FORT WORTH, Texas - On the final day of the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championship, the Baylor track and field team claimed three more event titles at the Lowdon Track & Field Complex Sunday.
Taking the top spot on the podium for Baylor was Wil London (400 meters), Felix Obi (triple jump) and Olicia Williams (800 meters). That trio’s wins paired with Annie Rhodes’ pole vault title from Saturday gave BU four event titles at the meet.
The women's pair of event champions helped the Lady Bears place eighth with 52.2 points. Meanwhile, the two event title winners for the men's squad helped the Bears to score 59 points on the final day of competition for a total of 64 points and a seventh-place finish overall.
In total, Baylor had 28 competitors earn 37 All-Big 12 honors during the meet with the women having 13 individuals tally 17 honors and the men’s squad producing 15 athletes, who secured 20 accolades.
Wil London, a freshman, overcome a slow start in the 400 meters to win the title in 45.36. The Waco, Texas, product powered through the far turn and outpaced Aldrich Bailey Jr. of Texas down the stretch to clinch the crown. London tallied Baylor's 12th-title in the event in the 20-year history of the meet. He became the first BU freshman to win the race since LeJerald Betters in 2007.
Just moments earlier, senior Felix Obi clinched the triple jump title for a second-straight year. With a school-record leap of 53-9.75 [16.40m], Obi became just the fifth Big 12 athlete to win back-to-back outdoor triple jump crowns. The senior produced the title-winning jump on his fifth attempt, but led the competition from his first jump and all six of his attempts on the day were better than 16.00 meters. The El Paso, Texas, native now owns five individual Big 12 titles, including three indoor triple jump crowns and the two outdoor titles, which are tied for sixth-most in men’s program history. He is the only BU male athlete to ever win a triple jump title in BU history.
The final win of the day was delivered by senior Olicia Williams in the 800 meters in 2:04.12. Williams, who took the lead from the gun by blazing through the first 100 meters in 13 seconds, led by 15 meters through the first 400 meters, which she ran in just over 59 seconds. The New York native held the lead throughout the second half of the race and beat her nearest competitor by 1.75 seconds. The victory pairs with Williams’ indoor 800-meter conference title, which she claimed in February. She is the first BU athlete and the fifth Big 12 athlete to win indoor and outdoor 800-meter titles in the same year. Williams is also just the third BU female to win the outdoor title, joining Nichole Jones (2007) and Lauren Hagans (2008).
Baylor also had two second-place and two third-place finishes on the day.
The Bears closed out the day by taking second in 4x400-meter relay. The quartet of Caleb Dickson, London, Isaiah Duke and George Caddick ran a 3:05.78 to finish just .05 seconds behind Kansas. Through two legs, BU held a 15-meter lead, but Caddick got the baton just behind KU and let the lead grow through the first 200 meters of his leg. The BU junior made a furious charge down the stretch, but was unable to catch the Jayhawks.
Maggie Montoya was the runner-up in the 5,000-meter race with a time of 16:22.76. She was near the lead for a majority race, but over the last 600 meters was outkicked by eventual winner, Sandie Raines of Texas.
Caddick continued his solid return from injury by taking third in the 400 meters with a time of 46.18. The junior, who won the event in 2015, ran his first two open 400-meter races of the season at the meet.
Rhys Phillips placed third in the 110-hurdles with a time of 13.98 as he enjoyed a strong close to almost move into second, but was out-leaned at the tape.
OTHER NOTABLES
• Kiana Hawn placed fourth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 59.61 to earn her second-straight All-Big 12 accolade in the event.
• Desmine Hilliard finished fourth in the discus with a best throw of 179-7 [54.73m] to tally the third All-Big 12 honor of his career in that event.
• Baylor had scorers in both the men’s and women’s high jump with Kaylyn Schultz tying for sixth in 5-5.25 [1.66m] and Blaine Listach using a collegiate best jump of 6-11 [2.11m] to be seventh.
• Danylle Kurywchak returned from injury to place seventh in the triple jump with a best attempt of 40-11.75 [12.49m].
• Maggie Montoya began her day by placing seventh in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:24.90. It was her second-straight All-Big 12 honor in that event.
• Brandon Moore suffered an injury during the 800 meters but finished in seventh to tally his third-straight All-Big 12 honor in the event.
• The Bears had two athletes score in the men’s 400-meter hurdles with Robert Dutton (53.84) taking fifth and Antwuan Musgrove (56.13) finishing eighth.
• Both 4x100-meter relays finished fifth, while the women’s 4x400-meter relay was also fifth.
• Freshman Kiana Horton suffered an injury in the 100-meter race, which prevented her from finishing it and held her out of the 200 meters.
• Olicia Williams earned All-Big 12 honors in the 800 meters in all four years of her career.
• Wil London was the only BU athlete to score in three events - the 400 meters and on both relays.
