Favorite Arkansas handily won its 24th men\'s conference title scoring 115 points to runner-up Florida\'s 92. The Tigers finished with 66 points, just two points out of fourth.
Tennessee (135.50) claimed the women\'s crown, beating out Arkansas (120). The Lady Tigers followed with 75.50 points.
\"I\'m not disappointed in the team places, I am really pleased with the effort the athletes gave this weekend,\" said LSU head coach Dennis Shaver. \"We got some things done at this meet that put us in a much better position for two weeks from now (at the NCAA Championships).
\"I don\'t think these finishes are a true indication you what type of national finish a team will have,\" added Shaver. \"I could have doubled or triple some athletes this weekend and scored some points, but in the long run I don\'t think it\'s worth it.\"
LSU didn\'t overextend its athletes and the dividends paid off for many.
Regis won the fourth individual SEC title of her career, taking home top honors in the 200 meters, before anchoring the Lady Tigers to their second straight 4x400 title in school record time.
The seven-time All-American clocked a personal best and NCAA-leading time of 23.02 to claim the 200 meter championship. The time, the sixth fastest in the world this season, also ranks fifth on LSU\'s all-time performance list.
Regis then split an astounding 49.92 in making up a five meter deficit on the anchor leg on the Lady Tigers\' long relay that won with a world and NCAA-leading time of 3:29.04. Brooklyn Morris, Neisha Bernard-Thomas and Deonna Lawrence helped her to the SEC meet record mark.
\"Hazel is really fit right now and she is going to do whatever she has to do win,\" said Shaver.
Willie led the charge for the men\'s team, winning LSU\'s first short sprint conference title since the 1990 season with a time of 6.69 in the 60-meter dash. The individual SEC crown marked the third of career and his first in the event.
\"No one expected Kelly to do that,\" said Shaver. \"He made a tremendous move in the last 10 meters to get the win. The performance is just staging his overall development for the season.\"
Willie, an Olympic gold medalist in the 4x400 relay and the Tigers\' top quartermiler each of the last two seasons, sat out his signature race this weekend while concentrating his efforts on the shorter sprints.
The strategy paid off for the nine-time All-American who went on to finish sixth in the 200 meters (20.80) before anchoring the Tigers to a NCAA automatic time in the 4x400 relay. Pete Coley, Reginald Dardar and Bennie Brazell joined him in the 3:04.90 effort, a mark that was good enough for a second-place finish and a No. 5 position on the Tigers\' all-time performance list.
Not on the relay this week, but still nothing short of exceptional over the course of the weekend was Willie\'s counterpart in the short sprints, freshman Xavier Carter. The high school All-American shattered the school record in the 200 meters for the third time this season and the second time in two days, earning runner-up and All-SEC honors with a personal best time of 20.39. His time, the second fastest in the world this year, was just off meet champion Wallace Spearman\'s world-leading pace of 20.35.
Carter also turned in a solid effort in the 60 meter dash, finishing sixth with a time of 6.77.
In addition, the Tigers got a boost from junior Patrick Gavin and freshman Michael Hendry in the mile run. Gavin finished third with a personal best time of 4:07.05. Hendry placed seventh in 4:10.31.
Gavin and Hendry then parlayed their success into the distance medley relay where they joined Jeffery Fisher and Austin Benton to post the fifth fastest time in school history (9:54.02) in finishing third overall.
In the field, senior Willie Bradley finished less than five inches shy of all-conference accolades. The two time All-American from Hoover, Ala., placed third in the triple jump with a season best distance of 52-4 3/4.
Matt Vincent threw for a personal best in the shot put, placing seventh with a distance of 57-3 3/4. Pete Coley also scored for the Tigers, placing seventh in the 400 meter with a time of 47.01. For the women, Bernard-Thomas was third in the 800 meters with a season-best time of 2:04.42. Other scorers included senior RaNysha LeBlanc and freshman Jessica Ohanaja in the 60-meter hurdles. LeBlanc matched her season-best, finishing fifth in 8.30, while Ohanaja turned in a personal best for the second straight day, clocking an NCAA provisional time of 8.41.
Freshmen Kelly Baptiste and Deonna Lawrence each turned in seventh-place efforts in their inaugural SEC Championships. Baptiste posted a NCAA provisional time of 7.40 in the 60 meters, while Lawrence also reached the provisional standard in the 400 meters (53.67).
Jumpers Tina Harris, Nedra Gross and Shontae Harris also turned in solid efforts. A day after finishing second in the long jump competition, Harris placed fifth in the triple jump (41-2 1/4). Freshman Nedra Gross followed in sixth with a personal best leap of 40-9. Harris finished in a tie for third in the high jump, clearing 5-8 1/2.
Up next, any Tiger athletes having not yet qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships will have one last opportunity to do so when they travel to Ames, Iowa, for the Iowa State Last Chance Invitational, March 4-5.
LSU\'S INDIVIDUAL SEC CHAMPIONS Men Kelly Willie - 60 Meters (6.69) Women Hazelann Regis - 200 Meters (23.02) 4x400 Relay (Brooklyn Morris, Neisha Bernard-Thomas, Deonna Lawrence, Hazelann Regis) - 3:29.06 TEAM RESULTS Men 1. Arkansas, 155 2. Florida, 92 3. Tennessee, 89 4. Auburn, 67.50 5. Georgia, 67 6. LSU, 66 7. South Carolina, 42.50 8. Ole Miss, 33 9. Alabama, 32 10. Kentucky, 19 Women 1. Tennessee, 135.50 2. Arkansas, 120 3. LSU, 75.50 4. Florida, 74.50 5. South Carolina, 70.50 6. Georgia, 54 7. Auburn, 46 8. Alabama, 36 9. Vanderbilt, 19 10. Kentucky, 14 11. Ole Miss, 10 12. Mississippi State, 8