PREVIEW: Track & Field Begins Outdoor Season at Home on Thursday

Thursday, March 19

Houston, Texas

University of Houston

Kirk Baptiste Invitational

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Noah Hanson and Anthony Trucks with their right legs going over the hurdle

PREVIEW: Track & Field Begins Outdoor Season at Home on Thursday

3/18/2026 11:40:00 AM | Track and Field

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Cougars open outdoor season by hosting the Kirk Baptiste Invitational

HOUSTON – The University of Houston Track & Field program opens its outdoor season at home with the Kirk Baptiste Invitational on Thursday. The relay teams will compete Saturday at the TSU Relays in Humble, Texas.

New seating options are available for fans this season at the Carl Lewis International Complex. Basic general admission tickets are $15 before fees while premium general admission tickets, located near the finish line with chairbacks included, are $25 before fees. Fans can purchase tickets by clicking here.

KIRK BAPTISTE SPRING BREAK INVITATIONAL
Date \| Time	Thursday, March 19 \| Field events: Noon \| Running events: 3:30 p.m.
Location	Carl Lewis International Complex \| Houston, Texas
Teams	Houston (host), Harvard, Rice, Wisconsin-River Falls
Live Stats	Results
Watch	YouTube
Meet Information	Meet Information and Link
Social Media	X: @uhcougartf \| Instagram: @uhcougartf \| Facebook: H-Town Speed City Track and Field \| #GoCoogs \| #HTownSpeedCity

STARTING NOTES
Houston begins its outdoor season after concluding the indoor season, where the Cougars set four school records and earned three All-America Honors at the NCAA Track & Field Championships.

Four school records were set by graduate Jamar Marshall Jr. (60-meter hurdles), redshirt sophomore Ty Lott (weight throw), sophomore Evina Panagiotou (pole vault) and freshman Shieana Hall (triple jump). In addition to the four school records, 26 top-10 program marks were recorded during the indoor season.

At the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, sophomore Antrea Mita tied for seventh in the men's high jump for First Team All-America honors with his clearance of 2.15m (7-0.50). This marked Mita's third All-America honor of his career and his second First Team recognition.

Marshall Jr. concluded his career as a Cougar as he earned Second Team All-America honors with an 11th-place finish in the men's 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.59. Senior Kaycee McCoy collected All-America honors for the first time in her career with a 14th-place finish with a time of 8.31 for Second Team honors.

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.

SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Track and Field by providing NIL opportunities, purchasing tickets and 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 –