Results (PDF)

HOUSTON -- Defending Great West Conference discus champion Jarrett Gilliam opened his season with a near-personal best effort and three relay teams notched season bests Saturday at the Victor Lopez Rice Bayou Classic.

Gilliam placed fifth overall and was the third collegian with his first-round toss of 51.07 meters/167-7, just two centimeters short of the lifetime best that earned him GWC gold last May in South Dakota.

Morgan Pressley's 56.0 carry on the third leg keyed a 3:49.21 for the Huskies' 4x400 relay, which placed fourth. She was joined on the relay by Sharonda Bryant, Zelda Abadom and Tramisha McGrew. Pressley and McGrew also helpd HBU to a season best 47.16 in the 4x100 with Amber Goodson and Joslyn Cooper. In the men's 4x100, Nelson Onyegbu, Jocques Robinson, Brandon Boyd and Junior Malave clocked 41.31 to take fifth.

Robinson added a third-place finish in the invitational 200 with a stellar 21.83, and a ninth in the invitational 100.

Freshman Anthony Aguinaga was fourth in Friday's 1500-meters, dropping under the 4:00 barrier with his 3:59.73, and Jessica Whitt was eighth in the invitational section of the 800 at 2:16.46.

A pair of personal bests went to Goodson and Kourtney Lofton in the 100 hurdles. Goodson zipped to a 14.42 in the invitational race to place sixth and take over the GWC lead, while Lofton trimmed .08 off her previous best with a 15.11.

Women's field event action saw two freshmen produce school records, led by Jade Penick's 12.83m/42-1.25 in the shot put. Penick was competing in her first collegiate meet after being on loan to the Huskies' women's basketball team since January. Cassie Juarez took eighth in the javelin with a 32.89m/107-11 toss.

HBU takes to the track again Friday and Saturday at the Shirley Crowe Invitational, hosted by the University of Houston at Humble ISD's Turner Stadium.