MSU Track And Field Teams To Host 10th Annual Jace Lacoste Invitational
Jace Lacoste Notes
MSU Athlete Bios
STARKVILLE, Miss. ?€“?€“ The Mississippi State University track and field squadsreturn home to host the Jace Lacoste Invitational on Saturday, April 16, atW.O. Spencer Stadium/Carl Maddox Track. Field events begin at 9 a.m. CT, whiletrack events get underway at noon.
"It's looking like it will be a good meet," said MSU head coach Al Schmidt."We've got quite a few teams scheduled to be here. If our athletes step up likethey did two weeks ago, we have a chance to score on both sides. We're still agood team in a scoring situation at home."
Other squads scheduled to compete include Alabama's men, Alabama-Huntsville,Arkansas State, Berry College, Bevill State's women, Birmingham Southern,Jacksonville State's women, Memphis, Mississippi College, SE Missouri State,Samford, Southern Miss and UAB women's.
Entering this weekend's meet the Bulldogs are ranked 12th in the nation in theTrackwire 25. In Austin, junior Steve Mullings won the 100-meter dash in 10.06seconds, the top regional qualifying time in the NCAA this season. Although notan NCAA event, the Bulldogs won the 4x200-meter relay in 1:21.62. The wins markthe fifth and sixth trophies MSU has won at the prestigious event over the pastfour years.
In the 4x100-meter relay, sophomore Eliott Morant, senior all-American JamelAshley, Mullings and senior all-American LaChristopher Lewis finished thirdwith a regional qualifying time of 39.09. The mark ties a two-year old MSUschool record. The 4x400 team of Ashley, Davis, freshman Elzie Coleman andLewis ran 3:05.45, finishing sixth.
For the second time this season, Lewis leaped to a regional qualifying mark inthe long jump (24-10) at Texas.
On the women's side, Dominique Rogers set a new freshman record in the 400-meterhurdles (1:03.53) and junior Zita Magloire finished third in the 1500-meter run(4:39.45). Senior Jennifer Johnstone set personal bests in the discus (149-7)and hammer (168-4).
Now in its third decade of service to the MSU track and field program, SpencerStadium/Maddox Track is located on Lakeview Drive behind the Shira Field HouseComplex.
Named in honor of MSU's late all-SEC decathlete and team captain, who was killedin a1995 automobile accident, the Jace Lacoste Invitational has been held annuallysince 1996. Lacoste was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll from 1987-1990,president of the M-Club, State's student-athlete community serviceorganization, a student senator and a member of the MSU Hall of Fame. He wasalso a member of various other MSU organizations.
In addition, the Jace Lacoste Award is presented each year to the mostoutstanding Bulldog track and field athlete. Past recipients of the awardinclude: Rayton Archer (1996), Terry Day (1997), Dedric Ruffin (1998), FredCollier (1999), Rod Newton (2000), Pierre Browne (2001, 2002), Marquis Davis(2003) and LaChristopher Lewis (2004).