SACRAMENTO, Calif. — LSU qualified two relay teams and a pair of athletes into the 100-meter finals as competition from the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships continued Thursday from the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex.
Both the Tigers and Lady Tigers 4×400-meter relay teams earned spots in Saturday’s finals after impressive preliminary round performances.
The men’s foursome of Siraj Williams, Melville Rogers, Marvin Stevenson and Reggie Dardar toppled the nearest competitor by over one full second, stopping the clock at 3:03.50.
The Lady Tigers were nearly as successful at Cynetheia Rooks, Meisue Francis, Juanita Broaddus and Deonna Lawrence combined to post the third fastest time of the day at 3:30.38.
Individually, LSU successfully navigated through the 100-meter qualifying rounds.
For the men, sophomore Xavier Carter won his first round heat in 10.25 and then bettered that effort in the semifinals with a 10.15 posting to earn an automatic bid to the finals.
Baptiste was also an automatic qualifier after winning both her first round and semifinal heats with times of 11.33 and 11.24, respectively.
In addition, junior Isa Phillips moved through first-round action in the 400-meter hurdles, crossing the line in 50.07 to advance to the semifinals.
“We are having a really good meet,” said LSU head coach Dennis Shaver. “Theoretically everyone that we expected to make it into the finals or semifinals has.”
After two days of competition and three events scored in the men’s team race and two events scored on the women’s side, the Tigers and Lady Tigers have yet to put up a team point, but came in expecting to score the majority of their points in the final two days of competition.
“We are always behind in the beginning,” said Shaver. “It just means we have to get it done in the final two days of competition.”
LSU’s only scoring opportunity on the day was derailed mid-way through the decathlon competition when senior Darion Powell was forced out of the meet after suffering the ill effects dehydration and heat exhaustion.
“It was a total surprise,” said LSU assistant and multi-event coach Boo Schexnayder. “We IVed him yesterday as a precautionary measure and honestly I was more concerned with his ankle that was a little sore this morning than I was with dehydration.”
Powell, who was carted off the field following the discus, was taken to a local hospital where he was treated with an IV, cooled down and released.
“He’s fine now,” added Schexnayder. “He back at the hotel, taking it easy and getting some sleep.”
“I am certainly disappointed for Darion,” said Shaver. “I’d have liked to see him come and have success at this meet.”
Finishing the decathlon was senior Edwin Billot. The Beaumont, Texas, native tallied 3,251 second-day points to move up five spots to 15th in the final standings with 6,735 points.
With the decathlon, long jump and 10,000 meters the only finals completed on the men’s side Arkansas and Wisconsin are the early leaders in the team race with 14 points each, while Nebraska and Arizona are tied for third with 10 points a piece.
The women, who have completed finals in just the 10,000 meters and the long jump, are lead by Arizona State (15), Auburn (14) and Duke (10) in the top three.
Competition from the NCAA Championships will continue tomorrow afternoon. Action gets underway at noon (CT) with the women’s heptathlon. Field events will begin at 2 p.m. and running events will follow at 6 p.m.
A portion of Friday’s meet will be televised live by CSTV. The broadcast is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. (CT) and run for two hours.
TEAM STANDINGS (Top 10 only)
Men (through three events)
t1. Arkansas, 14
t1. Wisconsin, 14
t3. Nebraska, 10
t3. Arizona, 10
t5. Tennessee, 8
t5. Texas A&M, 8
t5. Providence, 8
t8. Long Beach State, 6
t8. Baylor, 6
10. Weber State, 5
Women (through two events)
1. Arizona State, 15
2. Auburn, 14
3. Duke, 10
4. Georgia, 8
t5. Oklahoma State, 6
t5. Stanford, 6
7. Kansas State, 5
8. Maryland, 4
t9. Missouri, 3
t9. Texas A&M, 3
LSU Athletes in the NCAA Championships
Wednesday, June 7
Time (CT)
Event
Round
LSU Athlete
Place
Mark
Pts/Adv.
Noon
100 Meters
Decathlon (M)
2
11.20
817 pts.
Long Jump
4
23-5 1/4
847 pts.
Shot Put
1
49-7 1/4
797 pts.
High Jump
t17
6-0
653 pts.
400 Meters
14
50.75
780 pts.
DAY 1 TOTAL
5
3,894
100 Meters
Decathlon (M)
Edwin Billot
19
11.48
757 pts.
Long Jump
23
20-11 1/4
670 pts.
Shot Put
25
35-10 1/2
542 pts.
High Jump
t4
6-6
785 pts.
400 Meters
22
51.88
730 pts.
DAY 1 TOTAL
20
3,484
5 p.m.
