LAKE CHARLES – Four winning performances, including senior P.J. Bennett with a 7.73 time in the 55 meter hurdles, highlighted 16 medal stand finishes by Northwestern State competitors Friday in the season-opening 2012 Cowboy Indoor Invite track and field meet.
Other first-place finishes for NSU athletes came by Lady Demon senior Lawana Perkins with a 2:22.56 clocking in the 800 meter run; by Chantel Bratton in the women’s shot put with a 44-8 ¾ mark; and in the men’s distance medley relay, where Northwestern’s foursome of D.J. Beyette, Jarrod Charles, Mark Dotson and Albert Gladney registered a 10:50.08 time.
The Demons’ Trey Hatton was the fastest collegiate finisher and second overall in the 55 meter dash at 6.60. Lady Demon freshman Aly Coughlin gave NSU a 1-2 finish in the 800 with her runner-up 2:24.83 time. Sophomores ran second for NSU in the 400 with the Demons getting a 52.0 mark by Charles, and the Lady Demons’ Quiana Griffin was recorded with a 1:00.19 clocking. Also among the seven second-place finishes for Northwestern were Angelica Kotun’s 27.08 in the women’s 200; Wayne Douglas leaping 48-6 ¼ in the men’s triple jump; and Keona Jackson going 53-5 in the women’s weight throw.
Douglas and Bratton had two of the five third places by NSU competitors. Douglas covered 23-0 ½ in the long jump while Bratton recorded a 52-7 ½ weight throw. Lady Demon freshman Luynden Hunt ran 9.08 in the 55 meter hurdles and another NSU women’s newcomer, Titi Oden Shobayo, took third in the 55 meter dash at 7.48, while junior Sarah Jones was the bronze medalist in the women’s long jump at 18-3 ¾.
Fourth place finishers included three Lady Demons: Angelica Kotun, 7.54 in the 55 meter dash, tied with teammate Eboney Vaughn; and freshman Jerrica Tillery, who went 36-9 in the triple jump.
NSU picked up five fifth place marks. For the Demons, Michael Barnes ran 8.38 in the 55 meter hurdles, Emmanuel Williams covered 46-8 in the triple jump, and Jordan Clark cleared 6-2 in the high jump. The Lady Demons’ Janae Allen heaved 51-6t ½ in the weight throw, and Jackson was fifth in the shot put with a 41-8 ½ throw.
Athletes from host McNeese, NSU, Southern, Southeastern Louisiana, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Nicholls, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, and Hinds Community College competed in the meet. Northwestern will take next week off from competition and will next be in action Jan. 28 at Missouri Southern.