Competition for McNeese State’s track and field athletes begins on Thursday of this week with multi-athletes Lindsay Brooks, Kayla Fontenot and Jim Marcantel kicking things off at the LSU Alumni Gold meet.
Brooks and Fontenot will begin competition in the women’s heptathlon while Marcantel will compete in the men’s decathlon. Brooks, a senior from Sugar Land, TX, has a high score of 4,083 points in the heptathlon this season. Marcantel will make his first full appearance in the decathlon. He had earlier competed in the two day event at the ULL Louisiana Classics but was unable to finish all of the events due to an injury. The remainder of the team will compete on Saturday, either in Baton Rouge at the LSU Alumni Gold meet or in Waco, TX at Baylor’s Michael Johnson Relays. “We’re going to be running against some very strong competition so I am looking for some career performances from some of our athletes this week,” said McNeese head coach Brendon Gilroy. The entry list for the Cowboys at LSU will be Lance Ardoin in the pole vault, Ryan Barrow in the 5000 meters, Sean Brinson in the intermediate hurdles, Dwight Charles in the 400 meters and the 4x400 meter relay, Aaron Debourg in the 400 meters and 4x400 relay, Michael Dyer in the 800 meters, Jarrett LeBlanc in the 1500 meters, Jordan Neil in the 1500 meters, Karl Stewart in the intermediate hurdles and the 4x400 relay and Michael Washington in the 400 and 4x400 relay. The Cowgirls contingent at LSU will be Tinette Burger in the 1500 meters, Katarina Caraway in the 1500 meters and steeplechase, Alvy Carragher in the steeplechase, Aisling Casey in the 1500 meters, Courtney Coleman in the 400 meters, Kaitlyn Grossie in the 800 meters, Amy Guinn in the 1500 meters, Brittney Kleckley in the pole vault, Erin Kleckley in the pole vault, D’Anna Lambert in the 800 meters, Emily Lewis in the pole vault, Candice McCormick in the 5000 meters, Lyndsey Monteith in the 800 meters and Amber Moore in the 100 meters. In Waco, Cowboys entered are Donovan Anderson in the 200 meters and 4x100 relay, Ben Chretien in the javelin, Jared Crafton and Jacob Domingue in the shot, discus and hammer, Charles Jackson in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4x100 relay, Andre Salmon in the 100 meters and 4x100 relay and Ronald Stine in the 200 meters and 4x100 relay. The Cowgirls entered are Christi McRae in the 200 meters, 400 meters and 4x100 relay, LaDonna Carroll in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay, Conceita Cutrer in the 200 meters and 4x100 relay, Amber Harmon in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay, Amber Kelly and DeAnn Washington in the shot, discus and hammer and Amanda LeJeune and Meriah Young in the javelin. McRae is the only McNeese athlete holding down a top spot among Southland Conference athletes. She ranks first in the 400 meter dash with a 53.66 best. Ranked second in the conference are David Rooney in the men’s 5000 meters at 14:35.74, Chretien in the men’s javelin at 229-3 and LeJeune in the women’s javelin at 139-2. Holding down third places are Neil in the men’s 1500 meters at 3:58.42, Domingue in the shot put at 55-2 3/4 and the 4x100 meter relay team with a 40.94 best. Washington is third in the women’s shot put at 45-7 and she is fourth in the discus at 146-11. Rooney, Johnathan Koenck and Whitney McKinnie will not compete this week.