April 11, 2009

Norman, Oklahoma -

Jasmine Walls and Jarid Vaughan led the way for the Mavs track teams Saturday at the 40th annual John Jacobs Invitational qualifying for the NCAA Midwest Regional Meet two individual events.

Walls won the women's 100 meter final with a season's best effort and qualified for the NCAA Midwest Regional Meet posting a time of 11.59. That mark was just .02 off her career best time of 11.57 set last year.

The Pearland, Texas native also placed second in the 200 meters running a 23.47. That time was the second fastest in school history behind only her school record of 23.23 set last year. Walls previously qualified for regionals in the 200 meters last month at the Horned Frog Invitational.

Vaughan won the men's 200 meter final setting a personal best time of 20.47. It was the fastest time in that event for a Mavericks sprinter this season and the fourth fastest time in school history. Vaughan has now punched his ticket for the regionals in the 100 meter and 200 meter dashes.

Sprinters Cordero Gray and Takeshi Fujiwara set their new fastest times in that final as well running a time of 20.75 and 21.40, respectfully.

Other Mavs athletes who set personal bests times include junior sprinter Antonia Hopkins set her season bests in the 200 meter running a 24.46. She improved her time more than three tenths of a second in the final on Saturday.

Senior Byron Majors turned in an impressive in the men's 100 meter final setting his season best time of 10.66. That time was fast enough for fourth place and is the highest Majors has finished in the event all season long.

Junior runner Darren Rous got in on the winning ways on Saturday as well running the fastest time in 800 meter final. Rous finished in 1:53.45 and set the new fastest time in that event for the season.

Distance runner Amanda McMahon ran her longest event of the outdoor season on Saturday and finished second in the women's 5000 meter final. Her time of 18:02.64 was only beat by Kristen Radcliff of Oral Roberts University.

The Men's 3000 meter steeplechase final was an all-Maverick contest with the only three competitors in the event all being from UTA. Heinz Schwarzkopf won the event and was followed in second place by teammate Garrett Yuen.

Another Maverick winner in Norman was Aundrea Williams in the men's 400 meter hurdles. He ran the final in a personal best time of 52.56 and is only five one-hundredths of a second off the regional qualifying time.

For complete results of Saturday's action go to soonersports.com.

UTA will be back in action this Thursday and Friday as the teams will head west to Walnut, California to compete in the Mt. SAC Relays.