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AUSTIN, Texas - On Friday the HBU track & field team battled the weather and more on the first day of the Texas Invitational at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin on the University of Austin campus. Both men's and women's teams made a strong showing, earning medals and a new personal record with Benjamin Drew breaking his in the 3000m steeplechase.
 
Freshman Jorg Vanlierde started strong for the Huskies as he placed second in the men's javelin. It was his first throw of sixth 55.34m/181-7.0 that earned him a spot on the podium. In the women's javelin, Hannah McNaughton posted a top throw of 36.79m/120-8 while Christal Dickson finished with a top mark of 32.47m/106-6.
 
In the 3000m steeplechase senior Ben Drew broke his personal record for the event by more than a second, placing second in a close race, earning silver with a time of 9:14.59. Junior Jessica Rabius placed third in the women's 1500m with a time of 4:35.80 while Johanna Drews placed seventh at 4:51:31. In his first 200m sprint, senior Denim Rogers recorded a time of 22.08.
 
Sophomore Christopher Welch placed sixth in long jump, only a quarter of an inch behind fifth at 7.30m/22-11.50. On the women's side of the long jump, senior Kaitlin Smith leapt a distance of 5.89m/19-4.0, mirroring Welch in missing fifth by only a hundredth of an inch. 
 
HBU is back at it tomorrow for the second and final day of the Texas Invitational in Austin with the Huskies' events scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m.