uncorked a school record toss of 19.74m (64-9.25) to earn the bronze. Lange followed with a career best toss of 16.05m (52-8) in the shot put to win the silver.
 
Also earning a silver medal at the championships were Mylana Hearn (triple jump), Hani (long jump) and the distance medley relay of Nikki Sanchez, Sydni Willis, Esther Oyetunde and Madilyn King.
 
The men's team concluded the meet with five event champions, all coming on the final day of competition. De'Marcus Porter and Lincoln Warren shared the gold medal in the 400m as each finished with a time of 47.804. Completing a podium sweep in the event was Kelson Pierre.
 
Also claiming an individual title on the track was Joseph Meade in the 5000m. He made a perfectly timed push on the final lap to cross the finish line in a personal best 14:30.47 that also ranks second in school history.
 
The lone individual field gold medal for the men came in the shot put from T'Mond Johnson. The sophomore unleashed a personal best toss and third best in Bobcat history with a distance of 18.23m (59-9.75) on his final attempt.
 
The men's 4x400m relay of Tyrone Jackson, Lee, Pierre and Warren capped off the meet by running away with the gold. The team got off to a blistering start and never trailed after the first lap on the 200m track on their way to a 3:12.71 finish, over three second ahead of second place.
 
Cody Schulz was the only other male athlete to reach the medal stand with a third place finish in the 60m finals.
 
SBC Indoor Championship Recap
 
Texas State gold medals at SBC Indoor Championships:
Chelsie Decoud – High Jump
Tramesha Hardy – 60m, 200m, 400m
T'Mond Johnson – Shot Put
Joseph Meade – 5000m
De'Marcus Porter – 400m
Devina Schneider – Mile
Antonisha Stewart – 60m Hurdles
Lincoln Warren – 400m
Men's 4x400m Relay (Lincoln Warren, Kelson Pierre, Tyrone Jackson, Dexter Lee)
Women's 4x400m Relay (Sydni Willis, Tramesha Hardy, DeAijha Hicks-Boyce, Dawnshae Evans)
 
SBC Indoor Awards
For the second straight year both Tramesha Hardy and Jody Stewart were honored by the Sun Belt Conference. Along with being the Women's High Scorer, Hardy was selected as the Women's Indoor Track Most Outstanding Performer thanks to her four gold medals.
 
Stewart, Texas State's Director of Track and Field/Cross Country, was recognized as the Women's Indoor Head Coach of the Year. He led the team to its second indoor conference title in the last three years and also saw the program score the most points at a conference meet in program history. The women's 67-point margin of the victory was also the second highest in SBC history.
 
Outdoor Season
The Bobcats opened the outdoor season with the Cougar Spring Break Invitational in Houston. Athletes recorded 33 top five finishes that included seven personal bests and three top 10 marks in the nation. In the women's long jump, Abby Hani leapt a then personal best 6.06m (19-10.75) that was also the sixth long jump in the nation. Also with a top 10 mark in the nation were Mylana Hearn and Julie Lange in the triple jump and shot put, respectively.
 
Setting three personal best marks was T'Mond Johnson. He recorded throws of 50.30m (165-0) in the hammer, 48.69m (159-9) in the discus and 17.37m (57-0) in the shot put. Samuel Hussey set personal records in the hammer throw and shot put as well.
 
Cougar Spring Break Invitational
 
Coming out of the Bobby Lane Invitational in Arlington, Texas, the Bobcats had four athletes record SBC leading marks. Tramesha Hardy did so in the 200m with a then personal best of 23.48. Devina Schneider completed the 3000m steeplechase in 11:00.78 to lead the league and was three seconds off of breaking the school record. A time of 3:46.22 from the women's 4x400m relay of Dawnshae Evans, Sydni Willis, Esther Oyetunde and Erin Williams paced the league. The final mark came from Michael Madu in the triple jump with a personal best distance of 15.15m (49-8.5).
 
