HOUSTON – JULIANA MERLO set a new 1,500-meter St. Edward's women's track & field record at the J Fred Duckett Twilight Meet, leading a small contingent of Hilltoppers who competed the week before the Lone Star Conference Championships. 
 
Merlo broke her own record set at the 2023 Bryan Clay Invitational, clocking a 4:38.58 and finishing sixth in the invitational portion of the 1,500 meters. DELANEY LONG and SAMMY SALAZAR led St. Edward's in the open portion of the 1,500, setting new personal bests. Long finished second at 4:43.55, and Salazar placed 20th at 4:59.59.
 
"I'm proud of Juliana and very excited about her performance," St. Edward's Head Track & Field Coach Steven Cary says. "She's been working extremely hard all season long to get that breakthrough. So glad she was able to experience that."
 
JASMINE COOKE placed seventh in the 100 at 12.80, TORI PONCE clocked a 28.50 in the 200, and KARLY WEYAND and TAYLOR LATZA set personal bests in the 400 and 800 at 1:00.62 and 2:36.82. JORDAN SANDERS led the Hilltoppers in the 5K at 18:33.82, and Myosia Virgin placed fourth in the 100-meter hurdles at 15.25. 
 
"As always, Rice gave us some great moments. It's a great venue and our athletes always look forward to competing there," Cary says. "I'm excited to turn the page and focus on the conference meet coming up. We have our work cut out for us."
 
St. Edward's will compete in the Lone Star Conference Championships this week, from Thursday, May 1, through Saturday, May 3, in Portales, N.M.