Texas Southern Wins Third Straight SWAC Indoor Track & Field Championship, Captures 13th Overall Title

HOUSTON - Texas Southern University continued to build on its growing dynasty, capturing its 13th overall and third consecutive SWAC Indoor Track & Field Championship at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Sunday, Feb. 22.

The Tigers totaled 108 points across 17 scored events, leaning on a balanced attack in the field and on the track to secure another Southwestern Athletic Conference crown.

Texas Southern opened championship weekend with steady production. Manuel Garcia delivered the Tigers’ first running points Saturday, finishing fifth in the 3,000 meters with a personal-best time of 8 minutes, 53.50 seconds. Later that evening, Garcia joined Patrick Goodman, Kaseem Ibraheem-Washington and Brandon Adolphus to post a 10:34.12 in the distance medley relay, good for third place.

In the field events, Chris Johnson soared 23 feet, 10 inches to finish third in the long jump. Adam Hines continued his dominance in the pole vault, clearing 15 feet to win the event. Donovan Brooks (12-0½) and Albert Hurd (11-6½) added sixth- and seventh-place finishes, respectively, to keep the Tigers piling up points.

Blaine Nunn tossing the shot put recorded a season-best throw of 51-9¼ to place third, while Jalen Walker followed with a season-best mark of 51-5¾ to finish fourth.

Walker opened the day with a fourth-place throw of 56-9¼ in the weight throw. Ahmad Muhammad produced one of the meet’s signature performances, leaping a personal-best 52-1¼ to win the triple jump. The mark ranks 28th nationally. Braylon Carr (51-0) and Johnson (48-2½) added fourth- and fifth-place finishes in the event.

Brooks delivered a breakthrough performance in the heptathlon, scoring a personal-best 4,646 points to win the title. Garrett Wilkins posted a season-best 4,425 points to take third, further widening Texas Southern’s margin in the team standings.

On the track, Johnson placed third in the 60 meters in 6.82 seconds, while Joshua Brown finished eighth in 6.93. Adolphus claimed fifth in the mile with a 4:22.13, and Michael Strange took third in the 800 in 1:51.66 on the same surface where he set a previous personal best earlier this season.

Brown added a personal-best 21.54 to finish sixth in the 200 meters, and Kacy Kincade scored with an eighth-place 21.79. Garcia closed out his weekend with a personal-best 15:28.43 to place seventh in the 5,000 meters. The mile relay team of Goodman, Brown, Ibraheem-Washington, and Strange won its heat and posted a season-best 3:15.84 to finish fifth overall.

For Texas Southern, the championship underscored depth, development, and dominance. The Tigers now turn their focus to March and the start of the outdoor season, where they will look to carry their indoor momentum into another title chase.