BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — LSU’s track and field team qualified 11 athletes and two relay teams into the finals at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships before lightning and rain cancelled competition Friday evening at the Robert C. Haugh Track Complex.
Competition was halted following the women’s 200 meters. Meet administrators made the decision to move the remaining events, the men’s 200 meters and the men’s and women’s 5,000 meters to Saturday.
In addition, the men’s and women’s long jump, which were in progress when competition was stopped, will be completed tomorrow.
The qualifying rounds of competition got underway with both the men’s and women’s 4×100-meter relay teams successfully advancing to the finals.
The Tiger foursome of Richard Thompson, Xavier Carter, Kelly Willie and Bennie Brazell cruised to victory in their prelim heat, turning in the field’s fastest time of the day (39.26).
The Lady Tigers also won their qualifying round heat as Ashley Owens, Deonna Lawrence, Jessica Ohanaja and Kelly Baptiste combined to finish in 44.33.
“The 4x100s took care of business today,” said LSU head coach Dennis Shaver. “They went out there and did what they needed to do.”
Individually, Baptiste was outstanding in the short sprints, turning in the field’s top times in both the 100 (11.44) and 200 (23.25) meters.
Lawrence and Ohanaja also moved on in their signature events, as Lawrence won her 400 meter heat in 53.61 and Ohanaja clocked 13.58 to win her heat of the 100-meter hurdles.
On the men’s side, Willie and Brazell also won opening round heats to advance to tomorrow’s finals.
Willie ran the open quarter in 46.51 and Brazell dominated his 400 hurdles heat, cruising to a victory with a time of 50.88.
“This meet is not about times or performances, it