Texas A&M women top field events, Texas' Crouser sets meet record in men's shot put
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The top-ranked Texas A&M women got a strong performance in the field events Friday at the Texas Relays, winning the discus and triple jump.
Aggies sophomore Shelbi Vaughan defended her title in the discus with a school-record throw of 198 feet, 10 inches. Vaughan also set the national high school record at the 2012 Texas Relays, held at the University of Texas.
"It's a very comfortable venue for me to throw in. I love the atmosphere and the rings here," Vaughan said. "My first goal this year is to throw over 200 feet."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Vaughan was the 2013 Southeastern Conference champion as a freshman and already owns the 10 best throws in school history. She was undefeated as a collegian until a back injury in qualifying for the 2013 NCAA championships. That injury also came at the same track.
"I was a little hesitant, because last year I was here with a hurt back and threw three fouls I threw from the same ring today, so I just put the nerves behind me and went out and threw a good one.
Texas A&M's LeQue Moen-Davis of Texas A&M won the triple jump at 43-4¼. The Aggies, who finished second at the 2013 NCAA championships, also won the sprint medley relay in 3 minutes, 49.56 seconds.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Texas junior Ryan Crouser, the reigning NCAA indoor and outdoor champion in the shot put, set a Texas Relays and school record with a mark of 69-9½. Crouser broke the meet record of 69-2¼ set by Randy Barnes of Texas A&M in 1986.
Barnes set the American and world record in 1990 at 75-10¼, which still stands.
Crouser's mark Friday is the best in the world so far this year and came on his last attempt.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
"My last throw, nothing left to lose," Crouser said. "On your perfect throws, your mind is perfectly blank and not thinking anything ... when it came off my hands, I knew it was a great throw."
Omar Craddock, who won two NCAA outdoors national titles and one indoor championship at Florida, won the men's triple jump with a leap of 55-8½, while competing for USA Performance. South Florida's Matthew O'Neal posted the top collegiate mark at 53-0.
Former four-time U.S. women's champion Kara Patterson posted the top mark in women's javelin with a throw of 198-4 for team ASICS. Florida's Marija Vucenovic had the top college throw at 186-1.The Gators sophomore from Serbia finished second in the 2013 NCAA outdoor championships.