TOP QUOTE #1
"It was probably as up and down a meet as we’ve had since I’ve been here. Just a lot of highs and a lot of lows and we lost a couple big ones to injuries today. One moment, you celebrated Wil London running unbelievable in the 400 and then the next moment you had Kiana (Horton) going down in the 100. That’s just the nature of our sport sometimes.” - head coach Todd Harbour on the final day of the Big 12 Championship
“Felix (Obi) had a big jump today. He’s back, and that was a big deal, especially with us moving forward to nationals. Wil established himself as one of the top 400 guys in the nation. Olicia did the same thing in the 800.” - Harbour on the Big 12 champions Sunday
TOP QUOTE #3
“We took some steps that were good steps nationally. We just didn’t have enough firepower to finish where we wanted to as a team. That hurts when you look up there and see where we finished, knowing where we’ve been at the last couple years. We had some athletes that stepped up to a huge level, and then we had some others that didn’t quite step up today. So, that was kind of the day it was. But I’m proud of them.” - Harbour on the team outlook
WHAT'S NEXT
The Bears will now have a weekend off from competition, before competing at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds in Lawrence, Kan., May 26-28.
To stay current on all things Baylor Track, follow the team on Twitter: @BaylorTrack.
All-Conference Performers (28 individuals, 37 honors)
Women (13 individuals,17 honors)
Justise Dayries (4x1), Ashley Fields (4x1, 4x4), Carly Grandcolas (heptathlon), Kiana Hawn (400 Hurdles, 4x4), Kiana Horton (4x1), Cion Hicks (shot put), Danylle Kurwchak (triple jump), Juanita Mainoo (4x1), Maggie Montoya (1,500m, 5,000m), Jessica Purtell (4x4), Annie Rhodes (pole vault), Kaylyn Schultz (high jump), Olicia Williams (800m, 4x4)
Men (15 individuals, 20 honors)
George Caddick (400m, 4x4), Cody Cunningham (4x1), Caleb Dickson (4x4), Isaiah Duke (4x4), Robert Dutton (400 Hurdles), Desmine Hilliard (discus), Chase Hood (decathlon), Blaine Listach (high jump), Wil London (400m, 4x1, 4x4), Brandon Moore (800m), Antwuan Musgrove (400 Hurdles, 4x1), Felix Obi (triple jump), Rhys Phillips (110 Hurdles), Hunter Powell (decathlon), Malik Wilson (100m, 4x1)
100 Meters - Finals
Women
-- Kiana Horton (FR) - DNF
Men
8. Malik Wilson (SO) - 10.65*
200 Meters - Finals
Women
-- Kiana Horton (FR) - DNS
Men
1. Wil London (FR) - 45.36*
3. George Caddick (JR) - 46.18* (second-straight All-Big 12 honor)
800 Meters - Finals
Women
1. Olicia Williams (SR) - 2:04.12* (fourth-straight All-Big 12 honor, fourth-best time in BU history and currently 18th-best in NCAA)
Men
7. Brandon Moore (JR) - 2:09.12* (third-straight All-Big 12 honor)
Women
7. Maggie Montoya (JR) - 4:24.90* (second-straight All-Big 12 honor)
5,000 Meters - Finals
Women
2. Maggie Montoya (JR) - 16:22.76*
-- Peyton Thomas (SO) - DNS
Men
17. Kyle Scanlan (SR) - 15:00.57
18. JR Hardy (SR) - 15:04.71
110-Meter Hurdles - Finals
Men
3. Rhys Phillips (JR) - 13.98* (second-straight All-Big 12 honor)
Women
4. Kiana Hawn (SO) - 59.61* (second-straight All-Big 12 honor)
Men
5. Robert Dutton (SO) - 53.84*
8. Antwuan Musgrove (FR) - 56.13*
3000-Meter Steeplechase - Finals
Women
10. Madison Zimmerman (SO) - 10:47.88
4x100-Meter Relay - Finals
Women
5. Baylor (Horton, Fields, Mainoo, Dayries) - 45.87*
Men
5. Baylor (Musgrove, London, Wilson, Cunningham) - 40.67*
Women
5. Baylor (Fields, Hawn, Purtell, Williams) - 3:40.91*
Men
2. Baylor (Dickson, London, Duke, Caddick) - 3:05.78*
Triple Jump
Women
7. Danylle Kurywchak (SR) - 40-11.75 [12.49m]*
-- Rachel Toliver (SR) - Foul
Men
1. Felix Obi (SR) - 53-9.75 [16.40m]* (school-record and currently fifth-best in NCAA)
Discus
Women
12. Cion Hicks (JR) - 150-5 [45.86m]
14. Michelle Campa (FR) - 126-6 [38.55m]
Men
4. Desmine Hilliard (SR) - 179-7 [54.73m]*
High Jump
Women
t6. Kaylyn Schultz (SR) - 5-5.25 [1.66m]*
-- Alex Lord (FR) - NH
Men
7. Blaine Listach (FR) - 6-11 [2.11m]* (collegiate best)
