Reigning World Championship gold medalist from Grenada competes for only second time following 2019 knee surgery, prevails again in Austin; Americans Malone, Donnelly achieve impressive victories, with Rodriguez, Rotich producing top collegiate distance marks and Brooks, Neugebauer leading multis

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Much has changed for Anderson Peters since he won the men’s javelin competition at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in 2019.

The former Mississippi State star went on to capture a second straight NCAA Division 1 Outdoor title, along with winning championships at the NACAC Under-23 meet and the Pan American Games, before securing a gold medal at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, all before the end of that memorable year.

Peters, who represents Grenada, also underwent knee surgery following the biggest victory of his career to remove bone splinters, resulting in him throwing only once last year.

But Peters, now an adidas professional athlete, returned Thursday for the 93rd edition of the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays to triumph again at Mike A. Myers Stadium, throwing 270 feet, 8 inches (82.51m) in the second round, a top-five mark in the world this year.

American Michael Shuey, representing New York Athletic Club, was second with a fourth-round throw of 265-9 (81.01m).

Former Texas A&M standout and women’s collegiate record holder Maggie Malone won the women’s javelin on her final throw with an effort of 204-8 (62.38m) to ascend to No. 3 in the world this year, surpassing fellow American Ariana Ince, representing Velaasa, who had led the competition since the third round with a throw of 194-8 (59.35m). 

Sean Donnelly, also an adidas athlete and one of the top Americans in the hammer throw, prevailed with a sixth-round performance of 248 feet (75.60m) to take over the U.S. lead and elevate to No. 11 in the world this year.

South Alabama senior Autavia Fluker secured victory in the women’s hammer throw with a second-round effort of 219-6 (66.90m).

In the distance finals, the most impressive highlight came in the final race of the evening, as Oklahoma State sophomore Isai Rodriguez won the men’s 10,000 in a collegiate-leading 28:08.70, ascending to the No. 3 performer in program history and among the top 30 all-time Division 1 competitors.

Rodriguez prevailed by more than 40 seconds ahead of teammate Alex Maier.

Jake Johnson, a former Texas athlete representing Born 2 Run, prevailed in the Jerry Thompson men’s invitational mile in 4:07.33. In the men’s 1,500 section, Texas freshman Cruz Gomez won in 3:43.78.

American Sarah Lancaster won the invitational section of the women’s 1,500 in 4:14.87, ahead of Swedish athlete Yolanda Ngarambe, representing the Atlanta Track Club Elite, who clocked 4:17.30. Texas senior Kathryn Gillespie ran 4:17.94 to take third.

In the second section, Baylor junior Aaliyah Miller – the reigning Division 1 indoor 800-meter champion – edged Oklahoma State freshman Sivan Auerbach by a 4:23.73 to 4:23.94 margin.

Texas A&M-Commerce freshman Nicodemus Rotich produced the fastest collegiate performance this year in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, with the Division 2 standout clocking 8:50.48.

Texas freshman Yusuf Bizimana held off senior James Majenge of Division 2 program Cameron by a 14:12.70 to 14:12.86 margin to win the men’s 5,000 meters.

West Texas A&M sophomore Florence Uwajeneza won the women’s 5,000 in 16:29.50, with Texas junior Madeline Vondra taking the women’s 10,000 in 33:55.72 and South Alabama junior Carolien Millenaar clocking 10:26.13 to prevail in the women’s 3,000 steeplechase.

In track qualifying races, Texas junior Charles Brockman III posted the fastest time in the men’s 400-meter hurdles in 49.78.

LSU achieved the fastest times in three events, including Brittley Humphrey leading four of the top five qualifiers in the women’s 400 hurdles in 58.56.

Freshman Sean Burrell led the men’s 400 qualifiers in 45.42 for the Tigers, with Terrance Laird clocking 20.43 in the men’s 200 for LSU.

Arkansas achieved the top two performances in the women’s 400, with senior Shafiqua Maloney running 52.27 and Paris Peoples qualifying second at 52.53.

North Carolina A&T took the top two spots in the women’s 200, with junior Delecia McDuffie clocking 23.09, followed by Cambrea Sturgis in 23.25.

Former Arkansas All-American and Division 1 indoor pentathlon champion Taliyah Brooks, representing ASICS, produced her best first-day performance in the heptathlon with 3,767 points. Brooks had achieved an opening-day effort of 3,733 at the 2017 Southeastern Conference Championships on her way to scoring 6,099 points.

Texas freshman Leo Neugebauer, representing Germany, led all decathletes with a first-day total of 4,279 points.