BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Emmanuel Williams of Northwestern State posted the nation's eighth-best long jump Wednesday night, while teammate Justin Walker broke the meet record in the 200 meter dash at the Southland Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Williams soared 25-6 on his fifth of six attempts to win by over a foot and position himself to reach the NCAA Indoor Championships next month. The top 16 performers in each event nationally advance to the national championships.
"The goal was to win, but Emmanuel wanted more," said NSU head coach Mike Heimerman. "He came in wanting to get 25 feet. He hit a big one. Our whole team was down there going crazy."
Running in qualifying heats on the meet's opening day, Walker was the fastest sprinter in both the 60 and 200 meter dashes. His 21.22 mark in the 200 erased the two-year-old meet record of 21.50 set by Texas State's James Johnson and moved him into 20th spot nationally, with Oral Roberts' Tinashe Matanga second at 21.49 going into Thursday's eight-man championship final. Walker clocked a personal best 6.73 in the 60, 19th fastest in the country, and 0.07 faster than the second-best time in qualifying heats Thursday.
"He has room to run faster," said Heimerman. "He was so far out in front in both races that he was cruising and looking around at the end. The job today was to qualify for the finals and he knew he'd done that."
The Demons got a third-place 6-8 mark in the high jump by Quentin Helaire, one inch shy of the winning 6-9 by Clarence Robinson of Southeastern Louisiana. Teammate Alex Washington just missed scoring with a ninth-place 6-2 ¾.
The Lady Demons picked up points in the weight throw as Rechelle Bessard finished fourth with a 57-11 ¼ mark, and in the long jump with a sixth-place 18-3 ¼ by Kenyah McDaniel.
Brent Giddins gave the NSU men the fourth-best qualifying time in the 60 meter hurdles in 8.33.
Walker will be joined in the 200 meter final by teammate Keenan Jackson, the eighth-fastest qualifier Wednesday in 21.89.
Lady Demon senior Quiana Griffin reached the women's 400 final Thursday by posting a 56.39 qualifying time, sixth-best, on Wednesday. Jackson barely missed the men's 400 finals with the ninth-fastest time, 49.11, shy by 0.03 of being eighth and reaching the final.
Also one slot away from the finals was Consuela Lindsay with a ninth-place 8.90 in the women's 60 meter hurdles. Griffin was 11th in the 200 with a 25.03 time.
With six event finals posted Wednesday, the Demons were sixth among the 13 men's teams with 16 points. The Lady Demons were ninth, scoring eight points, through five finals heading into the final day Thursday at the Birmingham CrossPlex.