COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Winning performances by All-America sprinter Justin Walker and long jumper Emmanuel Williams, and a third place from Brent Giddens in the 60 meter hurdles, topped Northwestern State's worksheet Friday in the Texas A&M 12 Team Invitational indoor track and field meet.
Walker blew by the competition with a 6.78 time in the 60 meter dash, and teammate Christian Willis ran sixth in 7.04.
Williams set a new indoor personal best with a 24-4 ¼ leap to capture the long jump. Giddens matched his indoor PR with an 8.31 clocking in the hurdles.
Those were the best of 19 finishes in the top 10 by NSU competitors in the opening meet of the indoor season for the squad. A dozen teams, including six Southland Conference members, took part in the competition at the McFerrin Athletic Center on the A&M campus.
NSU had a pair of top 10 finishes in four events, highlighted by the women's triple jump, where Taylor Walker took fifth with a 38-5 mark in her first collegiate meet, and Por'sha Thomas claimed seventh by leaping 38-0 ¾.
Other dual top 10 performances for Northwestern included the men's high jump by Quinton Helaire (sixth) and Alex Washington (ninth), both clearing 6-2 ¼. The Lady Demons went 8-9 in the shot put with Kawanza Andrus (40-1 ¼) and Rechelle Bessard (39-8), and were 9-10 in the long jump as Thomas went 17-6 ¾ and Walker covered 17-3 ½.
The Demons'4 x400 meter relay unit ran sixth with Jarrod Charles, All-American Gabe White, Dez Williams and Keenan Jackson finishing in 3:19.03. Another sixth place for NSU came in the women's 800 meters, when Shannon Moore ran a 2:19.07 time. Quiana Griffin was seventh in the women's 200 (25.35).
Consuela Lindsay ran eighth with a 9.43 time in the women's 60 meter hurdles. NSU's Charles took eighth in the men's 400 meter dash in 49.09, a new indoor personal best.
The Lady Demons' 4x400 relay foursome of Griffin, Keshira McKnight, Moore and Lindsay finished eighth in 3:55.88.
Jackson posted an indoor personal best with a 22.27 time for ninth in the men's 200.
NSU will compete next weekend at Houston's Howie Ryan Invitational and has two more meets before the Southland Conference Indoor Championships Feb. 26-27.