LOS ANGELES — No. 2 BYU men’s track and field registered nine personal bests as the sprints, hurdles and throws groups concluded competition at USC’s Ron & Sharlene Allice Trojan Invitational this weekend.
Seven Cougars competed in the 200-meters, with Easton Bianchi sprinting to second overall at 21.17. The performance marked a personal best for the senior as he surpassed his 21.29 time set in May 2022. Dallin Draper came next for BYU at fifth (21.71) while Kyler Haughton clocked a 21.81 to place seventh in his collegiate debut for the event. Josh Taylor (21.86) and Eli Hazlett (21.92) also registered new personal records.
"We were excited to come to some warm weather and compete against good competition," said BYU sprints coach Kyle Grossarth. "Each week we compete, we are just looking to get better as we build toward the end of the season, and today people got better."
The 4x100-meter relay of Easton Bianchi, Dallin Draper, Landon Maxfield and Kyler Haughton took second place at 40.30, only 0.47 seconds behind Texas A&M’s No. 16-ranked squad entering the weekend.
Josh Taylor led the way in the 400-meters at fourth as he matched his personal-best time of 46.49. Two of the three sprinters ahead of Taylor included Nike professional athletes Rai Benjamin and Isaiah Jewett. Trey Jackson clocked a 47.01 to finish sixth as both Eli Hazlett and Abram Schaap set new personal records at 47.17 and 47.97, respectively.
Harrison Gould took second in the shot put with a toss of 16.62m/54-6.25. He also registered a new personal record in the discus throw Friday, throwing a 51.33m/168.5 to surpass a nearly four year-old best mark. Freshman Brinton Paulson also tossed a new personal best in the javelin throw by over three feet, posting a mark of 64m/210 to place second.
"Brinton Paulson's throw for a new PR and second place finish was great," said BYU throws coach Nik Arrhenius. "Harrison Gould opened up his first outdoor shot put this season at a solid second place."
Freshman Treyton Anderson’s collegiate outdoor debut included a second-place finish in the 110-meter hurdles (14.97) and third in the 400-meter hurdles (56.13).
Kyler Haughton recorded a new personal record in the 100-meter, placing first in his section at 10.59, 0.07 seconds ahead of USC’s JC Stevenson.
The men’s 4x400-meter squad of Eli Hazlett, Landon Maxfield, Trey Jackson and Josh Taylor placed second at 3:08.34.
The Cougars now set their sights to next week’s meet at the Mt. SAC Relays April 13-15.