Two Event Champs, One School Record Highlight Nicholls Day at Ole Miss

OXFORD, Miss. - Senior high jumper Chelsea Dockrey and senior 800 m specialist Jessica McLeod each won their events, and freshman sprinter Katrina Bettard set a new school record in the 200 m dash as the Nicholls State University women's track and field team wrapped up competition at the Ole Miss Invitational on Saturday.

"Our goals for this meet were to improve our marks and run some individual races for the first time," head coachScott Williamson said.  "To have a couple of event champions and a school record at a meet against some pretty good competition bodes well for some of our girls chances at conference."

Dockrey, who came into the weekend with the top mark in the high jump among all Southland Conference competitors this season, earned the win on Saturday, clearing 1.73 m (5 ft. 8 in.), just 0.02 m off her school record mark and bettering the field by 0.05 m.

McLeod joined Dockrey to give the Colonels a pair of event champs on Saturday, clocking in at 2:14.30 to claim the 800 m.  McLeod withstood a late charge by Maddie O'Quinn of St. Louis University, winning by just 0.3 seconds.

Meanwhile, Bettard turned in a breakthrough effort, setting a new program standard with a 24.52 showing in the 200 m.  Bettard's time bettered the previous school record of 24.70, held by Tiffany Nall, by .18 seconds.

Also turning in strong performances on Saturday were freshman javelin thrower Jaimee Springer, who took second in the javelin with a toss of 42.31 m (138 ft. 10 in.), and the Colonels' 400 m and 800 m crews, who combined to give Nicholls five qualifiers for the 2011 Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

The Colonels will return to action next Saturday with a trip to the Northwestern State Invitational in Natchitoches, La.