PREVIEW: Track & Field Opens Outdoor Season with Kirk Baptiste Invitational on Thursday

HOUSTON – The University of Houston Track and Field program is set to open the outdoor season with the Kirk Baptiste Invitational at the Carl Lewis International Complex on Thursday. Field events are scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m., followed by running events at 3:30 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased the day of the meet at the baseball ticket office beginning at 10:30 a.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 3-12. Children under 2 are free, but must sit in the lap of a parent/guardian and may not occupy a seat. Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets for $5 each.

KIRK BAPTISTE SPRING BREAK INVITATIONAL
Date \| Time	Thursday, March 20 \| Field events: 11:30 a.m. \| Running events: 3:30 p.m.
Teams	Houston (host), Coffeyville, East Texas A&M, Fort Scott CC, Pratt CC, Rice, St. Thomas, Texas, Texas Southern
Watch	YouTube
Location	Carl Lewis International Complex \| Houston, Texas
Live Stats	Results
Meet Information	Meet Information and Links
Social Media	X: @uhcougartf \| Instagram: @uhcougartf \| Facebook: H-Town Speed City Track and Field \| #GoCoogs \| #HTownSpeedCity

STARTING LINEUP
Houston begins its outdoor season after concluding the indoor season, where the Cougars claimed four individual Big 12 Championship titles and earned three All-America Honors at the NCAA Track & Field Championships.

Two school records were set by graduate KeAyla Dove in the shot put and freshman Invida Maurina made her mark in the 600-yards. In addition to the two records, 16 top-10 program marks were recorded during the 2025 indoor season.

At the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, Dove finished third in the nation in the women's shot put with a mark of 18.91m (62-0.5). In addition to placing third, Dove earned First Team All-America honors for the second time in her career.

Sophomore Antrea Mita placed eighth in the men's high jump for First Team All-America honors with his clearance of 2.16m (7-1.00). This marked Mita's first All-America honor and Houston's seventh in the indoor men's high jump, and first since Ivan Diggs' fourth-place finish in 2008.

Senior Jamar Marshall Jr. earned Second Team All-America honors with a 16th-place finish in the men's 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.10.

ABOUT KIRK BAPTISTE
As a member of Houston's Track & Field program from 1983-85, Baptiste was a two-time NCAA Champion in the 200 meters including setting the NCAA record in the event at the 1985 NCAA Championships with a time of 20.03.

Baptiste competed for the United States in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles where he won the silver medal in the 200 meters with a time of 19.96. Baptiste passed away in March 2022.

Baptiste was inducted into the University of Houston Athletics Hall of Honor in 2008. As the University of Houston celebrated the "75 years of Houston Athletics" in 2021-22, Baptiste was honored as one of the greatest student-athletes in school history.

TOM TELLEZ STATUE UNVEILING AND TRIBUTE DINNER
Former Houston Track & Field Coach Tom Tellez will be honored with a statue and garden located at the Carl Lewis International Complex. Tellez coached the Cougars from 1976 until his retirement in 1998.

The statue will be unveiled on Friday, April 4 at 6:15 p.m., with a dinner to follow from 6:30-9 p.m., in the Great Hall located inside the Athletics Alumni Center. Individual tickets start at $50 or two tickets can be purchased for $90 by clicking here.

SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Track and Field by supporting LinkingCoogs – UH's very own NIL collective – and by joining the Podium Club which provides support directly to Houston Track and Field for needs beyond its operating budget.

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates on #HTownSpeedCity by following @UHCougarTF on X and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarTF or on the team's Instagram page at @uhcougartf.

– UHCougars.com –

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