STORRS, CT- Coming off dual-first place finishes in the Northeast Challenge, the UConn track and field team will head to Columbus, OH for the Jesse Owens Classic.
Hosted by the Ohio State Buckeyes at legendary Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, the Huskies will be joined by other schools such as Central Michigan, Dayton, Toledo and additional Midwest programs.
Last time out, Connecticut saw their women’s and men’s teams both finish in first place on senior day. The men’s team was led by graduate student Travis Snyder, whose record-breaking 5.46m stamp in the pole vault propelled him to a first-place finish in the event. The men also saw first-place finishes in both the long jump and high jump, helped by impressive showings from both Kasey Savage and Mawali Osunniyi. Savage led the way with his 7.44m leap in the long jump, while Osunniyi finished with 2.14m in the high jump.
Leading the way on the women’s side was Caroline Towle, who achieved a new personal record in the 1500m event with a 4:39.25, good for third place. Additionally, Junior A’liyah Thomas continued to build on her impressive season with standout performances in the long jump and 100m hurdles. Thomas, a native of Linden, NJ, took first place in both events with a 6.46m in the long jump and a 13.54 mark in the 100m hurdles.
One of many opposing runners to keep an eye on is Ball State’s Jenelle Rogers, who collected first-place finishes in the shot put (15.35m) and the 100m hurdles in the team’s recent performance at the We Fly Challenge.
Ohio State’s Daniella Santos and Andrea Kuhn come into this one after they both broke into the top five in program history in the women’s 5000m event at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Santos’ 15:56.71 puts her third on the Buckeyes’ all-time leaders list, while Kuhn’s 15:57.72 finds her fifth.
Western Michigan’s Kayla Schiera is another dynamic runner whom Connecticut ran alongside in the Raleigh Relays, where she shattered the school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, posting a time of 10:03.93. Her time is more than 30 seconds faster than the next best time in program history.
The event’s opening event is slated for Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET. For coverage and live updates, follow along on X and Instagram @UConnTFXC. Results will additionally be posted on results.timingfirst.com.