Zamzow improves on previous-best score by nearly 300 points to elevate to the No. 12 performer in collegiate history and No. 25 all-time among Americans; Hite is latest decathlon champ for Texas A&M, with Andersen and Roberts winning hammer throw

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Texas senior Ashtin Zamzow turned in one of the most impressive heptathlon performances, not only at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, but by any collegiate multi-event athlete in history Wednesday and Thursday to open the meet’s 92nd edition at Mike A. Myers Stadium.

Zamzow became the first Texas female athlete to win the heptathlon at Texas Relays since it was added to the schedule in 1983, eclipsing her own program record by accumulating 6,148 points to elevate to the No. 12 performer in collegiate history.

Zamzow, who produced the No. 4 score in meet history, equaled or bettered her personal bests in all seven events to surpass her previous-best 5,853 points from her sixth-place finish in June at the USATF Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

Zamzow, who won the Big 12 title and went on to place third in the pentathlon March 9 at the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Ala., now boasts the top five heptathlon scores in Longhorns’ history.

Zamzow’s effort elevated her to No. 2 in the world this year, trailing only Cuba’s Adriana Rodriguez at 6,293 points. She also ascended to the No. 25 performer in American history.

Texas A&M senior Nathan Hite became the second Aggies’ winner of the men’s decathlon in the past three years, following Lindon Victor in 2017, with a personal-best 7,774 points.

Hite overcame a five-point deficit to Arkansas senior Gabe Moore entering the 1,500 meters by running 4:43.87 in the final event. Moore clocked 5:03.72 in the 1,500 to finish second overall with 7,661 points.

Northern Arizona graduate Brooke Andersen nearly matched her personal best in the women’s hammer throw in her outdoor season debut with a fifth-round effort of 243 feet, 4 inches (74.18m) to win by more than 30 feet and eclipse the 2013 meet record of 236-9 (72.16m) set by fellow American Amanda Bingson.

Andersen, who became the first female athlete to win the hammer throw three years in a row at Texas Relays since Florence Ezeh of SMU in 1999-2001, elevated to the No. 2 all-time collegiate performer last year with a mark of 243-5 (74.20m).

Daniel Roberts, a former NCAA Division 2 men’s hammer throw champion at Ashland University in Ohio, prevailed against Kennesaw State fifth-year senior Daniel Haugh by a margin of 235-8 (71.84m) to 235-2 (71.68m).

Haugh, who transferred from Alabama, won the men’s weight throw title Feb. 22 at the USATF Indoor Championships in New York, with Roberts placing fifth in their last showdown.

On the track, Kansas junior Bryce Hoppel followed an NCAA Division 1 indoor title in the 800 meters March 10 by winning his outdoor season debut in 1:48.94. Stanford graduate Olivia Baker prevailed in the women’s invitational 800 in 2:05.08, just ahead of UNLV sophomore Avi’Tal Wilson-Perteete (2:05.30).

Mexico’s Laura Esther Galvan Rodriguez won the women’s 5,000 in a personal-best 16:15.29, with North Texas junior Florian Lussy securing victory in the men’s 5,000 in 14:33.76. Mexico’s Jose Rodriguez also won the fast section of the men’s 1,500 in 3:50.54, edging South Dakota senior Eldon Warner (3:50.68).

In the collegiate 3,000 steeplechase, Texas swept both races, with Alex Rogers clocking 8:46.73 and graduate student Anna McDonald running 10:24.68.

In the high school 2,000 steeplechase, Lucas Lovejoy TX junior Will Muirhead won the boys race in 6:03.19 and Katy Tompkins TX sophomore Hayden Gold prevailed in the girls race in 7:12.35.