ABILENE, TX (05.07.22) - With five total individual championships, the UT Dallas men's track & field program earned a third place finish at the 2022 ASC Track & Field Championships, hosted by McMurry at Wilford Moore Stadium. The Comet women closed the event in seventh place.

ASC CHAMPIONSHIPS CENTRAL

In just its second year of existence, the UTD men's squad finished the championships with 103 points, 86 of which coming from middle distance and distance races. 

Trent Sakakini finished with three individual titles of his own, adding two final victories on Saturday. After claiming the championship of the 3,000-meter steeplechase Thursday night, Sakakini won both the 800-meter run and 1,500-meter run on the final day of competition. Sakakini's time of 1:55.25 in the 800 set a school record while his time of 4:04.62 was his third best of the spring. The junior from Frisco was honored as the Outstanding Track Athlete of the championships after finishing as the highest point scorer with 30 points in the meet.

Devan Bailey added two titles for the Comets this weekend. Bailey claimed the top spot in the 10,000-meter run on Thursday night and added a championship in the 5,000-meter run Saturday wth a time of 16:09.23.

In Saturday's 5K, the Comets finished 1-2 and had four men in the top 10. Griffin Davis finished in second place with a time of 16:18.73 while Jayden Chambless (17:02.97) was sixth and Joseph Kirby (17:43.79) 10th.

Joining Sakakini in the 800 were Matthew Chimitt, who finished fifth at 4;12.93, Nathaniel Brim (4:21.48) 10th, Mitch Carter (4:22.86) 11th and Gavin Thomas (4:31.84) 15th.

In other men's action on Saturday, Muaaz Makda finished fifth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 49.24 and Christian Pack fourth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 57.71. The Comets' 4x100-meter relay squad set a school record in the event with a time of 43.56, placing seventh, and placed the men placed fifth in the 4x400 with a time of 3:23.70.

Sakakini and Bailey were honored as first team All-ASC while Davis and Andres Uriegas were tabbed second team after their performances at the championships.

On the women's side, Rebecca Betanzo placed fifth in the 1,500 with a personal-best time of 5:28.64 and eighth in the 800 with a time of 2:43.68, scoring five points. Kris Castillo placed sixth in the pole vault with a mark of 2.28 meters for the Comets' remaining three points. Brynne Blackmar placed 15th in the discus with a throw of 27.57 meters.