Stephen F. Austin Women, UTSA Men Claim Southland Conference Outdoor Championships

5/14/2012 12:52:00 AM

SAN MARCOS, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin women and the UTSA men claimed team titles at the 2012 Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Bobcat Track and Field Complex on the campus of Texas State University.

Stephen F. Austin won its fourth consecutive outdoor championship, while UTSA picked up its third outdoor title in the last five years.

The Ladyjacks won seven individual titles, including two by junior Lauren Smith, and added a win in the 4x400-meter relay on its way to becoming the third Southland team to win four consecutive outdoor championships. It is the fifth overall outdoor title for SFA.

SFA scored 142.0 points and second-place UTSA scored 139.5 points. The 2.5 margin of victory is the closest team race since UTSA beat UT Arlington by one point in the 1993 championship. Early on Sunday, UTSA dominated.

UTSA freshman Shahira Ehiemua, sophomore Krystal Wynn, sophomore Jhorden Hunter and freshman Chiugo Okonkwo started the day by winning the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 44.81 seconds. It was the first win in the event by the Roadrunners since 2005. UT Arlington was second (45.21) and Stephen F. Austin finished third (45.73).

UTSA senior Dana Mecke picked up a win in the 1,500 meters in a time of 4:29.65. It was her second title and an improvement from her winning time of 4:30.57. In fact, it was the fastest time at the outdoor championships since 2004. Sam Houston State junior Alyssa Dooley finished second (4:31.94) and UT Arlington senior Lindsey Putman was third (4:32.32).

UTSA junior Eboni Johnson won the women's triple jump with a leap of 41-7 1/4. She is the first Roadrunner to win the event since 1992. Southeastern Louisiana senior Michelle Ogashi was second (41-5 1/4), while Texas A&M-Corpus Christi sophomore Ernestine Cray was third (41-3 1/4).

Stephen F. Austin sophomore Chelsea Stephen repeated her title in the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 13.60. Her time was an improvement from the 13.64 that won last year's event. A pair of McNeese State sophomores went second and third in the event with Mariah Georgetown running 13.61 for second place and Desarae Couthren third (13.88).

Stephen F. Austin senior Mary Dickerson successfully defended her title in the 400 meters in a time of 53.55, which was an improvement of her winning time of 54.28 last year. It also was the fastest time since the meet record of 52.77 was set by Southeastern Louisiana's Christine Amertil. Northwestern State sophomore Quiana Griffin finished second (53.63) and UT Arlington sophomore Breonna Baldwin was third (54.47).

UTSA went 1-2 in the 100 meters with sophomore Jhorden Hunter winning with a time of 11.66. Her freshman teammate Shahira Ehiemua was second with a time of 11.71. UT Arlington junior Shannon Reynolds finished third (11.73).

Stephen F. Austin senior Danielle Burchett repeated her title in the women's 800 meters by setting the meet record with a time of 2:08.01. The former record was 2:0810, set by Texas State's Katya Kostetskaya in 2007. UT Arlington finished second and third in the race with freshman Ashly Wright nabbing second place (2:08.42) and senior Lindsey Putman taking third (2:08.66).

Texas State junior Chante'sean White and senior Katie Miller earned a 1-3 finish for the Bobcats in the 400-meter hurdles. White set the meet record in winning the event with a time of 57.34, while Miller was third with a time of 58.67. Their junior teammate Jennie Thomas added a point with her eighth-place finish (1:01.76). Northwestern State sophomore Consuela Lindsy finished second (58.64).

Lamar junior Ashley Idunoba won the women's 200 meters with a time of 23.44, which was better than her winning time of 23.80 last year. UT Arlington junior Shannon Reynolds was second (23.70) and UTSA freshman Shahira Ehiemua was third (23.91).

Smith, the women's high-point scorer from SFA, completed the double in the long distance events. Having won the 10,000 meters Friday morning, she returned to claim the 5,000 meters Sunday night, finishing in a time of 17:24.55. UT Arlington sophomore Maria Sandstrom was second (17:25.79) and McNeese State junior Fionnuala Ross was third (17:29.10).

Despite Smith's win in the 5K, UTSA maintained a two-point advantage on SFA (132-130) with two events to go, the 4x400-meter relay and the pole vault.

SFA took first in the relay, with sophomore Paige McCutcheon, freshman Cierra Jefferson, senior Lauren Watts and senior Mary Dickerson running 3:38.19 to score 10 more points. UTSA finished fifth in the race and scored four. That gave the Ladyjacks a 140-136 advantage.

Each team had a competitor in the pole vault, which was won by Texas State senior Elena Horn with a clearance of 13-7 1/4. UTSA sophomore April Benavidez tied for fifth in the event (12-1 1/2) to earn 3.5 points and SFA freshman Jessica Cunningham was seventh to earn two points.

The Texas State women finished third with 105 points, followed by McNeese State (87) and UT Arlington (81.5) to round out the top five.

The UTSA men laid claim to their fourth all-time Southland outdoor championship in addition to winning for the second time in three years. The Roadrunners won just two events Sunday, a pivotal hurdles double by Keyunta Hayes, and finished with three individual titles in the meet. Richard Garrett won the school's first outdoor throws championship on Saturday when he won the shot put.

