AUSTIN, Texas – The LSU track and field team got out to a quick start at the Texas Relays Friday as all three relays advanced to Saturday’s finals, as well as three hurdlers.
Both 4×100-meter relays were able to advance Friday morning, as was the 4×400-meter relay, Joyce Bates and April Sams in the 100-meter hurdles and Greg Scott in the 110-meter hurdles. In addition, LSU got an NCAA automatic qualifier from Marcus Thomas in the long jump.
“We advanced very well today in most areas,” said LSU head coach Pat Henry. “The relays were
good, I think we’ll be a little cleaner on a few of our exchanges tomorrow. Joyce and April looked strong and Marcus just continues to jump well. Overall it was a very good day for us, we come out of it healthy and we’ll be ready to get after it tomorrow.”
At the USC Invitational in Los Angeles last weekend, the Lady Tigers failed to get the baton around in the 4×100-meter relay. After a week to work on exchanges, the Lady Tigers came back with a worthy effort, running the fastest qualifying time in the preliminary round, clocking an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 44.67.
Sa’Donna Thornton, Valma Bass, Myra Combs and Peta-Gaye Dowdie ran one of only three sub-45 second times recorded on Friday and assured themselves of a favorable lane for Saturday afternoon’s final. The Lady Tigers are looking to regain the title they last held in 1996.
Shortly after, the Lady Tigers’ 4×400-meter relay team of Somalia Lindsay, Claudine Williams, Althea Thomas and Bass qualified for Saturday’s final, winning their heat with a time of 3:39.59. They will have their work cut out for them Saturday, however.
Their qualifying time was eighth of the nine times taken and they will line-up in lane nine in the final.
After being flagged for a zone exchange violation in Los Angeles last weekend, the Tigers 4×100-meter relay team rebounded with a strong showing Friday. The Tigers relay team of Gerald Green, Derrick Brew, Carlos Garcia and Dwhyte Barrett won their heat with ease, clocking and NCAA provisional time of 40.00, the second fastest qualifying time registered on the day.
TCU recorded the fastest time of the preliminary rounds, blasting out a 39.03 to finish 20 meters in front of second place Southern which ran a time of 40.54. Southern still qualified for the tomorrow’s nine-team final, as did McNeese State among Louisiana schools.
In individual action on the track, Joyce Bates was in top form Friday morning, recording the fastest qualifying time of the preliminary rounds in the 100-meter hurdles with a season-best NCAA automatic qualifying time of 13.00. Bates took control of the race by the second hurdle and won her heat by 10 meters with the aid of wind of 2.1 meters per second.
Teammate April Sams looked sharp as well and advanced to Saturday’s final with a slightly windy time of 13.49. The time is an NCAA provisional qualifier and is an improvement on her season-best time of 13.64.
Greg Scott advanced to Saturday’s men’s 110-meter hurdles final, winning his heat in a windy time of 13.92. Scott’s time was the third fastest qualifying time of the preliminary round of the hurdles.
LSU was less fortunate in the 100 meter dash, as Carlos Garcia and Dwhyte Barrett failed to advance in the men’s competition, as did Sa’Donna Thornton and Jemia Ellis on the women’s side.
LSU faired well in the field Friday afternoon, as Marcus Thomas finished third in the men’s long jump with a wind-aided NCAA automatic qualifying mark of 26 feet 1/4 inch.
Monique Freeman finished fifth in the women’s long jump with a leap of 20-10 3/4. Keisha Spencer placed eighth but recorded her first provisional mark of the outdoor season with a jump of 20-5.
The Texas Relays conclude tomorrow afternoon with all sprint and relay finals still to be contested. In the field, Russ Buller can become the first man to win back-to-back pole vault titles since 1985, while Spencer will look to be the first Lady Tiger since Suzette Lee in 1997 to win the triple jump title.