State Track And Field Squads Post Seven Regional Qualifying Marks At Jace Lacoste Invitational
Complete Results
AP Line Agate (PDF)
STARKVILLE, Miss. ?€“?€“ Mississippi State University's track and field squads wrapped up the 10th annual Jace Lacoste Invitational on Saturday afternoon with a total of six regional qualifying marks being met. The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs came away with wins in 10 events.
"It was a good win on the men's side," said MSU head coach Al Schmidt. "We held a lot of our big guys out, and it's a good thing when you can leave your big guys on the bench and still win. The 400-meter guys were phemnominal. Matt's (Denton) regional qualifying mark was great. Our throws women came through. Jasmine (Walls) came close to a regional mark in the high jump. It's a long season. Every week we go out there and battle."
The Bulldogs took overall team honors with 165 1/2 points.
Jamel Ashley, a senior all-American, won the 400-meter dash in 45.69, the fastest time posted in the event in collegiate competition this season. The regional qualifying mark is a Jace Lacoste Invitational record.
Sophomore all-American Arthur Davis finished third in the event in 46.17, a regional qualifying mark and personal best. LaChristopher Lewis, also a senior all-American, finished fourth in a regional-qualifying 46.40.
Senior high jumper Matt Denton cleared 7-0 1/2 en route to taking top honors in the event. The leap is a regional-qualifying time and personal best for the Hurley, Miss.-native. Freshman Tim Williams finished second with a mark of 6-6 3/4.
Lewis won the 200-meter dash title in 21.06, a regional qualifying mark. He was followed by Davis in 21.23.
The 4x400-meter relay team of freshman Adian Sanderson, freshman Chris Woods, freshman Elzie Coleman and junior Kendall Pyant II won in with a 3:09.44 regional time.
The Bulldogs swept the top four spots in the 1500-meter run with Travis McKay (1st, 3:54.41), Brandon Smith (2nd, 3:59.60) and John Brigham (3rd, 3:59.74) all setting personal best marks. Sophomore Phillip Moore finished fourth.
In the 5000-meter run, senior Gedamu Ege, won with a time of 15:02.01. Freshman Robert Scribner came in third in the race.
Freshman Joseph Queen cleared 14-06 in the pole vault to finish second, while freshman Austin Golding set a personal best in the event.
On the women's side, the Lady Bulldogs finished in second with 129 1/2 points. Junior Meggan Hodge captured the 3000-meter steeplechase title with a Jace Lacoste Invitational record-time of 11:03.78.
Senior Crystal Averitt was a double winner at the meet, taking top billing in the discus and hammer. Averitt's mark of 156-11 in the discus qualifies her for next month's Mideast Regional in Bloomington, Ind. She won the hammer with a throw of 173-10.
Sophomore Nicola Wilson set a personal best with her winning 46-06 3/4 throw in the shot put. Sophomore Christina Hernandez finished fourth in the event.
Junior Zita Magloire set a personal best in her second-place 4:37.45 showing in the 1500-meter run. Junior Jasmine Walls cleared 5-07 in the high jump, a personal best.
Hernandez finished second in the discus, while senior Jennifer Johnstone and Wilson placed fourth and fifth respectively. Johnstone took second in the hammer throw, while Hernandez was fourth and Wilson set a personal record with her fifth-place finish.
Both MSU track squads return to action on Saturday, April 23, at the LSU Alumni Gold meet in Baton Rouge, La.