Photo courtesy of David Lin
UTA indoor track and field is set to compete in the Western Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships starting Friday at The Podium in Spokane, Washington.
UTA has blossomed in recent conference championship appearances, including its 2024 showings with the women’s team placing second overall with 118 points and the men’s team tying for second place with 99.5 points.
UTA continued to shine in the 2025 indoor championships with multiple runners placing on the podium and setting personal records. The men’s team finished third overall and the women’s placed fourth.
The Mavericks are led by head coach John Sauerhage, one of the most decorated coaches in WAC history. Sauerhage has won numerous titles with the track and field programs, along with his cross-country championships, marking him as the head coach with the most conference championships in UTA history.
Sauerhage said that with so many different event groups, it’s almost like preparing for five different sports, but it’s needed to get everybody ready for the conference championship. Each meet before the tournament is an opportunity to compete and post good times that will help with seeding in the championship, he said.
“If you can keep them conscientious about being the best they can be, they apply that to their work ethic,” Sauerhage said. “As a result, they’re competing at their best in championship meets when the pressure is the highest.”
One of the notable runners to keep an eye out for on the women’s team is freshman Dorcas Jepkosgei, who won back-to-back Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week. Senior Zaire Moore is another name to keep an eye on as she struck gold in the 2025 indoor distance medley relay, posting her personal best in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.51. Junior Eliza Lemberga will look to make some noise as well, coming off a gold medal in the pentathlon in last year’s indoor championships.
Photo courtesy of David Lin
Moore is not just a veteran but a leader for the women’s team. She said the team has high expectations of winning the conference, and despite this being her senior season, she does not feel added pressure and encourages herself and her teammates to have fun and run freely when they’re out there.
“I also like being a little nervous when I run so sometimes I make myself be nervous because I run a little faster that way,” Moore said. “As far as my mental readiness, I would say meditating and just having fun with it.”
One of the runners headlining the men’s team is junior Eli England, who brought home gold in the 4×400 relay during last year’s conference championship and ran a personal best 6.78 in the 60-meter. Sophomore Toby Eaton will lead the charge in distance, coming off a fourth-place finish in the mile with a time of 4:16:04 at the Jarvis Scott Invitational.
Senior Hayden Wilson will look to add to his stash, as he won gold once in 2024 and three times in the indoor and outdoor competitions in 2025. He holds the fifth farthest indoor shot put throw in UTA history with a distance of 17.28 meters and the third farthest UTA throw in outdoor shot put with a distance of 18.33 meters.
Wilson spoke highly of the team’s coaches and said the mentorship has been great. Going into this meet, he said he’s capable, confident and excited to compete alongside his teammates.
“Track is a beautiful sport because just as much as it’s a team sport, it’s also an individual sport,” Wilson said. “You get to support one another, and then you get to look at them on meet day and be like, ‘all right, let’s go fight it out.’”
UTA’s next meet will conclude the indoor season, with the teams set to compete in the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 13 and 14 at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
@tdreevess