MSU Trades Maroon & White for Red, White & Blue Uniforms
STARKVILLE, Miss. - This weekend proved to be quite impressive for members of the Mississippi State's track and field team at various Team USA events, with the highlight belonging to Erica Bougard.
Competing in the USA Junior Track and Field Championships in Indianapolis, the Byhalia, Miss., native won the heptathlon with a career-high 5,547 points to punch her ticket to the IAFF World Junior Championships July 10-15 in Barcelona, Spain.
The sophomore-to-be claimed victories in both the 200-meter dash (24.61) and 800-meter run (2:14.39), while placing second in the 100-meter hurdles (13.79), high jump (5-08.75) and the long jump (19-09.75).
Bougard will not be the only Bulldog to trade her Maroon and White colors for the Red, White and Blue, as Jarrett Samuels long jumped 25-3.50 to finish second en route to making his travel plans to Spain.
Tavaris Tate and James Harris also received good news on Sunday. After posting impressive finishes throughout the 2012 season, the pair was invited to join another branch of Team USA to compete in Guanajuato, Mexico, July 6-8 for the NACAC U-23 Championships. Tate will be a member of the Red, White and Blue 4x400-meter relay squad, while Harris will display his talents in the high jump.
MSU still has a few athletes striving to qualify for their respective nation's Olympic teams. To keep up with all the Bulldog global action this summer, follow @msutrackjason on Twitter or stay tuned to www.HailState.com.