Gardner breaks own school record at BYU December Invite

PROVO, Utah – Jaslyn Gardner and Zach McWhorter each broke their own school records as BYU track and field concluded its indoor home-opener at the Smith Fieldhouse on Friday. 

DAY TWO
BYU Women's Recap
Jaslyn Gardner broke her own 60m school record of 7.31 with a time of 7.27 Friday. The time sets her apart by nearly two milliseconds. Adaobi Tabugbo (7.54), Taye Raymond (7.71) and Layne Bolli (7.73) each set personal bests in the event.

Tabugbo won the 60m hurdles, setting personal bests in both the heat (8.57) and final (8.49) on her way to a first-place finish. Kate Thomas (9.36) and Mayci Torgerson (9.12) set personal bests in the event as well. 

Cierra Tidwell-Alphin won the high jump, setting a personal best mark of 1.81m/5-11.25. The mark also puts her at 10th all-time in BYU history. 

Freshman Rebekah Ross showed out in the pole vault, winning it with a mark of 4.0m/13-1.5. With a mark of 3.75m/12-3.75, Lauren Merrill also set a personal best in the event.

BYU Men's Recap
BYU’s two returning All-American pole vaulters dominated the field on Friday, led by McWhorter’s record-setting performance.

McWhorter cleared 5.82m/19-1.25 to seize first place in the men’s pole vault and soar past his own school record set a season ago at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships (5.80m/19-0.25). McWhorter's record-breaking clearance is tied for No. 8 in NCAA Division I history with Istvan Bagyula of George Mason who did so in 1992. 

Caleb Witsken came in second with a mark of 5.45/17-10.5.

While seasoned veterans shined in McWhorter and Witsken, a promising freshman made his debut in the men’s 800m. Austin Klingler, a true freshman from West Jordan, Utah, won the 800m with a time of 1:53.34, just four seconds off the BYU Indoor Top-10 board.

The Cougars’ running success continued on Friday with Elijah Armstrong clocking a time of 4:16.23 to finish first in the men’s mile. Kenneth Rooks came in close behind at 4:21.54 to finish third.

Dallin Vorkink and AJ Beynon completed the men’s heptathlon on Friday, taking first and third, respectively. Vorkink won the 1000m, pole vault, 60H and long jump to win the multi-event with an overall score of 5,263.

Up Next...
BYU track and field has a month to prepare before hosting its second meet on Jan. 13-15 at the Smith Fieldhouse. The USTFCCCA will release its national preseason rankings on Monday, Jan. 10.

DAY ONE
BYU Women's Recap 
Halley Folsom-Walker highlighted the three Cougars who competed in the pentathlon Thursday, as she set new personal bests in the 800m (2:10.31) and pentathlon (4,036). Her 4,036 points are good for third all-time in BYU history. Mayci Torgerson set a new shot put PR (9.78m/32-1) while Sami Oblad, a recently returned missionary, competed as a pentathlete for the first time in her BYU career. 

Gretchen Hoekstre and Leah Thompson led the throwers, setting a new personal best in the shot put (14.58m/47-10) and weight throw (15.51m/50-10.75). Hoektre's mark puts her at ninth all-time in school history. 

Hoekstre, Leah Thompson, Sable Lohmeier El-Bakri, Jessica Thompson and Sierra Freeland each competed in the discus throw for the first time in their indoor BYU careers at the meet.

Lia Pili and Jayda Lee both made their freshmen debuts at the meet, competing in the discus throw, weight throw and shot put.

BYU Men's Recap
BYU thrower Danny Bryant set a new personal record in the shot put with a toss of 17.06/55-11.75. Bryant's mark was good for a first place finish in the men's shot put finals. Recently returned missionaries Harrison Gould and Seth Knowlton made their throwing debuts for the Cougars with marks of 15.65 and 13.86. Bryant took third in his first ever collegiate indoor discus throw, with a mark of 48.27. 

Through five of seven events, BYU's Dallin Vorkink and AJ Beynon stand at second and third, respectively in the men's heptathlon. Vorkink and Beynon will look to improve their scores in the 60mH and pole vault on Friday.