COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The LSU track and field team closed out their first day of action at the SEC Indoor Championships on Thursday, hosted by Texas A&M at the Fasken Indoor Track & Field Facility. After a day of competition the LSU men sit in eighth with eight points, while the women sit in 16th with three points.
Senior Jordan Turner laid claim to the first medal for LSU of the conference meet on Thursday in the men’s long jump. He sat in fourth heading into the final three jumps with a best of 7.77 meters (25-6) from his first leap of the day. Turner quickly outdid that with what was a record facility for all but three minutes of 8.10m (26-7) in the fourth round. The second-place finish gives the LSU men eight points heading into day two.
Scoring the first points of the week for the Tigers was Edna Chepkemoi in the women’s 5000 meter. Chepkemoi finished sixth to score three points for LSU with her new program record and PR of 15:35.25. A year ago, she finished third with the previous record of 15:39.43.
In the women’s 200-meter prelims the Tigers all recorded personal-best times, led by Keliza Smith who was the lone advancer to the final. Smith clocked a new PR and Guyanese-national record of 22.91 seconds to win her heat and finish seventh in the first round. The junior’s time entering this week would’ve put her at No. 8 in the nation, likely getting her into the NCAA Indoor Championships in two weeks.
Just missing out on the 200m final in 11th was senior Ella Onojuvwevwo who clocked a new PR of 23.02 seconds, which ranks No. 7 in Nigerian indoor history. The time also moved her into what would be the top 20 in the NCAA entering the week at No. 14.
Head Coach Dennis Shaver’s Notables
Athaleyha Hinckson ran a PR of 23.46 in the 200m.
Isaac Lewis ran a PR of 21.55 in the 200m.
Jazonte Levan ran a PR of 21.23 in the 200m.
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