GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The LSU track and field team closed out day one of the Tom Jones Invitational on Friday, hosted by Florida at James G. Pressly Stadium in Gainesville.
The biggest moment of the day came when LSU alumna, Favour Ofili, made her 200-meter opener in the Olympic development section. The Port Harcourt, Nigeria, native blazed out of the blocks and clocked a event-winning time and No. 4 time in the world of 22.33 seconds (+1.4 m/s). Her time dips under the Paris 2024 Olympics’ standard of 22.57 seconds, punching her ticket to the Olympics in her first season after turning pro.
Also excelling in the women’s 200 meter was the Jamaican sprint star Brianna Lyston. In the invitational section of the 200m, Lyston clocked in with a time of 22.46 seconds (+3.1 m/s) and finished third place just behind a duo of sprinters with a +4.1 m/s tailwind. Since her time came under the +4.0 m/s cap, it moves her to second in the nation for the event, just .09 behind the nation leader. Lyston also currently holds the No. 1 time in the nation for the 100 meter with 10.87 seconds (+2.6 m/s).
In the women’s and men’s 400-meter hurdle invitationals, Sean Burrell and Shani’a Bellamy clocked top-10 times in the nation. Burrell opener up his season in the event with a time of 49.69 seconds, which ranks fourth in the nation. Bellamy finished with a time of 56.23 seconds to move up to No. 7 in the nation.
Senior Ji’eem Bullock was the lone Tiger to earn a win on Friday at Tom Jones, finishing with gold in the men’s long jump. Bullock jumped out to a season-best mark of 7.51 meters (24’ 7.75”) on his season leap of the day to win.
Up Next
LSU will close out the Tom Jones Invitational with day two of competition tomorrow.
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