DENTON, Texas — Jack Turner broke the meet and UTSA records in the decathlon and Acacia Astwood smashed the school standard in the hammer throw in a runner-up finish to headline Friday action at the Conference USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at UNT Track & Field Stadium.
That duo's record-setting performances paced four podium finishes for the Roadrunners, as Joel McFarlane and Sigrid Kleive earned bronze medals in the decathlon and heptathlon, respectively.
Turner tallied 8,011 points to claim his third straight C-USA decathlon crown and his sixth career league gold medal, remaining undefeated in the multis in conference competition. Entering the day in first place after scoring 4,251 points through the first five events on Thursday, the Exeter, England, added 3,760 points on Friday to end up 108 points ahead of Rice's Grant Levesque (7,903). His second-day performances were highlighted by a time of 14.42 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles for 921 points and clearing 4.85m (15-11) for 865 more in the pole vault.
Turner eclipsed the previous meet record of 7,837 points set by Scott Filip of Rice in 2017 and he improved his own UTSA standard of 7,659 set when he won the 2021 C-USA Outdoor. He also joined an exclusive club of 8,000-point scorers this spring, as only three athletes nationally had surpassed that threshold in 2023 entering this week.
Meanwhile, Astwood broke the school record in the women's hammer throw with a silver-medal showing. The senior from Nassau, Bahamas, registered a mark of 59.39 meters (194-10) to eclipse the previous school standard of 57.86m set by Katie Bragg in 2012 and earn her second career top-three finish at a C-USA meet. She opened with a toss of 54.88m (180-0) before unleashing her record-breaking heave in the second round. She also topped the 56-meter mark on her third (56.71m/186-0) and fourth (56.88m/186-7) attempts in placing second to Rice's Tara Simpson-Sullivan (67.86m (222-7).
McFarlane also posted a personal best in the decathlon, piling up 7,661 points to capture the bronze — his fourth career league medal — and better his previous PB of 7,230 recorded earlier this year at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. The Monikie, Scotland, native entered the day in third place with 4,148 and tacked on 3,513 points on the final day of the competition. He opened Friday with a 15.18 clocking worth 828 points in the 110m hurdles and later scored 716 in the pole vault after soaring over the bar at 4.35m (14-3.25). His point total made him the program's No. 2 all-time performer behind Turner and also was above his teammate's previous school standard.
Kleive picked up her second career conference medal with a third-place showing in the heptathlon. Entering the day in third with 3,210 points, she leaped 5.93m (19-5.5) to tack on 828 points in the long jump. A native of Aalesund, Norway, she then moved into second place after tossing the javelin 42.50m (139-5) for 715 more points. She then clocked a 2:48.56 in the 800m to settle into third at the end of the seven-event competition.
In other Friday action, Maren Wilms finished seventh in the heptathlon with 4,633 points, Justin Wright was eighth in the decathlon with 5,819 points and Jake Smith scratched a point with an eighth-place finish in the men's 10,000m after clocking a 33:15.36.
Saturday's action will get underway with field events at 10 a.m. followed by running events at 2:30 p.m.
Live Coverage
Championship Central — https://conferenceusa.com/tournaments/?id=492&path=track
Live Results — https://results.blacksquirreltiming.com/meets/21145
Live Video (Saturday) — https://conferenceusa.com/watch/default.aspx?Live=20224&path=conf
Live Video (Sunday) — https://conferenceusa.com/watch/default.aspx?Live=20225&path=conf
C-USA Outdoor Championships
May 11-14, 2023
UNT Track & Field Stadium
Denton, Texas
UTSA Results
Men
10,000 Meters
8. Jake Smith 33:15.36
10. Spencer Herbstritt 33:43.79
Hammer Throw
9. Angel Robles 49.98m (160-8)
10. Michael Campbell 47.02m (154-3)
Decathlon
1. Jack Turner 8,011 — 100 Meters 10.44 (+2.9/989); Long Jump 7.67m (25-2/+2.3/977); Shot Put 12.75m (41-10/652); High Jump 1.92m (6-3.5/731); 400 Meters 48.14; 110-Meter Hurdles 14.42 (+3.3/921); Discus Throw 43.31m (142-1/732); Pole Vault 4.85m (15-11/865); Javelin Throw 50.85m (166-10/601); 1,500 Meters 4:46.25 (641)
3. Joel McFarlane 7,661 — 100 Meters 10.55 (+3.7/963); Long Jump 7.60m (24-11.25/+2.2/960); Shot Put 13.30m (43-7.75/686); High Jump 1.83m (6-0/653); 400 Meters 48.47; 110-Meter Hurdles 15.18 (+3.3/828); Discus Throw 39.72m (130-3/659); Pole Vault 4.35m (14-3.25/716); Javelin Throw 53.99m (177-1/648); 1,500 Meters 4:42.98 (662)
8. Justin Wright 5,819 — 100 Meters 11.94 (+2.9/663); Long Jump 6.64m (21-9.5/+2.5/729); Shot Put 10.48m (34-4.75/515); High Jump 1.71m (5-7.25); 400 Meters 56.03; 110-Meter Hurdles 15.49 (+3.3/791); Discus Throw 30.93m (101-5/483); Pole Vault 4.05m (13-3.5/631); Javelin Throw 45.06m (147-10/516); 1,500 Meters 5:33.85 (381)
Women
Hammer Throw
2. Acacia Astwood 59.39m (194-10)
11. Isabella Simonelli 49.06m (160-11)
17. Zoe Shanklin 41.00m (134-6)
Heptathlon
3. Sigrid Kleive 5,175 — 100-Meter Hurdles 14.63 (891); High Jump 1.76m (5-9.25/928); Shot Put 11.77m (38-07.5/646); 200 Meters 27.29 (688); Long Jump 5.93m (19-5.5/828); Javelin Throw 42.50m (139-5/715); 800 Meters 2:48.56 (469)
7. Maren Wilms 4,633 — 100-Meter Hurdles 15.30 (802); High Jump 1.61m (5-3.25/747); Shot Put 9.51m (31-2.5/497); 200 Meters 28.08 (625); Long Jump 5.61m (18-5/732); Javelin Throw 28.90m (94-9/456); 800 Meters 2:23.72 (774)
-UTSA-
