Five Athletes Post Qualifying Marks in Lafayette

LAFAYETTE, La. -- The LSU track and field teams kicked off the 2009 outdoor season with five athletes earning qualifying marks for the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships during Saturday’s competition at the Louisiana Classics at the Ragin’ Cajuns Track Stadium.

Sophomore standout Gabriel Mvumvure led the way with regional qualifying times in both sprint races after clocking a wind-aided time of 10.43 seconds in the 100-meter dash and a wind-legal time of 21.15 in his season-opening performance in the 200-meter dash.

Mvumvure is a strong All-America candidate this outdoor season after advancing to the semifinal of the 200 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships as a freshman in 2008.

The native of Harare, Zimbabwe, was not the only Tiger to earn a regional qualifying mark as the throws group will send junior Chris Bless to the regional meet after throwing 189 feet, 4 inches in his season debut in the hammer throw. Bless took second place in the competition.

Three Lady Tigers also qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships on Saturday as senior Anna Lyons, junior Katelyn Rodrigue and freshman Cassandra Tate punched their ticket.

Lyons was the first Lady Tiger to post a regional qualifying performance with a winning throw of 156-4 in the women’s javelin competition. Rodrigue cleared 13 feet in the pole vault in her first outdoor competition as she also won the event title with a clearance of 13-1 ½. Tate added a third event title for the Lady Tigers after running a wind-legal 23.96 in the 200-meter dash.

The Tigers and Lady Tigers will return to action next weekend as they play host to their first meet of the outdoor season with the LSU Relays scheduled to run from March 27-28 at the Bernie Moore Track Stadium. The teams will follow by making their annual trip to Austin, Texas, to line up in the prestigious Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium from April 2-4.