BATON ROUGE, LA. – The LSU track and field team finished out the much-anticipated LSU Alumni Gold meet on Saturday, hosted at the Bernie Moore Track Stadium.
For the second meet in-a-row, the main topic of discussion is Claudio Romero and his improvements from last season in the discus throw.
A week after throwing the nation-leading toss of 64.96 meters (213’ 1”) to take the win at Tom Jones Invitational in Gainesville, Fla., Romero recorded a new PR to take the win in Baton Rouge. Romero recorded a throw of 67.29 meters (220’ 9”) to take the win on Saturday, erasing his previous PR of 67.02 meters (219’ 10”) from 2022. The new PR of 67.29m is the new Chilean-national and LSU record, and the distance improves his No. 5 spot on the all-time collegiate-performance list.
To no one’s surprise, Brianna Lyston was on a tear once again this weekend across both the 100 and 200 meter. The Portmore, Jamaica, native got off to a hot start taking first in the 100m with an all-conditions personal-best time of 10.84 seconds (+2.2 m/s), improving her No. 2 mark in the nation from 10.88w. Later in the afternoon Lyston clocked a nation-leading time of 22.35 seconds (+2.8 m/s), which was also an all-conditions personal-best time.
The throws squad was not done for the day as freshman Trinity Spooner took the win in javelin with the No. 3 mark in LSU performance-list history of 55.24 meters (181’ 3”). Her new personal best improves on the previous mark of 53.58 meters (175’ 9”), which she opened up her collegiate career with at the Hurricane Invitational. Spooner now sits No. 6 in the nation with her new PR.
On the men’s side of javelin throw, sophomore Jack Larriviere made his season debut, which was also his first meet since his collegiate opener a year ago. Larriviere reached a distance of 71.61 meters (234’ 11”) on his fourth toss of the afternoon to take the win. His new PR of 71.61m puts him at No. 6 on the all-time LSU-performance list.
Closing out impressive performance from the throws squad, Estel Valeanue recorded top-10 marks in LSU history for two events. In the women’s discus throw Valeanu reached a distance of 56.89 meters (186’ 7”) on her final toss, which moves her up to second on the all-time LSU PL. Valeanu also recorded the No. 6 mark in LSU PL history of 16.02 meters (52’ 6.75”) on her fourth of the afternoon in shot put.
Another national record was reached this weekend as Kuda Chadenga tied his Zimbabwean-national record of 2.22 meters (7’ 3.25”). Chadenga’s PR-tying jump puts him at No. 5 on the all-time LSU PL and No. 4 in the nation for this outdoor season.
Taking gold in the forementioned men’s high-jump competition was LSU alum JuVaughn Harrison. Harrison opened up his high jump outdoor season today and he lived up to all the hype as he finished with gold and a world-leading clearance of 2.34 meters (7’ 8“).
Another alum taking gold on Saturday was Aleia Hobbs. The New Orleans native finished in first with the No. 2 time in the world of 10.88 seconds (+0.5 m/s) in just her 100-meter season opener. The time of 10.88 was her second-fastest season opener in the event, just behind last year’s 10.87 (+2.0 m/s), which had slightly more wind.
Up Next
LSU will stay home for their last regular-season meet as they host the LSU Invitational on Saturday, April 27th.
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