“Everybody’s better than (in) the Big 12.”
When asked about the competition in the Southeastern Conference, junior sprinter Logan Popelka kept it short and sweet. And in Texas’ first year in the conference, the step-up was immediately evident, as Texas finished 14 out of 15, scoring just 16 total points.
Texas’ hopes began in the long jump with sophomore Kelsey Daniel and senior Solomon Washington competing. Both were in line to qualify for the NCAA Indoor National Championships as one of the top long jump duos in the country and put the first points on the board for Texas — three for Washington, who finished in sixth, and one for Daniel, who finished in eighth.
However, top-60 ranked pole vaulters, senior Sam Hurley and freshman Sam Abati, struggled mightily, failing to clear a height and adding to the Longhorns’ sluggish start to the competition.
The Longhorns looked to reverse their fate to start the second day, with Hurley and sophomore high jumper Osawese Agbonkonkon providing a clear opportunity to do so. However, both only cleared 2.06 meters and tied at No. 19, so the Longhorns’ struggles in their first SEC Championship continued.
Freshman thrower Brandon Schirck, however, did not disappoint and shows great promise for the Longhorns moving forward. Although he finished No. 15, he threw for an impressive 20.12 meters, letting out a scream of elation while setting a new personal best by 1.75 meters.
Sophomore Brock Lewis also shined in the heptathlon. Starting the day in No. 10, he finished no worse than No. 6 in the remaining events, most impressively highlighted by his fight in the 1000-meter to finish third.
“I just try to stay in the fight as best as I can,” Lewis said about his strategy. “Then day two I just started … chopping wood and climbing back up the ladder.”
His score in both the 60-meter hurdles and his new personal best in the 1000-meter propelled him to a new personal best score of 5,493 and a No. 5 finish.
To start day three, the field athletes failed to put points on the board and didn’t record a top-10 finish in either shot put or triple jump, leaving the runners to bring Texas back.
Popelka put on a strong performance of 46.21 seconds in the 400-meter final to finish sixth. Junior sprinter Kendrick Smallwood had the best Longhorn finish, placing fourth in 60-meter hurdles and becoming the No. 2 in program history with a new personal best time of 7.64.
“This season alone has been amazing for me considering last season I came short many times,” Smallwood said.
After an adversity and injury-riddled last couple of years, Smallwood put together his best performance and is now tied at No. 18 in the national rankings, just barely missing the cutoff for nationals for now. However, the final selections will be made Tuesday.
To finish, the team of sophomore Xavier Butler, Popelka, Smallwood and senior Elijah Mosley sought a strong finish in the 4×400-meter relay and a qualifying bid at indoor nationals. But in the first leg, Butler dropped the baton, disqualifying them and ending an underwhelming first SEC Championship.
Coming off a third-place finish in the Big 12 indoor championship last year, Texas went through growing pains with the conference change. Moving forward, Texas will be eager to see who qualifies and competes in indoor nationals before preparing for the outdoor season, which begins March 20.
