McNeese State’s Cowboys won their own indoor track and field meet here Friday, using six first place efforts along with some personal bests to claim the triumph.
The Cowboys scored 138 points to take the men’s division with Alabama State running second with 127 points, ULL scoring 78, Mississippi Valley 60 and Southern (BR) 34.
The Cowgirls produced three first place efforts, including a rec-complex record by Brittany Kleckley, but they finished second in the team standings to Alabama State which had 237 points. McNeese had 111 1/2 points and was followed by Mississippi Valley with 66, Southern (BR) with 63 and ULL with 12 1/2.
The meet was the final turn up for McNeese prior to the Southland Conference championship meet in two weeks in Houston.
The meet also served as a prelim for a high school meet at the same Ralph O. Ward rec-complex that will take place Saturday and feature over 500 prep athletes.
“This was a good tune up for us,” said McNeese head coach Brendon Gilroy. “I thought that we had some really good efforts, in both divisions and I was pleased with our team’s performances.”
Cowboys producing first place efforts were Jared Crafton in the weight throw, the distance medley relay team of Jarrett LeBlanc, Michael Washington, Johnathan Koenck and David Rooney, Charles Jackson in the 55 meter dash, Torian Lindsey in the 200 meter dash Ryan Barrow in the mile run and Kenneth Pierce in the 3000 meter run.
“I thought that our sprinters had a very good day and it was good to see Ryan get what I think is his first collegiate victory and Brittany get the pole vault record,”said Gilroy.
Crafton turned in a personal best of 53-0 1/4 in winning the weight throw while the relay team posted a 10:26.99 clocking. A possible rec-complex record effort had been predicted for the relay team but two scheduled members - Jordan Neil and Michael Dyer – had to sit out the meet with illness.
Jackson won the 55 dash in 6.46, Lindsey took the 200 meters in 23.48, Barrow the mile run in 4:29.66 and Pierce the 3000 meters in 9:02.68.
Cowboy shot putter Jacob Domingue posted another career best with a toss of 55-9 3/4 but he placed second in the event to McNeese assistant coach Erik Whitsitt who was competing unattached and threw 57-9.
For the Cowgirls, winning efforts were posted by DeAnn Washington in the shot put, Kleckley in the pole vault and Amy Guinn in the mile run.
Washington went 42-8 3/4 in the shot, Brittany vaulted 11-3 3/4 and Guinn ran a 5:24.44 mile. Kleckley’s vault surpassed the record of 11-0 that had been set by Aqueelah El-Amine of Southeastern Louisiana a year ago.
Olympian Nickiesha Wilson, a former LSU standout, took part in the women’s 55 meter hurdles and won the event with a 7.88 clocking. That was just shy of the complex record of 7.77.
There were two double event winners of the meet, UL Lafayette’s Antwain Keyes and Alabama State’s Asha Tavernier.
Keyes won the men’s high julmp at 6-4 3/4 and he also took the long jump at 22-0 1/4.
Tavernier won the women’s long jump at 18-4 1/4 and the triple jump at 36-0 3/4.
McNeese State’s Cowboys won their own indoor track and field meet here Friday, using six first place efforts along with some personal bests to claim the triumph.
The Cowboys scored 138 points to take the men’s division with Alabama State running second with 127 points, ULL scoring 78, Mississippi Valley 60 and Southern (BR) 34.
The Cowgirls produced three first place efforts, including a rec-complex record by Brittany Kleckley, but they finished second in the team standings to Alabama State which had 237 points. McNeese had 111 1/2 points and was followed by Mississippi Valley with 66, Southern (BR) with 63 and ULL with 12 1/2.