BEAUMONT – Senior Dominique Taylor dropped a school record in the 60-meter hurdles and added another personal best in the 60-meter dash in the opening day of the Houston Invitational at the Yeoman Fieldhouse Friday afternoon.
 
Four Cardinals, including Taylor, advanced to semifinals that will continue on Saturday. Taylor advanced in both of her events, and Janay Stanton and Chanissey Fowler joined her in the 60-meter dash. Damerian Taylor advanced in the men's 60-meter hurdles.
 
TAYLOR'S DOMINANT DAY
Taylor popped a new school record, which she owned, in the 60-meter hurdles on an 8.61 race, that has her as the third seed heading into the semis, but is the top collegiate athlete moving on. She broke her own school record from the Howie Ryan Invitational in 2015.
 
"She really made an adjustment in the last 10-15 days and put herself in good position," said head coach Trey Clark. "She ran the fastest season opener two weeks ago and now has a lifetime best and school record. Tomorrow I'll be interested to see where we are at the end of the day. She really has a chance to lower that record."
 
In her next event  she set a personal mark in the 60-meter dash with a 7.65 mark, which shattered her previous best of 7.79 in 2014.
 
 
SPRINTS MOVING ON TO SEMIS
Both Stanton and Fowler are moving on to the semifinals on Saturday. Two weeks after a career day at the Aggie Opener – in which she set three personal records and added her name to the school's best marks – Fowler ran a 7.65 time to make it to the next round.
 
"Chanissey is leading the Southland Conference in the 60, and now she would have the first and third times after her run today," said Clark. "We set her up this week to be able to run even faster tomorrow."
 
Janay Stanton also set a personal best in the event on her 7.82 time that beat her previous mark of 7.87 that she put up in her last outing.
 
Toliver is also moving on in the men's 60-meter hurdles after he put up a race of 8.65 seconds.
 
"Damerian didn't run his best, but still was able to get into the semifinals," said Clark. "Now he has a chance to redeem himself and go further."
 
 
RICHARD PLACES 10^TH IN LONG JUMP
Adam Richard grabbed a 10^th place finish in the men's open long jump when he leaped to a 21-7.50 leap in his final jump. The freshman had marks of over a hair over 21 feet in his first two jumps.
 
Brian O'Bonna competed in the invitational long jump, and finished with a 22-8.50 jump, which placed him seventh. He will compete in the men's triple jump Saturday.
 
 
CARDS HAVE SUCCESS IN THEIR SECTIONS
Athletes who ran in the 200- and 400-meter runs on Friday will have to wait to see where they place after the second section of the races conclude on Saturday, but several Cardinals had success in there sections Friday.
 
Abram Petties ran the section's best time of 23.08 in the men's 200-meter race, and Na'Imah Muhammed was eighth in her section of the women's event at 26.26.
 
In the 400m, Megan Menifee and Nia Davis finished back-to-back at fifth in sixth. Menifee raced to a 1:00.33 mark and Davis was at 1:00.55. It was Menifee's first race of the year.
 
 
ON SATURDAY
The Cardinals will return to action with more sectional round heats, semis and finals, relays, 3000-meters and mile races.