4×100 (W)
Semifinal
LSU
3
43.47
Adv.
5:20 p.m.
4×100 (M)
Semifinal
LSU
1
38.87
Adv.
5:30 p.m.
100 Hurdles (W)
1st Round
17
13.48
Adv.
5:30 p.m.
Long Jump (W)
Qualifying
26
19-0
—
5:40 p.m.
800 (W)
1st Round
21
2:07.45
—
7:10 p.m.
200 (W)
1st Round
2
22.85
Adv.
10
23.14
Adv.
7:30 p.m.
200 (M)
1st Round
2
20.72
Adv.
7:50 p.m.
400 (W)
1st Round
7
52.58
Adv.
16
53.22
Adv.
8:10 p.m.
400 (M)
1st Round
2
45.51
Adv.
16
46.41
Adv.
19
46.47
—
8:30 p.m.
100 Hurdles (W)
Semifinal
—
DQ
—
9 p.m.
High Jump (W)
Qualifying
24
5-8 1/2
—
9:15 p.m.
Long Jump (M)
Qualifying
—
Foul
—
Thursday, June 8
Time (CT)
Event
Round
LSU Athlete
Place
Mark
Pts/Adv.
Noon
110 Hurdles
Decathlon (M)
8
15.04
845 pts.
Discus
—
FOUL
—
Pole Vault
—
DNS
—
Javelin
—
DNS
—
1500 Meters
—
—
—
TOTAL
—
DNF
—
110 Hurdles
Decathlon (M)
Edwin Billot
6
14.85
868 pts.
Discus
22
104-2
499 pts.
Pole Vault
t5
15-1
790 pts.
Javelin
17
148-11
521 pts.
1500 Meters
15
4:57.74
573 pts.
TOTAL
15
6,735
5:30 p.m.
100 (W)
1st Round
Kelly Baptiste
3
11.33
Adv.
17
11.58
Adv.
5:50 p.m.
100 (M)
1st Round
Xavier Carter
2
10.25
Adv.
6:30 p.m.
400 Hurdles (M)
1st Round
Isa Phillips
2
50.07
Adv.
7:20 p.m.
100 (W)
Semifinal
Kelly Baptiste
2
11.24
Adv.
18
11.70
—
7:30 p.m.
100 (M)
Semifinal
Xavier Carter
3
10.145
Adv.
8:30 p.m.
4×400 (W)
Semifinal
LSU
3
3:30.38
Adv.
8:55 p.m.
4×400 (M)
Semifinal
LSU
1
3:03.50
Adv.
Friday, June 9
Time (CT)
Event
Round
LSU Athlete
Place
Mark
Pts/Adv.
Noon
100 Hurdles
Heptathlon (W)
Megan Akre
3
13.87
997 pts.
High Jump
t18
5-5 1/4
806 pts.
Shot Put
—
—
—
200 Meters
—
—
—
Day 1 Total
7
1,803
3 p.m.
Triple Jump (W)
Qualifying
Andrea Linton
—
—
—
6 p.m.
4×100 (W)
Final
LSU
—
—
—
6:10 p.m.
4×100 (M)
Final
LSU
—
—
—
7:25 p.m.
400 (W)
Semifinal
—
—
—
—
—
—
7:35 p.m.
400 (M)
Semifinal
—
—
—
—
—
—
7:45 p.m.
200 (W)
Semifinal
—
—
—
—
—
—
7:55 p.m.
200 (M)
Semifinal
—
—
—
8:20 p.m.
400 Hurdles (M)
Semifinal
Isa Phillips
—
—
—
Saturday, June 10
Time (CT)
Event
Round
LSU Athlete
Place
Mark
Pts/Adv.
12:30 p.m.
Long Jump
Heptathlon (W)
Megan Akre
—
—
—
Javelin
—
—
—
800 Meters
—
—
—
2:30 p.m.
Triple Jump (W)
Final
Andrea Linton
—
—
—
2:35 p.m.
100 (W)
Final
Kelly Baptiste
—
—
—
2:42 p.m.
100 (M)
Final
Xavier Carter
—
—
—
3:02 p.m.
400 Hurdles (M)
Final
Isa Phillips
—
—
—
3:10 p.m.
400 (W)
Final
—
—
—
—
—
—
3:20 p.m.
400 (M)
Final
—
—
—
—
—
—
3:30 p.m.
200 (W)
Final
—
—
—
—
—
—
3:40 p.m.
200 (M)
Final
—
—
—
4:32 p.m.
4×400 (W)
Final
LSU
—
—
—
4:45 p.m.
4×400 (M)
Final
LSU
—
—
—