Bulldogs Meet Three Regional Qualifying Marks On Final Day Of FSU Snowbird
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. ?€” The Mississippi State University men's outdoor track and field squad closed out the 2005 FSU Snowbird with MSU's 4x100- and 4x400 meter relay teams and sophomore Matt Whalen (West Dundee, Ill./Jacobs) meeting NCAA regional qualifying marks.
"We had a good day," said MSU Head Coach Al Schmidt. "Our two freshmen ?€“?€“ Austin Golding and Joseph Queen ?€“?€“ did well in the javelin and pole vault. Anytime you meet a regional qualifying mark, it's a good day."
The 4x100-meter relay team, anchored by all-American senior LaChristopher Lewis (Coldwater, Miss./Coldwater), won with a regional qualifying mark of 40.52 seconds. State's 4x400-meter relay squad followed with a winning time of 3:07.08, also a regional qualifying mark.
In the shot put, Whalen won the event with a throw of 55-0, a regional qualifying mark. He then followed his win with a second-place performance in the hammer, 175-03.
"We're pleased with the win," said MSU Assistant Coach Karen Rademeyer. "We're not satisfied with the performance. We know we can do better."
Senior Matt Denton (Hurley, Miss./East Central) won the high jump competition with a leap of 6-8 3/4. Tim Williams (Pensacola, Fla./Booker T. Washington) finished third with a 6-6 3/4 personal-best mark.
Austin Golding (Vicksburg, Miss./St.Aloysius) and Joseph Queen (Jackson, Miss./Jackson Prep) posted strong showings in the javelin and pole vault, respectively. Golding set a personal best in the javelin with a mark of 163-03. Queen topped 14-5 1/4 in the pole vault at his first collegiate meet.
"We're looking for Austin to score at SECs," Rademeyer added. "He's young and will continue to improve throughout the season."
In other events, State posted three top five finishes with sophomore Eliott Morant (Kansas City, Mo./Grandview) placing fourth in the 100-meter dash, freshman Calvin Wyche (Miami, Fla./Northwestern) finishing third in the 110-meter hurdles and sophomore Jerald Wilson (Port Gibson, Miss./Port Gibson) setting a personal best with his third-place finish in the triple jump. Senior Gedamu Ege (Atlanta, Ga./Grady) finished sixth in the 1500-meter run with a personal-best 4:00.02 time.
The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs return to action March 18-20 when MSU travels 83 miles west on Highway 82 to the Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa, Ala.