Texas Freshman Runs 56.19 To Win First Collegiate 400 Hurdles; Jordan Davis Throws No. 5 All-Time Collegiate Javelin Mark; Scottie Vines Elevates To No. 9 All-Time In High Jump

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Bert Richarsdon photos

Akala Garrett showed Friday that she is getting adjusted to life in college track and field at the University of Texas. 

The freshman, who won the World Athletics Under-20 gold medal in 2022 and finished high school No. 7 on the all-time prep list, won her signature event, the 400-meter hurdles, for the first time in a Texas uniform at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. 

Garrett won the race in 56.19, just off her lifetime best of 56.16 at the World U20 meet in Cali, Colombia in August of 2022. 

Garrett is part of the new roster at Texas, which won the NCAA women's outdoor title last June. 

Another freshman, Aaliyah Foster, jumped 22-1.75 (+4.7w) to win the women's long jump. 

Prep high jumper Scottie Vines from De Beque CO matched the No. 9 performance in history when he cleared 7-4.25 (2.24m). That broke a 33-year-old all-time Colorado state best by a quarter inch. 

Samantha Humphries of Flower Mound TX broke the meet record in the girls 1,600 meters with 4:44.66. Her twin sister Nicole ran 4:43.51 on March 16 and the sisters are now US#1 and US#2 in the event. 

Madeleine Fey of Killeen Chapparral TX won the girls discus with 173-11 (53.02m).  

Jathiyah Muhammad from Ogburn School CA won the girls pole vault with a US#1 clearance of 14-4 (4.37m).

Kyla Hill of Goliad TX won the girls 300-meter hurdles in 41.46 for US#2. Andrew Jones from Klein Collins TX won the boys 300 hurdles with US#3 36.75.

The winds blowing along Interstate 35 and through Mike A. Myers Stadium made most of the sprint results wind-assisted. Houston's Shaun Maswanganyi ran 10.02 first round time with a modest (+2.4 reading).

But they seemed to do wonders for the javelin competitions. 

Jordan Davis from Southern Connecticut State threw a huge mark of 274-10 (83.77m) that is No. 5 on the all-time collegiate list and a Division II record. It's also the fourth-best throw in the world this year. 

UCLA's Federica Botter threw 185-4 (56.48m) to win the women's javelin.

Olympic champion Valarie Allman of ASICS opened her season with a meet record 223-0 (67.98m) in the women's discus.