Alabama Track & Field traveled to the Birmingham Complex for the second time this season to compete in the Samford Invitational. The Crimson Tide went to Birmingham last week for the Harvey Glance Tide & Tigers Dual Meet and kicked off their indoor season with a sweep over the Auburn Tigers.
Alabama was one of 16 schools that participated in this event alongside Samford, South Alabama, Troy, UAB and others.
In the field events, graduate student Chandler Hayden and junior Mye’Joi Willaims threw for gold for the second straight meet. Hayden is the only competitor in women’s weight throw that passed the 20-meter mark, and she did it with a throw of 20.86 meters.
In women’s shot put, Williams finished first with a 17.21 meter throw, and she placed fourth in women’s weight throw. Another member of the Crimson Tide finished in the top three as graduate student Amani Heaven’s 15.65 meter throw earned her a third-place finish.
“My goals for this season are to break the indoor shot put record, make nationals for indoor shot put and make it to the Olympic trials this June,” Williams said.
The national leader in men’s weight throw, junior Ruben Banks, won gold again and achieved his personal best with a throw of 22.59 meters.
Even though he became the national leader, Ruben said the best is yet to come for him this year.
“My technique was off, and a little out of rhythm, but to throw 22 meters the way I did shows that there’s a lot more there for me this year,” Ruben said.
Ruben is also a member of the WWE NIL program, following the same path as Alabama track & field star and multi-time SEC shot put champion Isaac Odugbesan, who won the NXT North American championship two weeks ago.
In men’s shot put, senior Nathan Cooper gave the Crimson Tide another top-five finish with his throw of 16.08 meter. Graduate student Victoria Faber secured a top-five finish in women’s pole vault with a 3.67 mark.
Alabama’s next meet will be held in Clemson, South Carolina, for the Bob Pollock Invitational on Jan. 26-27.
