UTEP’s Woodley Sets Program Record in 60 Hurdles, Burgher Claims Trio of Medals as High Point Scorer of the Meet on Final Day at CUSA ITF Championships Saturday

LYNCHBURG, Virginia (KVIA) -- UTEP’s Jordani Woodley hurdled his way to a program, meet and facility record time of 7.69 in the men’s 60-meter hurdles, and Niesha Burgher, who was the women’s high point scorer of the meet with 21.5, sprinted out to a pair of gold medal performances and set historical records on the final day of the 2025 Conference USA Indoor Track & Field Championships at Liberty Indoor Track Complex on Saturday afternoon.

Woodley previously owned the school (7.73) and facility records (7.77) following his first gold-medal effort in the event. Woodley took silver at last year’s 60 hurdles with a 7.77. Woodley is the first Miner to win the 60 hurdles at the CUSA Championships, while he’s the first since Lee Mays, who took gold at the 1999 Western Athletic Conference Championships.

"Jordani Woodley's new school record and a championship record in the men's 60 hurdles was definitely our brightest spot of the day,” UTEP Director of Track & Field Mika Laaksonen said. “We competed hard but had way too many injuries today. We fell a bit short of any team goals here. Kennesaw State is a great addition to our conference. Kennesaw is talented and deep. Well-rounded teams can survive to win the Championship in this meet."

Burgher clocked in a meet and facility-record 22.73 on her way to a three-peat victory in the women’s 200-meter dash. She’s the first in program history to win three straight gold medals and the first in CUSA history to win three consecutive women’s 200 races. 

The senior took three medals home – two gold and one bronze. Burgher won her first career gold medal in the women’s 60-meter dash with a time of 7.31 and followed with a bronze medal in the women’s 4x400-meter relay.

Marissa Simpson also leaped to a three-peat, winning gold in the women’s 60-meter hurdles with an 8.14. She’s the first CUSA hurdler since UCF’s Jackie Coward to win three consecutive women’s 60 hurdles. It’s also the fourth straight year a Miner won gold in the event after Maribel Caicedo started the trend at the 2022 CUSA Championships. Simpson becomes the first Miner to win three consecutive gold medals in the 60 hurdles. Tobi Amusan (2016-2017) and Janice Jackson (2013-2014) did in back-to-back seasons.

Jakub Belik also jumped on the three-peat train when he claimed his third gold medal in the men’s high jump, leaping 2.15 meters (7-0.5). Belik is the first CUSA men’s high jumper to notch three straight victories since Houston’s Jeff Mueller did so (1999-2001). It’s the first time since the early 1990’s a Miner won three straight high jump events at a conference meet (Brent Schlinke in 1991, Howard Williams in 1992-1993).

Overall, the Miners won 13 medals – six gold, one silver, six bronze.

Esther Osisike won silver in the women’s shot put with a personal-best 14.78-meter (48-5.75) heave. It was her second medal of the meet after taking home a bronze medal in Friday’s weight throw. She is the first Miner to medal in the shot put since 2022.

Kenneth Talavera, after finishing Friday with a gold medal in the DMR, started Saturday’s track events with a bronze medal in the men’s mile, clocking in a 4:04.41.

Joshua Hill won bronze in the men’s 400-meter dash, clocking in a 47.42. It’s Hill’s second straight season placing in the top three.

Rejoice Sule repeated as a bronze medalist in the women’s 200-meter dash, clocking in a personal-best 23.21.

The women’s 4x400-meter relay team (Loubna Benhadja, Burgher, Sule, Chinique Brown) capped the day with a bronze medal, posting a 3:39.64.

Juan Leal posted a personal-best 4:11.30 to tally two points in the mile.

Ruth Jerubet scored four points in the women’s mile with a 4:50.21.

Amir Williams placed fifth in the men’s 60 hurdles, clocking in a personal-best 7.91. Williams scored four points for the Miners.

Benhadja had a fourth-place showing (54.44) tallying five points in the women’s 400-meter dash.

Sule posted a personal-best 7.39 in the women’s 60, scoring five points. Simpson clocked in a 7.66 to tally two points, and Denae McFarlane scored one point.

Simpson scored four points in the 200 with a 24.16 and freshman Addison Stricklin posted three points (24.42).

Maxwell Kipkosgei (1:52.47) and Aron Tanui (1:54.48) tallied three and two points, respectively.

The Kennesaw State men’s squad took the team title with 154 points, while host Liberty won the women’s championship with 145 points.

TEAM SCORES

MEN (17 of 17 Events Scored)

1. Kennesaw State (154)
2. Liberty (139.5)
3. Middle Tennessee (101)
4. Sam Houston (86.5).
5. UTEP (68)
6. LA Tech (57)
7. WKU (53)

WOMEN (17 of 17 Events Scored)

1. Liberty (145)
2. Kennesaw State (117)
3. FIU (89)
4. UTEP (85)
5. Middle Tennessee (60)
6. NM State (57)

7.    LA Tech (54)

8. Jax State (22)
9. Sam Houston (22)
10. WKU (11)

UP NEXT

The 2025 NCAA ITF Championships will be held March 14-15 in Virginia Beach, Va., at the Virginia Beach Sports Center. The outdoor campaign will begin on March 20-21 at the Willie Williams Classic hosted by the University of Arizona in Tucson at Roy P. Drachman Stadium.

2025 UTEP INDOOR/OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD SCHEDULE

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