#JavU Leads Seven Austin-Bound Bulldogs, White and Jones Break Records

Friday, May 24

Jacksonville, Fla.

All Day

Mississippi State

NCAA East Preliminary (O)

#JavU Leads Seven Austin-Bound Bulldogs, White and Jones Break Records

May 24, 2019 | Track & Field

Day 2 Results (PDF)Record Book (PDF)

by Brian Ogden, Assistant Coordinator/Communications

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Multiple records fell for Mississippi State on the second day of the NCAA East Prelims while seven State athletes earned a spot at the National Championships in two weeks.

"We had a lot of peaks and valleys today," interim head coach Chris Woods said. "We had some people who, on paper, were not supposed to make it to the Championships, and they came and competed their way to a spot there. I'm very proud of those people."

The Bulldogs' javelin corps started the day off emphatically, punching three tickets to Austin, Texas, and shattering both meet and facility records. Tyriq Horsford opened the competition with a personal best for the sixth consecutive meet, blowing past his previous mark by more than six meters.

Horsford's throw of 78.78m (258-5) stood as the facility record for less than one round of throws before Anderson Peters launched the implement 80.06m (262-6) to break the facility record and record the longest throw in East Prelims history. Horsford's mark stands at second in Prelims history and fourth in the MSU record book. Curtis Thompson placed third, giving State another 1-2-3 finish, with a mark of 73.49m (241-1).

Riley White broke the school record in the 400m hurdles, becoming the first State woman to run sub-58 seconds in the event. White clocked in at 57.99, but came up seven-thousandths of a second too slow to advance to the Championships.

In the final event of the night, Stephen Jones broke the school record in the 3000m steeplechase, finishing ninth in 8:42.68. The previous record held by Simeon Kigen was 8:43.68 and had stood since 1982. Denis Otono's 400m hurdles mark from 1979, which was tied in 2015, is the only older record still standing.

MSU saw one runner advance in both the men's and women's 800m. Dejon Devroe placed second in his heat to earn an automatic berth and was fourth overall in 1:49.08. Alon Lewis advanced on time, running 2:05.53 to earn her first trip to the Championships as an individual.

In the men's 400m hurdles, Rasheed Tatham placed third in his heat, running 50.50 to guarantee himself a trip to Austin. Malcum Tatum ran a season-best 50.95, but finished 16^th and did not advance.

"So often, people think of track and field as an individual sport, and in its essence it is," Woods continued. "But this program is set up to be a team sport. A couple of individuals fell short, but a couple of individuals stepped up. That's what I'm most proud of with this team. We need to take the momentum we gained today and carry it into tomorrow to finish the weekend strong."

Sylvia Russell improved her fifth-fastest steeplechase time in school history, running 10:21.79 to place 19^th.

The Bulldog sprinters saw their individual seasons end, but both Lester Miller and Karson Kowalchuk should return to the track tomorrow for the men's 4x100m relay. State will also compete in the men's 4x400m relay and 5000m on the track on Saturday.

MSU will see four athletes compete in field events on the final day of the Prelims. Alexis Farley and Tiffany Flynn, who hold the top two marks in school history in their event, will open the day in the women's triple jump at 2 p.m. CT. Reggie Miller will high jump, and Gralyn Jones will compete in the men's triple jump.

For more information on the Mississippi State track and field team, visit HailState.com and follow "HailStateTF" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Women's Results

400m Hurdles Quarterfinals: Reanda Richards, Rutgers, 56.31 (Q)
MSU: 13. Riley White, 57.99

800m Quarterfinals: Nia Akins, Penn, 2:03.44 (Q)
MSU: 10. Alon Lewis, 2:05.53 (q); 23. Charlotte Cayton-Smith, 2:16.55

3000m Steeplechase Quarterfinals: Joyce Kimeli, Auburn, 9:52.48 (Q)
MSU: 19. Sylvia Russell, 10:21.79

Pole Vault First Round: Maddie Gardner, West Virginia, 4.17m (13-8.25); Lindsey Murray, Ole Miss, 4.17m (13-8.25); Kayla Smith, Georgia, 4.17m (13-8.25); Rebekah Markel, Tulane, 4.17m (13-8.25); Bridget Guy, Virginia, 4.17m (13-8.25)
MSU: T36. Peyton Mickelson, 3.77m (12-4.5)

Men's Results

100m Quarterfinals: Joseph Amoah, Coppin State, 10.10 (Q)
MSU: 21. Karson Kowalchuk, 10.39; 23. Lester Miller, 10.43

200m First Round: Jaron Flournoy, LSU, 20.18
MSU: 28. Karson Kowalchuk, 21.09

400m Hurdles Quarterfinals: Quincy Hall, South Carolina, 48.54 (Q)
MSU: 11. Rasheed Tatham, 50.50 (Q); 16. Malcum Tatum, 50.95

800m First Round: Myles Marshall, Harvard, 1:48.23 (Q)
MSU: 4. Dejon Devroe, 1:49.08 (Q); 15. Marco Arop, 1:50.59

3000m Steeplechase Quarterfinals: Ed Trippas, Princeton, 8:33.90 (Q)
MSU: 9. Stephen Jones, 8:42.68 (Q)

Javelin First Round: Anderson Peters, 80.06m (262-6)
MSU: 2. Tyriq Horsford, 78.78m (258-5); 3. Curtis Thompson, 73.49m (241-1)