NEW YORK — The LSU track and field team got off to a strong start at the “Meet of Champions” Armory Invitational on Friday as both the men’s and women’s sprinters looked sharp on the track.
In a showcase of some of the premier sprint talent in the nation, LSU set the tone for a big second day on Saturday, combining to post two NCAA automatic qualifiers to go along with two provisional marks.
“We had a tremendous day today, we couldn’t have accomplished a whole lot more in limited action,” said LSU head coach Pat Henry. “This is a very good facility and I think we set the stage for a potentially productive day tomorrow.”
Muna Lee continued to sizzle in the early stages of the season, as the sophomore All-American grabbed sole possession of the national lead in the 200-meter dash, posting the fastest preliminary time, circling the oval in a time of 23.28 seconds. The mark broke a tie for the national lead she shared with Aleen Bailey of South Carolina, a mark she will love to improve upon in Saturday’s final.
Teammate Stephanie Durst posted the second fastest qualifying time on the day, running an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 23.46, an indoor personal best by nearly half a second.
In the women’s quarter, Ronetta Smith looked particularly strong and posted a season-best time of 53.76 in the 400-meter dash to win her heat and advance to Saturday’s final.
On the men’s side, the quarter milers looked sharp, as the Tigers placed three men in the final of Saturday’s 400-meter dash. Alleyne Francique led the way, winning his heat in a time of 47.01, while Lueroy Colquhoun also won his section in a time of 47.53. Pete Coley gave the Tigers three finalists in the six-man field, finishing second in his heat, but running a time of 48.24.
“This is our last major competition until the SEC Indoor Championships in two weeks,” added Henry. “We need to go out there and get after it tomorrow and get into that mindset of being ready for championship-caliber competition because it’s definitely here.”
Finals in all sprints will be held tomorrow afternoon, while LSU will showcase its horizontal jumpers tomorrow, led by 2000 Olympian Walter Davis who is expected to compete in both the long and triple jumps.