Mississippi State
South Alabama (O)
Bulldogs Set Five NCAA Qualifying Marks At Jaguars Premier
March 08, 2008 | Track & Field
MOBILE, Ala. ? The Mississippi State men's track and field team started off the outdoor season on a high note, capturing five NCAA qualifying marks and five individual titles today at the Jaguars Premier in Mobile, Ala. on the campus of University of South Alabama.
In the 200-meter dash, the Bulldogs grabbed three qualifying marks and swept the top three spots, taking four out of the top five positions. Senior Jamil Hubbard took top honors in the event, finishing in a personal-best 20.92 seconds. Sophomore Kendall May finished in second with a personal-best time of 21.22, while junior John Bailey captured third place in 21.27. Freshman O'Neal Wilder came across the line in fourth place, setting his personal-best time of 21.49.
MSU also captured four out of five spots in the 400-meter dash, with senior Chris Woods finishing in second place in a personal-best time of 47.30. Freshman Emanuel Mayers notched third place with his time of 47.80. Seniors Golden Coachman (47.82) and Kyle Roberts (49.20) rounded out the Bulldog top five in fourth and fifth place, respectively with their new personal-bests.
In distance events, freshman Matthew Cameron crossed the line in first place for MState in the 800 with his personal-best time of 1:55.10. Freshman Ben Blakenship notched second place in the 5000-meter run with a personal-best time of 14:33.65. Senior Brandon Smith followed in third in a career-best 14:45.55 and senior Ashenafi Arega crossed in fourth in 14:45.56 to set a new personal-best time in the event.
Mayers also ran in the 400-meter hurdles, taking second place, setting a new personal standard (52.56). Freshman Martin Lee competed in the 110-meter hurdles, finishing up in a personal-best time.
The Bulldogs swept both relay events, notching NCAA qualifying marks in both relays. In the 4x100-meter relay, the tandem of Bailey, freshman Justin Christian, Hubbard and May took first place, finishing in 40.37. Bailey, Hubbard, Mayers and Woods received their qualifying mark for their first place finish in the 4x400-meter relay, crossing the line in 3:09.30.
Freshman Ed Wesela participated in the shot put, winning in the event with his personal-best throw of 51 feet, one inch. Wesela also took second place in the discus throw with personal-best throw of 137-06.
A total of 18 new personal highs were set by Bulldogs at the end of the day. The Bulldogs return to action on Mar. 15, competing at the USM Invitational in Hattiesburg, Miss.
