BYU men’s track and field team set three meet records and claimed four first place finishes at the Utah Tech Invitational in Saint George, Utah, according to a March 21 announcement.
The event highlighted strong performances from several athletes, including Mark Bryant, who set a new meet record in the discus with a throw of 52.22 meters during his collegiate debut. Bryant’s mark surpassed the previous record by more than a meter. Throws coach Niklas Arrhenius said, “I was excited to have Mark finally throw in uniform after redshirting last year and having to get shoulder surgery before indoor season in December. He showed he was capable of this kind of performance during his redshirt year and during a few of the practices we’ve had outdoors this spring. I think he has farther throws ahead of him, but to open up his college career setting a meet record and winning with a throw over 52 meters is really solid.”
Other notable results included Garrett Copelin taking first place in the 400-meter hurdles with a personal best time of 51.75 seconds, which also broke the previous meet record by more than two seconds. Copelin also set a personal best in the 110-meter hurdles with a third-place finish at 14.39 seconds. Hurdles coach Kyle Grossarth said, “It was a great season opener for Garrett in the 400 hurdles. He ran a PR in the 110 hurdles, so he was feeling ready for the 400 hurdles. He still has some things to clean up, but I’m excited for what is to come.”
In other events, All-American Josh Taylor won the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.37 seconds while Caleb Johnson took first place in his collegiate debut in the 800-meter run at 1:50.57.
The Cougars’ next competition will be at Utah Valley University for the UVU Outdoor Invitational on March 26.
