Outdoor Track Heats Up in California

Cougar track & field is back up and running for their outdoor season. After a successful indoor season, which included an individual NSIC championship victory from senior pole vaulter Courtney Crandall and multiple USF record breaking performances by Heptathlon athlete Teddy Frid, the Cougars look to make a push to the top of the league.

After nearly a month off, Cougar track & field returned to competition in the Vance Butler/Rich Greeno Dual at home against the teams from across the street on April 8th. It was a very windy day for competition, but the Cougars fought their hardest to fend off Augustana. When the meet concluded, Augustana edged the Cougars by one point 183-182.

Last week the Cougars traveled to sunny southern California to compete in the California Invitational. The Cougars competed in three different locations over the trip; Azusa, West Covina, and Long Beach.

Sophomore Teddy Frid used the sunshine to up his game over the weekend, recording personal bests in six events. Frid shattered his own school Decathlon record with 6,812 points, 700 points over his previous record. That score placed Frid ninth in the country for NCAA Division II. Frid smashed his PR’s in long jump (6.62 meters), shot put (ll.85 meters), high jump (1.99 meters), 110 meter hurdles (15.27 seconds), discus (29.40 meters), & javelin (44.18 meters). Frid had already beat his previous record before his javelin throw. Frid finished the invitational as the runner-up by only nine points in a field that included nine NCAA Division I athletes.

Frid wasn’t the only athlete to beat a USF record in California. Sophomore Steven Brown broke the 10,000 meter record by 20 seconds with a 30:21.26. That finish was good enough to place Brown 11th in NCAA Division II.

Story by Jeffrey Harman