Feb. 10, 2012
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Louisiana Tech’s Chelsea Hayes set two school records and reclaimed the national lead in the long jump at the Tyson Invitational on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville Friday.
Hayes jumped 21-8 (6.60m) in the championship division of the long jump division, beating the previous national leader – Purdue’s Leah Eber – by eight inches. Hayes also dominated top jumpers from Texas, LSU and North Carolina in the competition. That mark beats her “old” school record of 20-11.25 (6.38m) set just two weeks ago in Jonesboro. Purdue’s Eber had previously held the national lead with a mark of 21-2.75 (6.47m) set last weekend.
With the jump of 21-8 (6.60m), Hayes has automatically qualified for the 2012 NCAA Indoor Championships on March 9-10 in Boise, Idaho. She also provisionally qualifies for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials scheduled for June 22-26 in Eugene Ore.
Hayes also broke her own school record in the 60m dash, running 7.32 in the semifinals after running 7.35 in the prelims. Her old school record of 7.34 was recorded twice by the New Orleans native at last year’s WAC Indoor Championships in Boise. Her time of 7.35 now ranks fourth at Louisiana Tech and she now owns the seven fastest times in school history.
The meet wasn’t all Hayes as thrower Micara Vassell recorded the 10th longest shot put throw in school history with a mark of 49-5.75 (15.08m) to finish fifth, topping Amanda Van Dyke of Texas by four inches.
In the men’s 60m dash, sophomore Dennis Richardson ran 6.82 in the prelims to finish 11th and advance to the semifinals, where he ran 6.80 placing ninth. Richardson finished one-hundredth of a second (0.01) shy of qualifying for the finals, a race of eight that featured all BCS school sprinters that are primarily juniors and seniors.
Sophomore Trey Hadnot ran 47.85 in the 400m, the ninth fastest time in school history and a personal record for the sophomore as he placed 24th. Josh Goree finished 30th with a time of 48.39.
Junior Matt Wolfe ran 4:15.79 to place 17th, edging Tulsa’s Geraint Davies by more than a second.
Friday’s individual accomplishments are all the more impressive by the fact that Tech’s men’s team is competing against 10 schools ranked in the top 25 while the women’s program is facing nine top 25 teams.
Action continues and concludes at the Tyson Invitational on Saturday. Links to live results can be found at LATechSports.com.
For complete coverage of Tech Track and Field, please visit the official home of Louisiana Tech Athletics at LATechSports.com.