Trinity held the J.G. Gonzales Memorial Invitational April 3-4 in front of a home crowd. Despite thunderstorms that disrupted the meet schedule, Trinity earned eight top-three finishes across 16 field events, including two first-place finishes. In the track events, the team collected 13 podium finishes across 18 events, including three first-place honors. The team also finished top three in both women’s relays.

Unlike other sports, track and field doesn’t get to compete at home often. Traditionally, the team hosts only two home meets, one of which is a Last Chance meet in May designed to give athletes a final attempt to qualify for nationals. This makes the J.G. Invitational a unique opportunity for track and field athletes.

“It’s definitely a different feeling,” senior international buisness major Bocar Diagana said. “It was great, especially for the senior class. It was our senior recognition. It’s also our last time at home. That was just a very, very great moment. Hopefully, the staff enjoyed it, and it’s always a plus having family and friends around.”

Diagana, a captain on the team, was unable to compete due to an injury, but still showed up to support his team at the meet.

This year, two Trinity athletes broke school records during the meet, something Diagana had experienced before.

“My first [school record] was at home,” Diagana said. “From my perspective, not competing and seeing people do it just makes me really happy. I see them train – that’s where they practice – and it’s just good to see that pay off for them.”

First-year Ian Zahner broke his own school record in the hammer throw, which he set just two weeks earlier, extending his mark by nearly three meters on his previous record. Sophomore Annabelle Lanik also broke her school record in the long jump, improving her previous mark by 0.02 meters to 6.18 meters.

The addition of indoor track meets following Trinity’s transition to the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) has lengthened the season and brought new challenges. Diagana’s injury gave him a different perspective, and he said he was happy with the team’s performance.

“I think the meet went really well overall,” Diagana said. “The past couple meets, it’s just been me going to the meet by myself or with a small group, and that makes it hard to feed off of the team’s energy. So that was a change, and it just got me really excited and ready to get back on the track. We had big marks all over the different events, whether it was throws, sprints or jumps.”

Those big marks Diagana referred to included 23 top-three finishes across the 38 total events hosted at Trinity on April 3-4. The record breakers led the way in the field events: Zahner placed second in men’s hammer throws, followed by junior Aaron Chang’s third-place finish, with Lanik claiming first in women’s long jump. 

Field Events

Ian Zahner, second in the men’s hammer throw

Junior Aaron Chang, third in the men’s hammer throw

Lanik, first in women’s long jump

Sophomore Sophia Ortiz, first in women’s high jump

First-year Christian Mullaney, tied for third in men’s high jump

First-year John Michael Martin, second in men’s discus

First-year Bridget Roth, second in the women’s pole vault

Sophomore Addison Doss, third in women’s pole vault

Running Events

Seniors Halle Hamilton, Gianna Keena and Kris Duggan, first-place finishes

Women’s 800

Halle Hamilton, first

First-year Ciara Catton, second

Sophomore Emerson Voldan, third

Junior Annette Smith, fourth

Women’s 1500

Gianna Keena, first

Sophomore Anne Snider, second

Men’s 110 meter hurdles

Kris Duggan, first

Women’s hurdles

First-year Isabella Gaylord, second in 100m hurdles

First-year Isabella Gaylord, second in 400m hurdles

Distance Events

First-year Brady Peifer, second in the men’s 5K

Senior Josette Gurule, second in the women’s 5K

All these marks came despite large storms, which shook up the detailed plan for the track meet’s schedule just as the thunder shook San Antonio.

“It definitely changes things, because a lot of people have a very strict structure when it comes to the warm-up,” Diagana said. “The team didn’t really sweat it. We stayed ready and warm, and that translated to a lot of the marks that happened after the lightning delay.”

Trinity track and field now looks ahead to the Texas A&M Kingsville Cactus Cup April 10-11 as the last meet remaining between them and their first-ever outdoor SAA Championship. The SAA Championships are April 24-25 at Berry College in Georgia.