FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — All-America performances by departing seniors Hazelann Regis and Neisha Bernard-Thomas weren’t enough to garner the Lady Tigers’ track and field team a fourth straight indoor national title Saturday at the Randal Tyson Track Center, but it did catapult them 16 spots in the team standings on the final day of competition as the LSU women finished tied for sixth at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
The Lady Tigers scored 21 second-day points to finish in a tie with BYU (26). The Tigers were 20th overall, scoring all 11 of their points on the final day of the meet.
“I am not disappointed,” said LSU head coach Dennis Shaver. “Experience in this type of environment is what is important. It doesn’t matter how much you try to prepare someone if they are not able to relax and perform they aren’t going to be able to compete at the level they need to.”
Favorite Arkansas won its 25th men’s indoor national title tallying 56 points. Florida (46) and Wisconsin (43) finished second and third, respectively.
In the women’s competition, Tennessee captured the program’s first ever NCAA crown scoring 46 points to runner-up Florida’s 36.
LSU did get some impressive individual performances from its veterans Regis, Bernard-Thomas and Tiger Kelly Willie.
A school record effort by Regis in the 400 meters came up just short of earning the 10-time All-American her first individual national title as she crossed the line in 50.92, just .01 seconds behind champion Tiandra Ponteen of Florida. The time, a personal best performance for the 2004 Olympic semifinalist, bettered her own school record mark of 51.31 set last year at the championship meet.
Bernard-Thomas just missed out on winning her second national title in the 800 meters. The winner of last year’s NCAA outdoor crown, Bernard-Thomas earned runner-up honors for the second straight year, clocking an indoor personal best of 2:03.93. The time ranks as the second fastest in Lady Tiger history.
Willie also posted a personal best effort, clocking 45.41, but it wasn’t enough to hold off Florida’s Kerron Clement who established a new world record in the event with a sizzling time of 44.57. Willie was also nipped at the line by Arkansas’ Terry Gatson (45.29), but still recorded his best ever finish in an individual event at the indoor championships, placing third overall.
The trio all later helped both the Tigers and Lady Tigers to All-American honors in the men’s and women’s 4×400-meter relays.
Regis and Bernard-Thomas paired with freshmen Brooklyn Morris and Deonna Lawrence to finish fourth with a time of 3:33.06.
Willie anchored the Tigers to an identical fourth-place showing as he joined with Pete Coley, Austin Benton and Bennie Brazell to record a time of 3:04.96.
Up next, LSU will waste no time returning to the track as it opens the outdoor campaign Saturday at the Louisiana Classics in Lafayette.
TEAM RESULTS (Top 10 and LSU only)
Men
1, Arkansas, 56. 2, Florida, 46. 3, Wisconsin, 43. 4, Auburn, 37. 5, Indiana, 30. 6, Oregon, 29. 7, Nebraska, 28. 8, Florida State, 26. 9, Michigan, 25. 10, Texas, 20. t20, LSU, 11.
Women
1, Tennessee, 46. 2, Florida, 36. 3, Miami, 32. 4, Nebraska, 29. 5, South Carolina, 28. t6, LSU, 24. t6, BYU, 26. 8, Stanford, 24. 9, Texas, 23. 10, Auburn, 20.