Bobby Lane Invitational
 
Texas State pulled double duty over at the end of March with the team compete at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays and hosting the Bobcat Invitational. The highlight of the weekend was Chelsie Decoud setting a personal best, school record and conference record in the high jump at Bobcat Track & Field Stadium. The junior cleared 1.85m (6-0.75) on her second attempt of the height.
 
Julie Lange posted three top 10 league marks in the discus, hammer throw and shot put up in Austin. Her tosses of 55.98m (183-8) and 16.66m (54-8) in the hammer and shot put, respectively, were personal bests for the senior.
 
In the men's 3000m steeplechase at the Texas Relays, Logan Pittdman shaved nearly 30 seconds off his previous best time in the event to finish in 9:11.47. His time ranked first in the SBC by six seconds and was a top five mark in school history.
 
Others claiming the top ranking in the conference were Joseph Meade in the 5000m, women's 4x400m of Evans, Hardy, Hicks-Boyce and Willis at the Texas Relays and Oliver Ryborg Kjeldsen in the decathlon (6,566 pts) in San Marcos.
 
Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays/Bobcat Invitational
 
Following a two-week break from competition, Texas State returned to action at the Texas Invitational and Devina Schneider and Julie Lange competing in California. Schneider set the school record in the 1500m with a time of 4:26.59 at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California. Lange added her name to the school record book in the discus (52.24m; 171-5) and hammer throws (57.72m (189-4) that also placed her second in the SBC.
 
Back in the Lone Star State, Mylana Hearn tied her then personal record in the triple jump when she uncorked a distance of 12.89m (42-3.5) on her second attempt. Both DeAijha Hicks-Boyce and T'Mond Johnson posted top 10 Sun Belt Conference marks. Hicks-Boyce ended the meet in Austin ranked third in the 200m (23.96) and fifth in the 100m (11.71). Johnson concluded the weekend ranked second in the shot put (17.85m; 58-6.75) and fourth in the discus (50.41m; 165-5).
 
Texas Invitational/California Meets
 
Julie Lange shined at the Bobcat Twilight as she broke program records in the discus and hammer throw. The senior opened the meet with a massive toss of 60.19m (197-6) on her third attempt in the hammer and followed with a distance of 54.11m (177-6) on her opening toss in the discus competition. On the track, Tramesha Hardy recorded two top 10 marks in Bobcat history in the 100m (11.49) and 200m (23.16), both the fastest times in the Sun Belt Conference.
 
Shining for the men were T'Mond Johnson, Logan Pittdman and Lincoln Warren. Johnson moved into first place in the conference in the shot put with a toss of 18.22m (59-9.5). Pittdman posted a top 10 program mark in the 5000m with a time of 14:46.11. Warren added his name to the school record book in the 200m as he crossed the finish line in 20.92 and posted the second fastest time by a SBC athlete during the season at 47.54.
 
Bobcat Twilight
 
The final meet before the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championships was the Bobcat Classic. In the final tune-up, Devina Schneider broke the school record in the 3000m steeplechase with a time of 10:52.98, five seconds faster than the previous mark. Warren added his named to the TXST record book in the 400m as he completed the race in 46.85.
 
Both of the women's relay teams ended the season with the top mark in the SBC. The women's 4x100m relay of Abby Hani, DeAijha Hicks-Boyce, Kaylee Krenek and Hardy ran the race in 45.01, the second fastest in school history. Dawnshae Evans, Syndi Willis, Hardy and Hicks-Boyce combined to complete the 4x400m relay in 3:40.18.
 
On the men's side, Alvin Chikaeze (triple jump), Kyle Denomme (1500m), Tyrone Jackson (800m) and T'Mond Johnson (shot put) added their names to the Bobcat record book.
 
Bobcat Classic
 
The Texas State women completed the indoor and outdoor sweep of the Sun Belt Conference Championships totaling 154.5 points, the most by the program since joining the conference. It was the fifth time in school history that the women's team had won a conference's indoor and outdoor championship in the same year. The last time was in 2013 in the school's lone year in the Western Athletic Conference. The Bobcats also accomplished the feat in 2004, 2002 and 1990 as a member of the Southland Conference.
 
