LSU track and field’s top-ranked Lady Tigers and second-ranked Tigers lived up to their billing this past weekend at the 110th running of the prestigious Penn Relays. The two teams turned in one of the most impressive performances in LSU track history, combining to win four relay titles and three individual event crowns.
The lively, carnival like atmosphere that enveloped famed Franklin Field for the three-day meet could not overshadow the Lady Tigers’ dominant performances on the track. The national championship squad recorded wins in the 4×100, 4×200 and shuttle hurdle relays, while also earning runner-up honors in the 4×400 and sprint medley relay events.
The foursome of Lolo Jones, Monique Hall, Nadia Davy and Muna Lee set the stage for a stellar weekend of performances Friday, winning the Lady Tigers’ seventh short relay title in the last 10 years with an NCAA-leading time of 42.92.
Davy, Hall and Lee later combined with fellow All-American Stephanie Durst to win the Lady Tigers’ fourth consecutive title in the 4×200-meter relay. The quartet clocked the second fastest time in meet history, 1:30.42, a mark that stands behind LSU’s own meet record of 1:29.78 set in 2003.
LSU’s winning ways continued in the women’s shuttle hurdle relay as Brittany Littlejohn, Tiffany Robinson, RaNysha LeBlanc and Lolo Jones combined to post the fourth-best time in Penn Relays’ history (53.43) en route to their second straight title in the event.
Jones then grabbed an individual title in the 100-meter hurdles, clocking 13.04.
Not to be outshined, the Tigers turned in equally impressive performances throughout the weekend, posting a new school record in the 4×400-meter relay and winning individual event titles in both the long jump and the pole vault.
The foursome of Marvin Stevenson, Bennie Brazell, Kelly Willie and Pete Coley shattered the Tigers’ three-year old 4×400 record, clocking an astounding time 3:01.39 in earning runner-up honors.
In the field, John Moffitt became just the second athlete in Tiger history to win a long jump title at the Penn Relays, taking home top honors with a PR and NCAA-leading mark of 26-5 3/4. His mark stands as the fifth-best in the meet’s 110-year history as well as the third-best all-time at LSU.
The Tigers were also victorious in the pole vault as All-American Daniel Trosclair tied his season-best clearance of 17-4 1/2 to take home the title.
LSU’s national championships squad will look to build on its Penn Relays success in two weeks when it returns to action at the SEC Championships in Oxford, Miss., May 13-16.