AUSTIN -- Distance runner
Chloe Susset finished seventh in the women's university 3,000-meter steeplechase, and sprinter
Wanda Hutson qualified for Saturday's 100-meter final to highlight the performances by Abilene Christian University Friday at the 83rd annual Texas Relays.
Susset, last year's national junior champion in the steeplechase in her native France, ran 11:30.06 at Myers Stadium on the campus of University of Texas. Taylor Johnson of Arkansas was the winner in 10:50.60.
Hutson, two-time Olympian from Trinidad and Tobago, ran a windy 11.60 in the 100 meters, the eighth fastest time in Friday's preliminary races. The wind wasn't high enough, however at 3.5 mps, to keep her from automatically qualifying for next month's NCAA Division II outdoor championship meet.
Desmond Jackson, sprinter on the ACU men's team, withdrew from the college men's 100 meters because of an injury, and ACU coaches subsequently withdrew the Wildcats' 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams.
Also Friday for the Wildcats,
Paige Newby of Colorado City placed 11th in the women's university discus throw at 150 feet, 10 inches, and
Tyler Fleet finished 14th in the men's university section A discus throw in 165-1.
In the only other final event for ACU Friday,
Ramon Sparks was 12th in the men's university-college section B long jump in 22-7.25.
Failing to advance from Friday's prelims were
Cassie Brooks in the women's university 100 hurdles (14.82) and two women's relay teams (46.72 in the 4x100 and 3:54.23 in the 4x400) in the university division. The Wildcats' time in the 4x100 relay is good enough to provisionally qualify the Wildcats for the national meet.
In addition to Hutson, the ACU entries for Saturday are Sparks in the men's university section A triple jump,
Anais Belledant in the women's university-college 1,500 meters and Texas Relays defending champion
Linda Brivule in the women university-college javelin throw. Sparks and Brivule are former NCAA Division II champions.