Devina Schneider claimed the title of Women's High Point scorer with 24 points. She won the gold medal in the 3000m steeplechase while breaking her own school record in a time of 10:52.83. The freshman followed with a silver (1500m) and bronze (5000m) on the final day of the meet.
 
Claiming three medals as well were Tramesha Hardy and Julie Lange. Hardy won two golds in the 100m and 200m with personal best times of 11.38 and 23.06, respectively. The sophomore also picked up a bronze in the 4x400m relay along with Dawnshae Evans, DeAijha Hicks-Boyce and Sydni Willis. Lange picked up two silvers in the discus (52.61m; 172-7) and hammer (58.82m; 193-0) and a bronze in the shot put (16.23m; 53-3).
 
Picking up her third consecutive gold medal in the high jump as Chelsie Decoud. She was lone competitor to clear 1.77m (5-9.75), which she did on her second attempt.
 
Reaching the podium in the women's 100m hurdles was Antonisha Stewart and Abby Hani. They claimed the silver and bronze, respectively. The race also saw Kaylee Krenek (6^th) and Kylah Smith (4^th) earn points. Others earning medals for the women were Mylana Hearn (triple jump), Hani (long jump) and Willis (400m hurdles).
 
The men's team finished as runner-ups with 116 points with eight medalists, half of which were golds. Winning the first medal of the meet for the men was Joseph Meade in the 10,000m on the opening day of the meet. His time of 30:26.68 was a personal best by over 20 seconds and placed him the in the top five in program history.
 
Claiming the first men's gold medal was T'Mond Johnson in the shot put on the second day of competition. The sophomore unleashed a personal best distance of 19.03m (62-5.25) that was two centimeters shy of matching the school record. Also reaching the medal stand on day two was Logan Pittdman in the 3000m steeplechase. He completed the race in 9:20.70 to earn the silver.
 
On the last day of the meet, the men racked up five medals. Lincoln Warren claimed three of them, all gold, with an individual medal in the 400m in 46.36, a personal best and less than a second away from breaking the program record. The sophomore also helped both relay teams earn gold medals.
 
The 4x100m relay of Phillip Green III, Dexter Lee, De'Marcus Porter and Warren won in a photo finish of 40.05, the second fastest time in school history. Warren closed out the meet by teaming with Gilson Umunnakwe, Lee and Porter to run a season best 3:08.72 in the 4x400m relay.
 
Also winning a medal from a track event was Tyrone Jackson in the 800m with a bronze. Alvin Chikaeze picked up the silver with a season best leap of 15.67m (51-5) in the triple jump.
 
Bobcats Claiming Gold at Outdoor Championships:
Chelsie Decoud – High Jump
Tramesha Hardy – 100m, 200m
T'Mond Johnson – Shot Put
Devina Schneider – 3000m Steeplechase
Lincoln Warren – 400m
Men's 4x100m Relay (Dexter Lee, Lincoln Warren, De'Marcus Porter, Phillip Green III)
Men's 4x400m Relay (Dexter Lee, De'Marcus Porter, Gilson Umunnakwe, Lincoln Warren)
 
SBC Outdoor Championships Day 1
SBC Outdoor Championships Day 2
SBC Outdoor Championships Day 3
 
SBC Outdoor Awards
Texas State swept the Sun Belt Conference women's outdoor awards with Tramesha Hardy, Julie Lange, Devina Schneider and Jody Stewart earning the honors. Hardy was selected as the Most Outstanding Track Athlete, Lange was named the Most Outstanding Field Athlete and Schneider picked up both the Freshman and Newcomer of the Year awards. Stewart claimed his third SBC Coach of the Year award since taking over the Bobcat program in the fall of 2015.
 
SBC Outdoor Awards
 
Texas State sent 20 athletes to the NCAA West Preliminary meet that was held in Austin at Mike A. Myers Stadium. The Bobcats saw Chelsie Decoud, Mylana Hearn and T'Mond Johnson qualify for the NCAA Championship meet and 11 others record top 24 marks.
 
