Season-Best Performances Cap Off Indoor Season for Utah Track and Field

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The University of Utah’s Track and Field team during the Women’s 4×400 Meter Relay in an NCAA Track and Field meet at the McCarthey Family Track and Field Complex in Salt Lake City on Sat. April 13, 2019.(Photo by Curtis Lin | Daily Utah Chronicle)

By Ryker Jackson, Sports Writer

 

The University of Utah track and field team put on another round of incredible performances on Friday. A DMR squad, which stands for Distance Medley Relay, performed well in Winston-Salem, South Carolina. Kolbi Sims, who has been performing at an extraordinarily high level all season, recorded another personal best record in Seattle at the UW Last Chance.

A distance medley relay is an event in track and field consisting of four athletes as part of a relay team. The race includes four legs of different distances — 1200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters and 1600 meters —  on a 400-meter track.

The Utes were competing against three DMR teams that all rank in the Top 25 nationally. The Utes squad was made up of Caitlin Faust, Brooke Manson, Jackie Martin and Sarah Newton. Overall, the Utes took home fifth place with a season best record time of 11:17.81. The Utes were three seconds away from fourth place. Wake Forest came in first place with a time of 11:08.90. Second place went to Virginia Tech with a time of 11:10.18. Duke took third with a time of 11:13.71. Temple came in fourth with a time of 11:14.87.

Utah Athletics caught up with head coach Kyle Kepler after the event.

“Brooke Manson, our 800m runner, just ran phenomenal and ran the fastest 800m leg of anyone here. I thought everybody else gave great efforts, ran well and ran within themselves. I’m really proud of this group as we made a last second change and they responded well.”

Meanwhile in Seattle, Sims set a new personal record with a time of 8.58, placing second in the 60m hurdles. This placed her second in all-time school history. Later in the day, Sims took seventh overall in the 800 meter race with a time of 2:20.12.

These were the Utes’ last indoor events of the season. The Utes travel back to Seattle next weekend to begin the postseason. They will compete at the MPSF Championships Friday and Saturday, Feb. 28 and 29.

 

 

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