Southland Conference Indoor Track
2/25/2011 11:12:00 PM | Track & Field
Norman, Okla -- Chris Cralle and Jason Russell finished first and second in the men's weight throw to highlight action for the Sam Houston State Bearkats at the 32nd annual Southland Conference indoor track and field championships.
The UTSA men's team and the Stephen F. Austin women's teams are out to the early lead on the first day of competition at the
2011 Southland Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Mosier Indoor Facility on the University of Oklahoma campus.
UTSA will be trying to tie the conference record with its sixth consecutive men's indoor championship if it can maintain its team lead
after the opening day of competition. The Ladyjacks, who scored 56.5 points on Friday, are trying to win their third consecutive indoor title.
The SFA women got their only win of the day from junior Carrie Hahn in the women's high jump. She cleared 5 feet, 8.75 inches for the win to finish in front of second place Marniqua Thompson (5-7), a UT Arlington freshman, and Lisa Bingham (5-5), a sophomore at Texas State.
UTSA is in second place in the women's standings with 37 points through six events. Texas State is third with 21.5 points, Sam Houston State is fourth with 19 points and Nicholls is fifth with 17 points.
The Roadrunners got 10 points from senior Aimee Jonas, who won the pentathlon with 3,425 points without a win in a single event. She finished second in the high jump (5-3.25), third in the long jump (32-2.75) and fifth in the 800 meters (2:32.27). She also finished ninth in the shot put and 10th in the 60-meter hurdles to win the event for the first time in
her career.
Sam Houston State junior Morgan Davis was second (3,403) and Central Arkansas sophomore Jasmine Ellis finished third (3,384).
UTSA also won the women's long jump thanks to freshman Laura Oseghae, who went 19-5.50. Texas State senior Renee Sheppard (18-7) was second, while McNeese State freshman Carter Courtnei (17-6.25) was third.
Northwestern State senior Trecey Rew won the women's 20-pound weight throw with a heave of 58-0.25. This was her first win in the event inside. She edged Southeastern Louisiana junior Renada Living (57-0), who finished second, and UTSA sophomore Katie Bragg (55-10.25), who placed third.
Taylor Cloy became the first Lamar runner to win the women's 5,000 meters since 2008. The junior finished the 25 laps in a time of 17 minutes, 16.92 seconds and finished ahead of a pair of Ladyjacks. Sophomore Lauren Smith was second (17:23.95) and Megan Jenkins was third (17:28.82).
Nicholls won the women's distance medley relay, an event it had never won. The team of Jessica McLeod, Samantha Calhoun, Jackie White and Kadi Whisnant finished in a time of 12:04.86. UT Arlington was second (12:05.47) and UTSA was third (12:08.11).
The UTSA men got a pair of wins on Friday and totaled 66 points. UTSA sophomore Tyler Williamson became the first Roadrunner to win a conference indoor championship in the long jump. He cleared 24-2.25 on his winning jump. Central Arkansas junior Jaron Criswell finished second (24-1) and Stephen F. Austin freshman Jamal Peden was third with a distance of 23-7.25.
The top three finishers in the men's pole vault each cleared 16-4.75, but UTSA freshman Taylor Reed cleared the height first for the win. Stephen F. Austin freshman Colton Ross was second and Southeastern Louisiana junior Kovey Simmons was third.
The Stephen F. Austin men's team is second with 35.5 points, followed by Sam Houston State in third with 30 points, Lamar in fourth with 21 points and Central Arkansas rounding out the top five with 20.5 points.
Sam Houston State senior Chris Cralle won the men's 35-pound weight throw. His weight landed 65-7.75, about five feet further than fellow Bearkat senior teammate, Jason Russel, who tossed for 60-6.75. UTSA sophomore Phil Steinert was third (59-9.50).
UT Arlington sophomore Brandon Waller won the men's long jump with a distance of 22-5.75. His teammates, sophomore Renan Palma and Gabriel Hilliard, tied for third with a mark of 21-10. Central Arkansas junior Jeremy Stuckey was second with a distance of 21-11.50.
McNeese State junior David Rooney earned the win in the 5,000 meters. His time of 13:46.25 was initially believed to be a conference championship record until it was realized the entire field ran one lap short of the required 25 laps on the 200-meter oval. Lamar junior Anthony Pequeno was second and Stephen F. Austin finished third.
In the men's heptathlon, UT Arlington freshman Romain Martin cruised through the first four events to take the lead after the first day of competition. He scored 3,139 points with wins in the long jump (22-11.25) and high jump (6-8). He leads Sam Houston State junior Matthew Johnson (3,078) and Stephen F. Austin junior Andrew Plentl (2,910), who were second and third, respectively.
The meet concludes Saturday with finals in eight men's and eight women's running events and two men's and three women's field events as well as the men's heptathlon. Field events begin at 11 a.m. and with qualifiers hitting the track at 1:30 p.m. for finals.
