Cougars conclude Robison Invitational with historic performances

PROVO, Utah – All-Americans Casey Clinger and Lucas Bons both ran sub-four minute miles at altitude and the women’s 4x400m relay team broke the school record as BYU track and field wrapped up competition at the 2021 Robison Invitational on Saturday.

Clinger and Bons completed the race in 3:59.02 and 3:59.28, respectively. The duo joins BYU track and field legend Doug Padilla as the only three runners to run sub-four minute mile times at Provo’s altitude of 4,579 feet. As the founder of RunnerCard timing services and the meet director for the Robison Invitational, the two-time Olympian was in attendance to witness the two current Cougars accomplish the feat. Until today, Padilla had been the only runner to run a sub-four minute mile at such altitude, doing it himself 38 years ago.

The women’s 4x400m relay team, consisting of Meghan Hunter, All-American Alena Ellsworth, All-American Claire Seymour and All-American Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes, clocked a 3:36.33 to set a new BYU record in the event. The previous record of 3:36.56 had been set in 2009 by Natalie Stewart, Nachelle Stewart, Lacey Cramer and Katie Palmer. Both Ellsworth and Hunter also ran top-10 times in the women’s 400m on Friday.

After breaking her own school record in the women’s 100m trials yesterday, Jaslyn Gardner clocked the second-fastest 200m time in school history. Gardner won the event with a time of 23.47, tying Angela Bridgeman (1987) for the No. 2 spot on the BYU Top 10 board. The junior also won the 100m final with a time of 11.35.

Sierra Freeland moved up the program’s all-time list in the women’s shot put for the second weekend in a row. After moving up to No. 4 on the BYU Top 10 board last week, Freeland jumped to No. 2 on the all-time list with a toss of 15.89m/52-1.5.

All-American, and school record holder, Ashton Riner won the women’s javelin with a toss of 52.56m/172-5.25. Payge Jauhiainen and Libby Parkinson ended the day with the eighth- and ninth-best marks in BYU history. Jauhiainen finished with a mark of 48.58m/159-4.5 and Parkinson concluded the competition with a mark of 48.30m/158-5.5.

Talem Franco was the lone BYU athlete to compete elsewhere this weekend, racing in a 1500m invitational at the Oregon Relays. The All-American crossed the finish line in 3:39.19, marking a new personal record and the fourth-fastest 1500m in school history.

Following a top-10 performance in the women’s hammer yesterday, Sable Lohmeier El-Bakri won the women’s discus with a throw of 49.66m/162-11. In the men’s discus, Dallin Shurts was the top collegiate finisher with a throw of 54.40m/178-5.75.

Cierra Tidwell Allphin cleared a season-best 1.79m/5-10.5 to take first place in the women’s high jump. In the men’s pole vault, All-American Zach McWhorter won the event with a clearance of 5.46m/17-11.

Amanda Erickson won the women’s 5000m with a time of 17:49.17 while Meri Dunford (11:10.63) and Madi Moffitt (11:14.33) went 1-2 in the 3000m steeplechase.

Days 1-3 Recap
Complete Results – 2021 Robison Invitational

The Cougars will compete next at the Fresno State Invitational on Friday, April 30 at the Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis, California.