Demons win Texas Relays 4x400, Fillinich 2nd

 

Demons win Texas Relays 4x400, Fillinich 2nd
Written by: Doug Ireland           Release: 04/04/2009
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Mike Green held onto first on the final 4x4 leg
View largerPhoto Credit: Gary Hardamon

Mike Green held onto first on the final 4x4 leg
 
AUSTIN, Texas -- Northwestern State has room to improve on its season-best 3:08.21 time Saturday in the 4x400 meter relay, but there's not much better than winning that event at the storied Texas Relays, said veteran Demons' track coach Leon Johnson.
 
The Demons won the university division with the foursome of Michael Batts, Jamie Emery, Jeremy Thomas and Mike Green outsprinting Jackson State, Southland Conference rivals Texas-Arlington, Southeastern Louisiana and Stephen F. Austin, and Mississippi State, among others, in the finals Saturday afternoon. NSU's time easily met the NCAA Regional qualifying standard of 3:10.0, and bettered the University of Texas's sixth-place time (3:08.69) in the invitational 4x400 relay race won by Baylor (3:02.68) with LSU second in 3:05.97.
 
"Winning one of the highlight events at the Texas Relays, it's hard to do better than that," said Johnson, in his 27th year as head coach at NSU. "With all of the great athletes we've had, we've had only a handful of wins here, from All-Americans like (1998 sprinter) Ronnie Powell and (1990 NCAA and 1989 USA high jump champion) Brian Brown. The cream of the crop in college track is here and for this weekend, all eyes in our sport are on Austin. The other exciting this is we can definitely run faster. Only Jeremy Thomas had his best relay leg of the season. The other three have all run better before this season and will run faster later."
   
   Cody Fillinich was six inches off his season's best and took 2nd
 
The Demons didn't get a win in the men's javelin from three-time All-American Cody Fillinich, but his second-place 235-1 throw was three feet ahead of third. USC's Corey White blew away the field with a winning 272-2 mark.
 
"That's three straight meets Cody has thrown 233 or better," said Johnson. "He had three of his five marks 230 feet or better. He's rounding into form and he's got some bigger throws ahead of him, but second at Texas is very impressive."
 
Northwestern got a personal best 14.05 time in an eighth-place finish in the men's 110 meter hurdles by Michael Hill, who carved 0.18 off his previous best while enhancing his NCAA Regional qualifying ranking.
 
"Mike Hill ran a fantastic race in some great competition," said Johnson. "This was a major step forward for him."
 
Omo Osaghe of Texas Tech won in 13.42.
 
In the 4x400, Batts kept the Demons even with the competition on the opening leg, and Emery had NSU right on pace at the second exchange. Thomas handed the stick to Green with about a two meter lead and the Demons were in front for good on the final lap.
 
"I knew when Mike got the stick and we were ahead, it would take something special to catch him," said Johnson. "He outran a tremendous quarter-miler from Mississippi State. I'm proud of the way we competed."