Southland Championships Open Friday Morning
5/7/2015 9:34:00 AM | Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
SOUTHLAND TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS PAGE
The Sam Houston women will be defending their 2014 team championship while the Bearkat men are looking to unseat defending champion Southeastern Louisiana when the 2015 Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships begin Friday (May 8) in Hammond, La.
The event is being held at the Southeastern Louisiana Track and Field Complex. The championships run through Sunday afternoon (May 10).
The Sam women earned their fourth Southland outdoor women's championship last year with 176 points, an all-time high score at the league meet for the Kats. Four athletes won individual events last year but only one of those defending champions, vaulter Kara Whitson returns.
The men were third at last year's outdoor championships in Conway, Arkansas, but look to make a strong showing having posted several outstanding marks during the 2015 outdoor season..
“We've done everything we can do to be ready for the championships. Now we just have to go to Hammond and compete,” Sam Houston head coach David Self said. “As always, Saturday will be the big day. You have to be focused and perform well in the prelims and get into the finals for Sunday to win the team championship.”
The names of Bearkat athletes stand out in the conference's list of top times this season going into the championships.
For the women, Danielle Demas (13.16) in the 100 meter hurdles and Ashley Jenkins (208' 10”) in the hammer own the best performances so far in the Southland. The Sam Houston women's 4x100 relay quartet of Camry Grigsby, Kodii Church, Ruth Amaku and Jordan Grady own the league's top time of 3:38.33 set at the Mount Sac Relays in California. The mark is less than a second of the Sam school record.
Sam Houston women with marks that rank second in the league this spring include Whitson (13' 7.25”) in the pole vault, Paula Smith (19' 2.75”) in the long jump and Grady (54.85) in the 400 meters. Kristine Hanks (49' 4.5”) in the shot put, Elizabeth Lyssy (156' 1”) in the javelin throw, Grigsby (2:10.53) in the 800 meters and Nicole Jenrette (4700) in the hepathlon all own the marks that stand third in the Southland this year.
For the men, Matt Viverette and Rodney Jones look to be leaders. Viverette owns the top marks among Southland performers in both the 110 meter hurdles (13.85) and the 400 meter hurdles (50.37). Jones owns the league's best 400 meter dash clocking (46.47) and joins Simon Imagbe, Justin Jenkins, and Chris Jefferson to hold the best 4x100 relay time in the league (a school record 39.95). Jenkins stands atop the league in the 100 meter dash as well with a time of 10.35.
Jay Roberson (17' 4.5”) and Garrett Larson (17' 1.5”) rank second and third in the pole vault. Roberson also has the second best mark in the decathlon this year with 6,781 points. Tyler Adams, the Southland's indoor “freshman of the year” owns outstanding marks of 7' 1.5” in the high jump and 6,521 in the decathlon.
Kalvin Singletary (173' 5”) in the discus and Jeffrey Moore (1:50.90) in the 800 meters rank third in the league this spring in their events.
Competition in Hammond begins at 9:30 a.m. with the men's decathlon and women's hepathlon combined events. Championships also will be held in the hammer, long jump and 10,000 meters for the men and the hammer, long jump, javelin and 10,000 meters for the women.
