MSU Track & Field Athletes Compete World Wide
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Both Mississippi State track and field teams made history this season with the women’s team ending with the highest school finish in history at the NCAA Championship and the men with the highest finish since 1923. With the completion of the 2015 season, many athletes have continued to shine in other competitions around the world.
Erica Bougard competed in the senior USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships this past weekend in Eugene, Ore. She finished third overall in the heptathlon after scoring a personal-best and MSU school record 6,288 points. Bougard’s third-place finish earned her a spot on Team USA, and she will compete in the IAAF World Championships in August.
During the heptathlon, Bougard cleared a personal-best and MSU school record in the high jump after clearing 6-02.00. She also had the best times in the 100m hurdles (13.03) and the 200m dash (23.40). With the third-best leap in the long jump, Bougard had a leap of 20-01.50. She threw 32-08.15 in the shot put and 127-02 in the javelin. Running a personal-best 2:08.39 in the 800m run, the third-best time in the event, Bougard was able to clinch her third place victory.
Junior transfer Marta Freitas competed in the 800m run and the 1500m run at European Team Championships for Portugal in Heraklion, Greece. Freitas finished 10th in the 800m run with a time of 2:08.76 and ninth in the 1500m run with a time of 4:19.30.
Freitas will be competing in the European Athletics Under 23 Championships, which will be July 9-12.
Sophomore Rhianwedd Price became the 2015 NCAA 1500m Champion on June 13 after running a personal-best 4:09.56. Since her victory she has gone on to compete for British Athletics at the European Team Championships in Cheboksary, Russia. She ran a time of 4:16.59 in the 1500m run to finish third overall.
Price will also be competing in the European Athletics Under 23 Championships, which will be July 9-12.
Curtis Thompson
After a phenomenal freshman season that ended on the national stage, Mississippi State freshman Curtis Thompson has continued his streak with a win at the Junior USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships.
Thompson competed Thursday morning and won the junior championships with a throw of 237-04 to claim his victory. This is the second year in a row Thompson has won the title at the junior championships.
With the completion of the Junior USA Track & Field Championships, Thompson went on to compete in the senior championships Friday evening. He placed sixth with a throw of 237-08.
Results
Senior USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships
Heptathlon: Barbara Nwaba, ABEO/SBTC, 6,500 points
MSU: Erica Bougard, 6,288
100m Hurdles: 1. Erica Bougard, 13.03
High Jump: 1. Erica Bougard, 6-02
Shot Put: 16. Erica Bougard, 32-08.15
200m Dash: 1. Erica Bougard, 23.40
Long Jump: 3. Erica Bougard, 20-01.50
Javelin Throw: 10. Erica Bougard, 127-02
800m Run: 3. Erica Bougard, 2:08.39
Javelin: Sean Furey, Unattached, 272-07
MSU: 6. Curtis Thompson, 237-08
Junior USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships
Javelin: Curtis Thompson, 237-04
European Team Championships - Cheboksary, Russia
1500m Run: Anna Shchagina, Russia, 4:15.22
MSU: 3. Rhianwedd Price, 4:16.59
European Team Championships – Heraklion, Greece
800m Run: Selina Buchel, Switzerland, 2:00.56
MSU: 10. Marta Freitas, 2:08.76
1500m Run: Claudia Bobocea, Romania, 4:14.58
MSU: 9. Marta Freitas, 4:19.30