McNeese wins second Bob Hayes Louisiana Challenge Cup

A record performance by Amy Guinn and a one-two-three finish in the men's javelin event led McNeese State to its second Bob Hayes Louisiana Challenge cup during the Cowboy Relays on Saturday.

            Guinn was a double event winner and won the 5,000 meter run in a meet and facility record clocking of 17:20.53, snapping the mark of 17:21.12 that had been set by Keri Ange in 1993.

            Cowboys Sam Vidrine, Ben Chretien and Wiley Collins finished first through third in the javelin event.

            In the combined men's and women's scoring, McNeese totaled 312 ½ points and was followed by Northwestern State with 284, Southeastern Louisiana 215 ½, UL-Monroe 199 ½, UL-Lafayette 194 ½ and Wiley 10.

            McNeese won the men's title with 179 points while Northwestern State took the women's crown with 182.  Trailing the Cowboys were Southeastern Louisiana with 130 ½, UL-Lafayette with 109, Northwestern State with 102 and UL-Monroe with 87 ½.

            McNeese was second in the women's division with 133 ½ points and was followed by UL-Monroe with 112, UL-Lafayette with 85 ½, Southeastern Louisiana 85 and Wiley 10.

            Besides winning the 5000 meters, Guinn also took the women's 1500 meter run with a 4:49.84 clocking.

            Also for the Cowgirls, Alvy Carragher took the steeplechase with a 12:07.14 clocking which broke the record she had set last year.

            No other Cowgirl produced a first place finish but Laura Kerr was second in the javelin at 139-10, Ashlee Smith was second in the discus at 142-10, Katarina Caraway was second in the steeplechase at 13:17.52 and Kayla Fontenot second in the 100 hurdles at 15.72.

            Vidrine won the javelin event for the Cowboys with a throw of 222-06 and he was followed by Chretien at 215-8 and Collins at 214-2.

            Other champions for McNeese were Thomas Canchola with a 53-6 ½ put in the shot, Johnathan Koenck with a 9:20.23 clocking in the steeplechase, David Rooney with a 4:11.33 clocking in the mile run and Jarrett LeBlanc with a 15:09.18 effort in the 5000 meters.

            The mile was being run for the first time in many years during the Cowboy Relays and Rooney was taking a shot at the school record of 4:06.4 that was held by former standout Dickie Morgan.

            A strong wind was a factor in the race but Rooney was on a record setting course through three laps.

            Second places for the Cowboys in the meet went to Jared Crafton in the hammer (183-5), Lance Ardoin in the pole vault (13-6 ¼), Kenneth Pierce in the steeplechase (10:43.37) and Ryan Barrow in the 5000 meters (16:05.58).