Johnson was the first to punch a ticket to Eugene, Oregon in the shot put. Needing a big distance on his third and final attempt, the sophomore unleashed a massive toss of 18.80m (61-8.25) that ranks in the top three in school history.
 
Decoud advanced to the NCAA meet for the second straight year in the high jump. She struggled early, needing all three attempts to advance at the second and third heights after passing on the first. The junior cleared 1.79m (5-10.5) on her second try to finish sixth overall.
 
Hearn clinched her spot on the final day of competition in the triple jump competition. The junior recorded a personal best and top five program leap of 13.09m (42-11.5) on her second attempt.
 
NCAA West Preliminary Meet Qualifiers:
Alvin Chikaeze – Triple Jump
Chelsie Decoud – High Jump
Chris Green – 400m Hurdles
Phillip Green III – 400m Hurdles
Abby Hani – 100m Hurdles, Long Jump
Mylana Hearn – Triple Jump
Julie Lange – Discus, Hammer, Shot Put
Dexter Lee – 4x100m, 4x400m
De'Marcus Porter – 4x100m, 4x400m
Tyrone Jackson – 800m
Courtney Johnson – High Jump
T'Mond Johnson – Shot Put
Michael Madu – Triple Jump
Kelson Pierre – 4x400m
Cody Schulz – Long Jump, 4x100m
Antonisha Stewart – 100m Hurdles
Gilson Umunnakwe – 4x400m
Lincoln Warren – 200m, 400m, 4x100m, 4x400m
Sydni Willis – 400m Hurdles
 
NCAA West Preliminary
 
All three of the Texas State athletes that made to the trip to Eugene, Oregon for the NCAA Outdoor Championships meet left with All-American honors. Decoud claimed first team honors for the second year in-a-row after finishing tied for sixth in the high jump. Her best clearance was 1.82m (5-11.5) on her first attempt.
 
Mylana Hearn and T'Mond Johnson both finished 21st in the women's triple jump and men's shot put, respectively, to earn All-American Honorable Mention honors. It was the second All-American recognition for Hearn, who made the second team in 2016, and the first All-American distinction for Johnson.

NCAA Championships
 
USATF Outdoor Championships
Junior Chelsie Decoud and sophomore Tramesha Hardy both continued their outdoor seasons in June at the USATF Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, California. Decoud finished 13^th in the women's high jump after entering as the 18^th seed. The junior beat out five other collegiate jumpers including the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Champion, Madeline Fagan of Georgia. The New Orleans native cleared the opening height of 1.80m (5-10.75) on her second attempt. However, she was unable to get over the bar at 1.85m (6-0.75) to exit the competition.
 
Hardy came into the meet as the 28^th seed in the 200m. She completed the race in 23.47 to finish 22^nd. The Houston native finished in front of four fellow collegiate runners, three of which competed at the NCAA Outdoor Championships earlier in the month, and two professionals. It was also Hardy's fastest non-wind aided mark this year.
 
USATF Outdoor Championships
 
SBC Weekly Awards:
Seven times Texas State had an athlete be selected as a SBC Athlete/Runner of the Week. Two Bobcats picked up the honors during the cross country season, two during the indoor campaign and six in the outdoor season. Tramesha Hardy and T'Mond Johnson were both two-time honorees while Abby Hani, Julie Lange, Joseph Meade, Nikki Sanchez, Kylah Smith and Antonisha Stewart were selected once each.
 
SBC Student-Athlete of the Week Awards:
Tramesha Hardy – (Women Track; Indoor & Outdoor) – February 1 & April 26
Abby Hani (Women Field; Outdoor) – May 3
T'Mond Johnson (Men Field; Indoor & Outdoor) – January 18 & April 21
Julie Lange (Women Field; Outdoor) – April 26
Joseph Meade (Male Runner; Cross Country) – October 12
Nikki Sanchez (Female Runner; Cross Country) – October 12
Kylah Smith (Female Track; Outdoor) – April 5
Antonisha Stewart (Female Track) – May 3
 
For the latest on Texas State track and field, visit the official website of Texas State Athletics at www.txstatebobcats.com and follow the team on Twitter at @TxStateTrack