State Falters On Final Day Of SEC Championships
Two of the Lady Bulldogs' final-day points came from junior JenMcPherson (Nampa, Idaho) who finished eighth in the 800-meter run ,clocking a regional-qualifying 2 minutes, 9.31 seconds and the1500-meter run (4:31.24). The other point was tallied by junior NicolaWilson (Trenton, N.J.), who took eighth in the shot put, throwing aregional mark of 47 feet, eight inches.
In the 5000-meter run, sophomore Annie Falor (Flagstaff, Ariz.) ran apersonal-best 17:10.09, as did freshman Michelle Corrigan (17.41.34).Freshman Emily Sanders (Woodstock, Ga.) finished just outside ofscoring contention in the javelin, throwing 132-03 to finish 10th.
In relay events, freshmen Marrissa Harris (Memphis, Tenn.), AntreseBanks (Gloster, Miss.), Gabrielle Dillon (Liberty, Miss.) and JanelleFinley (Mobile, Ala.) ran a season's best 46.49. The 4x400-meter relayteam of Banks, McPherson, freshman Dot Youmans (Poplarville, Miss.) andsophomore Andrea Wahlin (Cold Spring, Minn.) also ran a season's best,crossing the line in 3:51.02.
As a team, the Lady Bulldogs fell from fifth to 11th on the final day,scoring 27 points over the course of the meet. Georgia won the meettitle, besting Auburn by one point, 136-135. South Carolina (86.5), LSU(81) and Tennessee (78) rounded out the top five. MSU finished ahead ofin-state rival Mississippi, who collected 24 points.
In men's action, junior Bruce Davis (Phenix City, Ala.) took fifth,running a regional qualifying time of 46.41. The men's 4x400-meterrelay team of B. Davis, junior Ezra Jones (Wildwood, Fla.), juniorNathan Daniels (New Iberia, La.) and junior Arthur Davis (Mobile, Ala.)also posted a fifth-place finishing, coming across in 3:10.10.
Competing at his first SEC meet, freshman Allen Cassell (Port Gibson,Miss.) jumped a personal-best 6-08 ¼ to finish fifth. The 4x100-meterrelay team of sophomore Adian Sanderson (Ewing, N.J.), junior EliottMorant (Kansas City, Mo.), A. Davis and Jones ran 41.34 to finisheighth.
The men's team scored 19 points overall to finish 11th. Behind highpoint totals in distance events, host Arkansas won the title, scoring137.5. Tennessee (126.50), Florida (110), LSU (109) and South Carolina(77) finished in the top 10.
For those athletes who have qualified, the 2006 NCAA Mideast Regionalis set for later this month, May 26-27 at Tom Black Track at LaPorteStadium in Knoxville, Tenn.