Feb. 18, 2008

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark - The No. 13 Texas men's track and field team set a world record of nine minutes, 25:97 in the distance-medley relay on the final day of the 2008 Tyson Invitational.

The Longhorns' quartet -- All-American junior Kyle Miller, U.S. junior national champion and freshman Danzell Fortson, All-American junior Jacob Hernandez and two-time NCAA champion and senior Leo Manzano - shattered five records in meeting the NCAA automatic qualifying standard of 9:34 and taking over the top-spot in all of college track and field. Texas leads the descending order list by almost 11 seconds (Oregon, 9:36.21).

UT smashed the world, NCAA and Randal Tyson Track Center records of 9:27.77 run by Michigan on March 12, 2004. The Longhorns' group improved the American record of 9:28.83 set by Stanford on March 10, 2000 by nearly two seconds. Texas also bettered the previous school record of 9:31.27 set on March 2, 2007. Hernandez and Manzano ran the final two legs of the previous school best last year.

Miller (Katy, Texas) ran the 1,200-meters in 2:54.11 before exchanging with the second leg, Fortson (Fort Worth, Texas), who rounded the track twice in 46.90 for the 400-meter segment. Hernandez (Magnolia, Texas) was timed at 1:47 in the 800-meter portion of the race while Manzano (Marble Falls, Texas) ran the final 1,600-meters in 3:57.96.

Senior Joel Hargett (Conroe, Texas) and freshman Maston Wallace (Houston, Texas) improved their NCAA provisional heights in the high jump and pole vault, respectively. Hargett moved to 7-1.5 (2.17m) in taking third in the high jump. Wallace vaulted a personal best height of 17-5.75 (5.33m) for seventh.

In the distance races, senior Ryan Wilson (Wichita, Kan.) won the 3,000-meter collegiate section in a season-best 8:19.33. Classmate Erik Stanley (Spring, Texas), competing in the 3,000-meter invitational race, also posted his fastest time (8:12.76) of the season in a 10th-place performance.

Texas had three additional top-10 finishes in the field events. Junior Raymond Harris (Nacogdoches, Texas) tied for sixth with a clearance of 6-9.5 (2.07m) in the high jump. Sophomore Will Paine (Houston, Texas) established a new personal best, clearing 17-0 (5.18m) in the pole vault. Junior Elliot O'Hare (Austin, Texas) finished in seventh place in the triple jump in 49-7.75 (15.13m).

The Longhorns' next scheduled competition will be the 2008 Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships at Bob Devaney Indoor Track in Lincoln, Neb. from Friday-Saturday, Feb. 29-March 1.