HAMMOND – McNeese track and field posted four first place finishes, including discus thrower Ashlee Smith's first gold since the 2012 Southland Conference Championships, while numerous others recorded personal records at the 2014 Southeastern Louisiana Lion Invitational here Saturday.
Smith, a senior who missed the entire 2013 season and most of the 2014 indoor slate due to injury and the league outdoor champion in the discus in 2011 and 2012, seems to be getting back into form following her best throw of the season at 152 feet, 9 inches to beat out the league's No. 1 thrower by .01 meters.
Other first place finishes on Saturday saw Jasmine Cornelius take gold in the long jump with an outdoor PR mark of 19 feet, 6 inches. That distance ties her at the top of the conference rankings in the event. She also tied a PR in the high jump with a height of 5 feet, 5 inches, a mark that ranks her tied for sixth in the SLC.
Cowboy hurdler Tristan Joynes ran a PR in winning the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.24. He improved his league's second-best time and inched closer to the top ranking.
The women's 4x100-meter relay team of Simone Johnson, Danielle Epps, Meagan Moore and Jasmine Webb, took first in the event with a time of 46.17.
Other productive times and marks for McNeese include triple jumper Courtnei Carter who finished third with a leap of 38-3.5 in her first competition of the season in the event.
In the 100-meters, Johnson placed second and Ayanna Weeks fourth as both posted PRs – Johnson with a 12.04 time and Weeks at 12.18.
Webb was second in the 200 meters with a time 24.40 while Epps ran a PR with a 24.63 to finish fourth.
In the women's 1500-meters, Kaitlyn Jeter ran a 4:43.10 to finish second in setting a new personal best whileAngelina Covington followed in third place with a 4:56.86.
Lauren Thompson, who began her track career a few weeks ago, ran a new PR in the 100-meter hurdles and place third with a time of 13.93.
Ryan Holroyd, who leads the conference in the 5,000-meters, competed for the first time in the 1500-meters and clocked a 4:02.70 to finish third. Enrique Soto placed sixth with a 4:08.10 in his first time running the event while Nicholas Kiprono clocked a PR with a 4:08.30.
John Lemke had a PR in the triple jump with a distance of 44-11.75 for a third place finish.