Texas Track & Field racks up 20 All-America honors
AUSTIN, Texas – Following the conclusion of the collegiate track and field season, the USTFCCCA announced its 2016 Div. I All-America teams Monday, and the Texas Longhorns placed 10 on the first and second teams.
The women pulled in the most honors after finishing in fourth place at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., last week. Nine of the 10 first-team honors went to the Longhorn women.
Senior Morolake Akinosun tallied the most honors as she earned first-time recognition in the 100 meters, 200 and 4x400-meter relay. Fellow senior Courtney Okolo earned first-team honors in the 400 meters and the 4x400-meter relay. She won the 400 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championship with a time of 50.36 seconds.
Junior Chrisann Gordon received two first-team honors after finishing fifth in the 400 meters and running on the victorious 4x400.
Sophomore Kally Long earned first-team honors for the first time in her career after she tied for seventh in the pole vault.
The final first-team honor for the women went to Zola Golden for her effort on the 4x400.
Senoj-Jay Givans was the only member of the men's team to earn first-team All-America honors after he finished third in the 100-meter dash.
Five men and women each received second-team All-America status from the USTFCCCA.
Ali Uhle tied for 15th place in the women's pole vault in her first NCAA Championship experience to receive the honor.
The women's 4x100 team of Caitland Smith, Okolo, Golden and Akinosun also received second-team status for finishing 10th.
The men's 4x100 relay team of Charles Anumnu, Givans, Zack Bilderback and John Burt finished ninth to receive second-team recognition.
Freshman Steffin McCarter finished 13th in the long jump to earn second-team All-America.
The USTFCCCA recognizes the top eight finishers at the NCAA Championships as members of the first team. Student-athletes finishing 9-16 at the championship are named to the second team. All other athletes who compete at the NCAA Championship but finish outside the top 16 are not considered All-Americans but do receive honorable mention.
Texas had six honorable mentions each for the men and women: Bilderback, John Burt, Barrett Poth, Alex Rogers, Robert Uhr, Reese Watson, Asa Garcia, Mary Beth Hamilton, Ariel Jones, Ashley Miller, Sandie Rain and Ashtin Zamzow.
