AUSTIN, Texas — BYU men’s track and field kicked off day one of four at the 95th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays this week, with Ben Barton and Dallin Vorkink competing in the opening five events of the decathlon.

Barton finished atop the elite field of 12 decathletes in the 400-meters, clocking a new personal record of 47.32 to go along with a second-place finish in three events: the 100-meters (10.48), long jump (7.03m/23-0.75), and high jump (2.01m/6-7). Thus far, the sophomore from Birmingham, Michigan sits at second-place with 4,185 points, only behind Texas’s Leo Neugebauer’s 4,445 points.

“Ben couldn’t have had a better day,” BYU track & field associate head coach Mark Robison said. “In windy conditions, he ran his fastest 400-meter race, and it was almost a full second ahead of his lifetime best. He’s doing things he’s never done before, and this is even while barely practicing outdoors due to weather.”

Aside from the 400m, Barton also posted personal-bests in the 100m, long jump, and shot put. Vorkink took third in the shot put, registering a mark of 13.41m/44-0.

BYU’s trip to the Texas Relays serves as a primer for the upcoming NCAA outdoor Track and Field Championships at Myers Stadium June 7-10. Competition resumes tomorrow and will include the decathlon's conclusion along with throws.

PROVO, Utah — BYU men's and women's track and field looks to divide and conquer as it sets out for meets at Texas and Stanford March 29-April 1. 

95th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays presented by Truist

• Wednesday, March 29-Saturday, April 1
• Venue: Mike A. Myers Track and Soccer Stadium | Austin, Texas
• Wednesday decathlon events begin at 11 a.m. CDT
• Thursday's action begins at 10 a.m. with the conclusion of the decathlon and continue at 1:30 p.m. (women's pole vault) and 4:15 (women's javelin section B)
• Friday events begin at 9:35 a.m. and run through 6 p.m.
• Saturday events begin at 11 a.m. and run through 5 p.m.
• BYU's 2023 trip to Texas Relays serves as a primer for the upcoming NCAA outdoor Track and Field Championships at Myers Stadium June 7-10. 
• Tickets
• Live Results
• Longhorn Network (all times CDT) 
  • Wednesday 6:30-8 p.m. (rebroadcast)
  • Thursday 7-10 p.m. 
  • Friday 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. & 5-6:30 p.m.
  • Saturday 1:30-5:30 p.m.

Stanford Invitational 

• Friday, March 31-Saturday, April 1
• Venue: Cobb Track and Angell Field | Stanford, California
• BYU's Friday events begin at 11:30 a.m. and run through 10:40 p.m.
• BYU's Saturday events begin at 2 p.m. and run through 4:15. 
• Live Results
• Live Stream

National Rankings

Through just two weeks of outdoor competition, BYU boasts five field athletes ranked in the top-10 nationally for their respective events.

High jumper Cierra Tidwell Allphin cleared a nation-leading 1.85m/6-0.75 at the Aztec Invitational on March 25. The junior’s new personal-best places her in firm NCAA Regional qualifying position ahead of jumpers from Jacksonville, Penn State and Arizona.

The Cougars’ javelin throwers are already making their mark on the young season as well. After not competing in 2022, Cameron Bates returned to the field for BYU on March 18 at the Cardinal Classic and jumped atop the national leaderboard with a throw of 74.90m/245-9. LSU’s Tzuriel Pedigo (74.54m/244-7) and Navy’s Braden Presser (73.08m/239-9) fill out the top-3.

Defending women’s javelin champion Ashton Riner-Lunt ranks 10th nationally after a Cardinal Classic throw of 52.89m/173-6.

While winter’s grip has thus far prevented BYU’s pole vaulters from practicing outdoors, Caleb Witsken and Cailee Faulkner have picked up right where they left off during indoor season. Witsken cleared 5.45m/17-10.5 in San Diego and now ranks No. 5 nationally, ahead of Texas Tech’s Logan Fraley and just shy of South Alabama’s Kyle Rademeyer. Faulkner’s first vault of the season was enough to tie for seventh nationally with Washington’s Sara Borton.