Aggies 4x400 Cruises To 3:26.27 To Move To No. 9 On The All-Time World List; Lightfoot Makes Third-Attempt Clearance At 6 Meters To Make Collegiate History; Turner Washington Smashes Shot Put Record; Sam Tanner Takes Down Absolute 1,500 Best

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Four more collegiate indoor records fell Saturday as the Texas A&M women's 4x400-meter relay and Baylor pole vaulter K.C. Lightfoot made history. 

At the Tyson Invitational at Arkansas, an Aggies lineup of Jania Martin, Charokee Young, Syaira Richardson and Athing Mu went all in on an effort to run a fast time and clocked 3:26.27 to better the collegiate record of 3:27.03 held by USC since the 2017 NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships. 

Florida held a slight lead all the way into the third leg, when Richardson split 51.12 to set up Mu, who extended the lead and ran a split of 50.27 to reach the finish line. 

That time makes Texas A&M the ninth-fastest quartet in world history indoors and the eight groups ahead of the Aggies are national teams from Russia, the U.S. and Poland. 

The Aggies' time was superior to the 2016 World Indoor Championships gold-medal winning U.S. team, which was comprised of Natasha Hastings, Quanera Hayes, Courtney Okolo and Ashley Spencer (3:26.38).

At the Texas Tech Shootout, Lightfoot got over the 6-meter barrier in the pole vault with a third-attempt clearance at 19-8.25. That was the third collegiate record for Lightfoot in four meets so far this winter. 

In becoming the first collegiate vaulter over six meters indoors, Lightfoot is also No. 3 globally this year behind world record holder Armand Duplantis (19-9.25/6:03m) and Renaud Lavillenie (19-9/6.02m). 

Lightfoot took three attempts at 6.02m.

A third collegiate record fell Saturday when Turner Washington from Arizona State broke the all-time indoor record in the men's shot put with a mark of 21.85m (71-8.25) -- a massive personal improvement of two and a half feet.

And a fourth collegiate record fell in a professional race at the New Balance Grand Prix in Staten Island, N.Y. Washington sophomore Sam Tanner broke the New Zealand national record in taking third in the 1,500 meters in 3:34.72. That snapped the absolute and indoor collegiate records and also gained him the Olympic Games standard (3:35.00).

"I am absolutely frothing," Tanner said in a Washington athletic department post. "So happy to hit the Olympic Standard. It is such a great honor to represent UW."

Also at the Tyson Invitational, Charlie Hunter of Oregon blasted through the 800 meters in 1:45.59 to obliterate a 2010 school record held by Andrew Wheating. Hunter ran 3:53.49 for third place in the mile Friday. 

Freshman E.J. Holland became the fifth Oregon runner to run under four minutes in the mile this season, running a lifetime best 3:59.95. He became the 26th runner in Oregon's history to do it. 

Terrance Laird of LSU and Joe Fahnbulleh of Florida ran the two fastest 200-meter times in the NCAA this season. Laird edged Fahnbulleh in the final, 20.41 to 20.42.

Kentucky's Abby Steiner lowered her NCAA-leading 200-meter time to 22.52 seconds, No. 10 all-time among collegiate indoor competitors.

Also at Texas Tech, Chengetayi Mapaya of TCU jumped 55-3.50 (16.85m) to take a big lead in the men's triple jump rankings. 

Arizona's Samantha Noenning improved in the women's shot put to 59-10.50 (18.25m). 

Sage Hurta of Colorado ran the fastest mile in the country at the Iowa State Classic, with 4:31.80, just ahead of Krissy Gear of Arkansas, who set the program record of 4:31.83 at the Tyson Invitational.