COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The LSU track and field team closed out their final day of action at the SEC Indoor Championships on Saturday, hosted by Texas A&M at the Fasken Indoor Track & Field Facility. After three days of competition the LSU women finish in 12th with 23 points, while the men finish in 12th with 21 points.
The biggest moment of the season came as redemption for senior Ella Onojuvwevwo, just a year removed from getting a red card at the SEC Indoor Championships. The Nigerian star made her season debut in the 400 meter on Friday, clocking the fastest time of the heats with 51.79 seconds. Today Onojuvwevwo blew that time and her competition out of the water with a winning time of 50.96 seconds, giving her the first individual gold medal of her collegiate career.
Onojuvwevwo became just the second woman in LSU history to go sub-51 seconds indoors with 50.96 seconds, improving her No. 2 rank in LSU performance-list history from the PR she set at this meet a year ago of 51.06 seconds. She now sits No. 2 in the NCAA this season, No. 6 in the world this year and No. 2 in African indoor history.
Athaleyha Hinckson is having a stellar freshman season for the Tigers, which she put another exclamation mark on in Saturday’s competition. The Guyanese-national-record holder broke her record yet again with a time of 7.16 seconds in the SEC 60-meter final to close her weekend. The time ties her for tenth in LSU PL history with legendary alum Kimberlyn Duncan and would put her at No. 6 in the NCAA entering the day. She also ties for No. 12 performance in world history for the U20 section of the 60m.
The men’s 60-meter field was as stacked as it may have ever been for a conference meet. Junior Jaiden Reid finished fifth overall with a time of 6.59 seconds to score four points for the Tigers. The collegiate record of 6.45 seconds was tied in the race by Auburn sprinter, Kanyinsola Ajayi.
In the women’s 200 meter, Keliza Smith made a splash this week as she introduced herself to the SEC. Smith clocked a personal-best time of 22.91 seconds in the prelims, shattering the previous Guyanese-national record. Smith finished sixth overall on Saturday with a time of 23.08 seconds to score three points for the Tigers.
The 60-meter hurdle duo of Jahiem Stern and Matthew Sophia combined for three points in the final. Stern finished seventh with a time of 7.66 seconds, while Sophia finished eighth with a time of 7.67 seconds.
The day started with the women’s shot put, which included three Tigers. Freshman Jillian Scully recorded the most impressive shot-put outing of the year for LSU, reaching a new personal-best mark of 15.63 meters (51-3.5) on her third toss of the day. Scully made the final of the shot-put event but was unable to outperform her new PR. The mark of 15.63m puts her at No. 8 in LSU performance-list history, just ahead of her teammates Ambria Langley and Leah Acosta.
Sophomore Edna Chepkemoi had a good showing in the 3000 meter as she clocked a new personal best of 9:04.93, improving her No. 2 spot in LSU history. Chepkemoi finished 10th overall, just missing on the opportunity to score.
To close the night the LSU men’s 4×400-meter relay team rolled out a new lineup of Jeremiah Walker, Grant Buckmiller, Amal Glasgow and Malachi Austin. The Tigers finished fourth in heat three with the No. 6 time in LSU PL history of 3:04.60 to finish fourth-overall. The team was later rewarded bronze after a DQ for Texas A&M.
Other Head Coach Dennis Shaver’s Notables
Trenton Sandler ran a 3000m PR of 8:15.64.
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