BATON ROUGE – Senior sprinters Justin Walker and Quiana Griffin posted two of the fastest times in Northwestern State history in their events Saturday during the LSU Alumni Gold track and field meet.
Walker ran a 20.52 in the 200 meter dash, just a shade behind his school record 20.49 in 2010. Walker's heat was just over the legal wind allowance for a mark to count in the national rankings, with a 4.1 mph tailwind, so despite it being fast enough to rank as the 13th-best mark this season, it won't go down on the national list.
The 2013 All-American finished fifth overall, first in his heat, as the top four runners all ran in a heat with a legal wind (3.2 mph) and posted times that took over second (20.14, Prezel Hardy Jr., Texas A&M), sixth (20.32, Devin Jenkins, Southern) and seventh (20.39, Shavez Hart, A&M) on the NCAA list, along with a 20.46 by Michael Mathieu of Tiger Olympians. Walker was just ahead of Louisiana Tech's Trey Hadnot, sixth in 20.62.
Griffin ran the second-fastest 400 meters in Lady Demon history (54.62), but didn't threaten her own school record 53.63 set in 2012. She was seventh behind sprinters from A&M, Arizona, Tennesee and Iowa State and her time moved her into second in the Southland Conference ranks this spring.
Keona Jackson notched a personal record in the women's hammer throw (173-11) while finishing ninth. Her mark is the fifth-best in school history, improving on her previous best by more than four feet.
Kenyah McDaniel had a PR with a 12.29 in the women's 100 meter B section, good for seventh. Teammate Jaynisha Berry was ninth in 12.56.
Griffin, Jackson, McDaniel and Walker accounted for four of the five season-best marks by Northwestern competitors, who posted 16 top 10 finishes in the talent-laden competition. Jackson was also fifth in the shot put (47-6 ½).
An eighth in the women's 4x100 relay by McDaniel, Consuela Lindsay, Griffin and Berry in 46.77 was a season-best performance.
Shakemia Jonson gave NSU its highest finish Saturday, third, in the women's discus with a 159-8 mark. Teammate Rechelle Bessard was seventh at 152-11.
The Lady Demons' 4x400 relay had a fifth-place 3:47.57 by Griffin, Nijah Lain, Consuela Lindsay and Keshira McKnight.
Albert Gladney took fifth in the 1500 meter B section in 4:05.92. Lady Demon triple jumper Taylor Walker was fifth in the B section with a 37-10 ¾ leap.
Aaron Williams was seventh in the triple jump with the second-best mark of his junior season, 50-8 1/4), and he was ninth in the long jump (22-10). Brent Giddens ran seventh in the 110 meter hurdles B section (14.74).
Lindsay took seventh in the women's 400 hurdles B section (1:01.58).
The Demons' 4x100 relay combination of Gabriel White, Keenan Jackson, Walker and Ty Shilling finished 10th in 41.14.
Northwestern competes at home next Saturday for the only time this spring in The Leon Johnson NSU Invitational.