ARLINGTON, Texas -- Two national top 20 performances, by Mike Green in the 400 meter dash and by the 4x400 relay team anchored by Green, joined a 1-2-3 finish in the women's javelin as the highlights for partial Northwestern State squads Saturday at the Bobby Lane Invitational track and field meet.
Green, a senior from Alexandria, ran 46.62 for third in the 400 behind unattached athlete Lewis Banda (46.54) and TCU's Mychal Dungey (46.59). Green's mark ranks 18th nationally and tops the Southland Conference.
Michael Batts, Kendal Taylor, Justin Walker and Green clocked a season-best 3:09.82 for second in the 4x400 relay, trailing only Baylor's 3:06.92. The Demons' time is second fastest in the SLC and 20th nationally.
Jessica Talley (142-1, fourth-best in the SLC and six feet past her previous best), Carie Lantrip (128-6 1/2) and Delanie Nock (125-6 1/2, a season's best) gave the Lady Demons the top three places in the javelin.
Despite fielding partial teams due to spring break, Northwestern performers had 14 top five finishes at the meet hosted by Texas-Arlington.
Lantrip and the Demons' 4x400 relay unit were joined with runner-up finishes by DeJon Griffin in the women's hammer (162-10) and Wayne Douglas in the triple jump (47-7).
Taking third, along with Green and Nock, were Trecey Rew in the discus (171-3) and Greg Hall in the high jump (6-6 3/4).
Finishing fourth for NSU: Karensa Ellis in the women's 800 (2:16.00), Ali Fontenot in the women's 3000 meter steeplechase (13:11.55) and Rew in the shot put (52-3 3/4, an SLC best this season).
Coming in fifth were Kartemus Henry in the men's javelin (167-9) and Douglas in the long jump (22-5 3/4).
The Texas Relays next week and the NSU Invitational on April 16 are the upcoming meets for Northwestern.