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VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA – The UT Tyler track and field program completed the first day of competition at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday with multiple Patriots taking the national stage.
The day began with the men’s 400 meters where Preston Ayers and Jake Timmons represented the Patriots. Both runners competed from lane four in their respective heats and finished just outside the top ten nationally, placing 14th and 15th overall.
Ayers clocked a time of 47.49 seconds, opening with a 22.92 first 200 meters before closing in 24.57. Timmons followed closely behind with a 48.01 finish after posting a 22.79 opening split and a 25.22 final 200 meters. Both performances came within .09 seconds of the top ten in the national field.
Juliane Frueh competed in the women’s high jump for the Patriots and tied for 15th place after clearing 1.68 meters. Frueh was part of a tightly contested field where several athletes cleared the same height, with only eight competitors advancing beyond the 1.68 meter mark.
The highlight performance of the day came in the women’s 400 meters from Aerin Thompson, who narrowly missed advancing to the finals. Thompson finished just one spot shy of qualification, running a 54.12 after splits of 25.17 in the first 200 meters and 28.96 in the 200. Her time was just .30 seconds outside of the qualifying mark and .47 seconds ahead of the next finisher, securing a strong national showing. Kamaria Carr also competed in the women’s 400 meters, posting a time of 55.04 with splits of 25.38 and 29.67.
The Patriots will return to competition on Saturday, March 14, for the final day of the national meet. The women’s pentathlon will begin at 9:00 a.m. starting with the 60 meter hurdles, while the men’s and women’s 4×400 meter relays will close out the meet beginning at 5:45 p.m..