Mississippi State
SEC Championships (O)
MSU Track Team Scores Record Points On Final Day Of SEC Championships
May 17, 2009 | Track & Field
GAINESVILLE, Fla. ? Mississippi State women's track team set a school record in points scored on the final day of the SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships Sunday with 42 to finish in 11th place at the Percy Beard Track at James G. Pressley Stadium in Gainesville.
Florida scored 135.50 points to win the women's championship title, while LSU and Tennessee rounded out the top three, scoring 113 and 106 points, respectively.
The Bulldogs completed their stint in Florida with a ninth place finish after totaling 44.50 points. Arkansas won the men's championship crown with 141 points, while Florida finished second with 120 points and LSU third with 98.50 points.
"We had an unbelievable weekend," coach Al Schmidt said. "We did a lot of things that haven't happened for us in the past, and I am extremely proud. I feel really good about both of our teams and what they accomplished this weekend."
Senior Marrissa Harris completed her last SEC Championships with a second-place finish in the 100-meter hurdle final with a run of 13.35 seconds to give her a third regional qualifying mark in the event for the weekend. Junior Bridgett Rose also ran a regionally qualifying time 13.65 seconds to finish sixth.
Dwight Mullings moved into second place in MSU history in the 400-meter dash with a time of 44.98 seconds. Mullings finished second to regionally qualify along with teammate John Bailey, who finished third at 45.55 seconds. In the 100-meter dash, freshman D'Angelo Cherry added to his notable season with a sixth-place finish and a time of 10.30 seconds.
Both MSU 4x100-meter relays qualified for the post-season with fourth and seventh place finishes. Justin Christian, Cherry, Mullings and Emanuel Mayers ran 39.45 seconds to finish fourth, and the team of LaQuinta Aaron, Wendy Copeland, Rose and Priscilla Gaines ran 45.69 seconds to finish seventh.
"We have a large amount of athletes who are going to compete at regionals," Schmidt added. "I'm really excited about how our teams should match up against the other teams in our Mideast region."
MSU also had an exceptional day in the triple jump competition. Copeland led the way setting a personal-best and MSU second all-time leap.
Copeland jumped 40 feet, 7 inches to finish in fourth place. Gaines finished in ninth with a 39-11.25 jump, while junior Kendrick Poullard jumped 50-05.25 to finish seventh on the men's side.
Mayers added another regional mark in the 400-meter hurdles with a fifth-place finish of 50.84 seconds to stay second in MSU history.
Crystal Wilson moved into third in MSU history with her fifth-place finish in the 400-meter dash. Wilson ran 54.61 seconds to qualify regionally and gain a new personal best.
"Crystal really showed what she is capable of today," Schmidt said. "She is now fifth in the SEC and regionally qualified in for us."
The regionally qualified Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs take a week's rest before heading to Louisville, Ky., for the 2009 Mideast Regional Championships May 29 ? 30.
