The college section of the McNeese State Jeff David Indoor II track and field meet has been moved to Saturday while the high school division has been cancelled due to inclement weather conditions.
McNeese head coach Brendon Gilroy announced the change in the schedule noting that high schools in the area had closed its doors and cancelled all activities due to potential freezing weather. "We cancelled the high school events and moved the college meet to Saturday," he said. "Only Southern has cancelled out of the college events." The same collegiate time schedule that was set for Friday will now be used on Saturday. Now expected to join the Cowboys and the Cowgirls will be teams from Southeastern Louisiana, Northwestern State, Nicholls, Mississippi Valley, Dillard and Xavier and some individuals from South Alabama and LSU as well as some unattached performers. The men's mile run will be one of the featured events. It will get underway at 6 p.m. and the Cowboys' David Rooney, who won the event with a complex record 4:07 clocking last year, will be making his indoor debut in the meet. He'll be tested by teammates Joshua Sawe and Jarrett LeBlanc, both of whom turned in good efforts in the 800 meter run last week in Houston. Some other events that bear notice are the men's weight throw featuring rec-complex record holder and all-American Adonson Shallow of Southeastern Louisiana, the women's pole vault with rec-complex record holder Erica Bartolina in the field and national competitors Carl White and David Walker in the long and triple jumps. Kristal Kostiew-yush, who performs for the New York Athletic Club, is training in Baton Rouge and will compete in the women's weight throw and Northwestern State's Justin Walker will make his season indoor debut in the 55 meter dash. "The entries are all in," said McNeese coach Brendon Gilroy, "and we are looking at this meet to be one of the better ones that we have had. We expect to have several hundred collegiates on hand. "It's also going to be our final home meet of the season." Also on Saturday, a 600 meter and a 1600 meter race will be held for elementary and middle school athletes. One of the top athletes for the Cowgirls this season is freshman Mariah Georgetown who has set school records in the 55 and the 60 meter hurdles. She will not run those events this week and will concentrate on the long jump and the 200 meters.