PHILADELPHIA, Penn. — Strong preliminary round performances by the Lady Tiger relay teams highlighted first-day action for the national champion LSU track and field team at the 110th-annual Penn Relays Thursday.
“Today was a good qualifying day for us,” said LSU head coach Pat Henry. “We accomplished the things we needed to and have put ourselves in good positions heading into Friday and Saturday.”
Famed Franklin field saw both the Lady Tigers’ 4×100 and 4×400-meter relays post the competition’s fastest qualifying marks in winning their respective prelim heats.
All-Americans Lolo Jones, Muna Lee, Nadia Davy and Monique Hall combined to clock 44.17 to easily fend of runner-up Houston who finished second in their heat in 45.43.
Davy later teamed with Neisha Bernard-Thomas, Hazelann Regis and Keioike Lutcher to record a top time of 3:33.22 in the 4×400-meter relay. Davy, Bernard-Thomas and Regis posted three of the fastest 400-meter split times of the evening as Davy clocked 52.1 on the Lady Tigers’ second leg, Bernard-Thomas followed in 52.9 and Regis anchored the foursome in 53.0.
In the field events, freshman Tina Harris had a spectacular day, winning the College Division of the women’s long jump and finishing fourth in the high jump. Harris recorded season-best efforts in both events, jumping 20-3 in the long jump and clearing 5-8 in the high jump.
“Tina looked really good today,” said Henry. “Those were two of her best jumps of the year. This is just a great atmosphere for competition and it tends to lend itself to excellent performances.”
Action from the Penn Relays continues tomorrow at 9 a.m. LSU will begin competition at 11 a.m. with the prelims of the men’s 4×100-meter relay, followed by the finals of the women’s 4×100.