The Roadrunners trailed McNeese State entering the day, but quickly surged ahead. They needed only the first event of the day, the discus, to overtake the Cowboys. The Roadrunners went 4-5-6-7 to score 14 points without winning the event. Stephen F. Austin sophomore Clint Harris repeated his title in the discus, throwing 183-1 his second time in the circle for the win. Texas State freshman Darian Brown finished second (182-10) and Southeastern Louisiana sophomore Jeff Milliron was third (181-11).

Texas State pushed the Roadrunners on Sunday. Bobcat junior Logan Cunningham set the meet record in winning the pole vault, clearing 18-1 3/4. The previous record of 18-1 1/4 was set by Texas State's Geoffrey Fairbanks in 2000. Southeastern Louisiana senior Kovey Simmons was second and UTSA junior Taylor Reed was third. Both cleared 16-6 3/4.

Texas State won the 4x100 meter relay for the first time in school history. The relay team of junior Timothy Young, sophomore James Johnson, junior William Murray and senior Brandon Thomas combined to run 40.20 to edge Stephen F. Austin, who ran 40.24. Sam Houston State was third (40.29).

Lamar's Tom Wade won the men's 1,500m with a time of 3:45.31, the second fastest time in meet history. The record is 3:43.14 set by Pat O'Callaghan in 1977. Last year's winner Patrick Kimeli, a junior at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, was second (3:46.79) and Lamar freshman Sam Stabler was third (3:46.87).

UTSA's Hayes won the men's 110-meter hurdles in a time of 13.86 for his first outdoor win in the event. Sam Houston State sophomore Matthew Viverette was second (14.30) and Texas State junior Timothy Young was third (14.19).

Stephen F. Austin sophomore Cass Brown won the 400 meters. Last year's winner Darryl Hayes of Sam Houston State was second and Central Arkansas senior Sage Raphael was third.

Texas State finished first and third in the 100 meters with junior Timothy Young taking the win in a time of 10.49. Northwestern State junior Kendal Taylor was second (10.56) followed by Bobcat senior Brandon Thomas in third (10.59).

The Bobcats got another win from freshman Charles Grethen in the 800 meters. He finished with a time of 1:50.49. Lamar junior Chris Smith was second (1:50.94) and UTSA sophomore Brady Hand was third (1:51.11). UTSA also finished sixth and eighth in the event to score 10 points to keep pace with Texas State.

The Roadrunners held a one-point lead through 16 events, but were able to pull away thanks to a 1-2-3 finish in the 400-meter hurdles. Hayes, who earlier won the 110 hurdles, picked up his second win of the day, breaking the tape in 50.37. Sophomore Darryl Wyrick was second (50.93) and sophomore Joshua Smith was third (51.30). Texas State did not place anyone in the finals and UTSA was able to extend its advantage to 23 points.

Texas State got a few points back with 15 points in the 200 meters thanks to a 1-4 finish. Sophomore James Johnson won the event in a time of 20.61 and Young was fourth (21.10). Northwestern State Kendal Taylor finished second (20.76) and UT Arlington freshman Quentin Butler was third (21.09). UTSA scored four points with Nate Brunette's fifth-place finish.

The Bobdcats also scored eight more in the 5,000 meters, which was won by McNeese State junior David Rooney, who shattered the meet record by running 14:05.80. He topped the 2008 record of 14:20.81 set by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's Shadrack Songok. Texas State junior Michael Morris was second (14:46.32) and Stephen F. Austin junior Adam Saloom was third (14:50.27). The Bobcats pulled within six points with two events to go.

UTSA scored three points in the men's triple jump, while Texas State did score. Freshman Trayvon Martin scored three points on his sixth-place finish. The event was won by Stephen F. Austin sophomore Jamal Peden, who went 52-6 to repeat his title from a year ago. Sam Houston State sophomore Charles White and junior Karique Stephen finished second and third. The Roadrunners led by 9.5 points going into the 4x400-meter relay.

When the team of Hayes, Christopher Hall, Darryl Wyrick and James Pailin crossed the finished line second behind Sam Houston State, the Roadrunners began to celebrate. The Bearkats ran 3:07.49 to win and UTSA was right behind at 3:08.77. Texas State ended up fifth in the relay and UTSA claimed a 147.5 to 134.5 victory

Stephen F. Austin was third with 98 points followed by Sam Houston State (85.5) and McNeese State (81) to round out the top five.

The top three finishers in each event earn all-conference honors. All event winners earn first-team honors, all runnersup earn second-team honors and all third-place finishers earn third-team honors. Individual superlatives will be announced May 17 following a vote of the league's head coaches and sports information directors.

High Point Scorers
Male: Timothy Young, Texas State (27.5 points)
Female: Lauren Smith, Stephen F. Austin (20 points)

Women's Team Standings - Final

1. Stephen F. Austin	142.0
2. UTSA	139.5
3. Texas State	105.0
4. McNeese State	87.0
5. UT Arlington	81.5
6. Southeastern Louisiana	56.0
T7. Northwestern State	50.0
T7. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi	50.0
9. Sam Houston State	36.0
10. Central Arkansas	28.0
11. Lamar	26.0
12. Nicholls State	16.0

Men's Team Standings - Final

1. UTSA	147.5
2. Texas State	134.5
3. Stephen F. Austin	98.0
4. Sam Houston State	85.5
5. McNeese State	81.0
6. UT Arlington	75.0
7. Lamar	54.0
8. Southeastern Louisiana	44.5
9. Northwestern State	42.0
10. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi	30.0
11. Central Arkansas	27.0

Event Champions

Event	Men	Women
100 Meters	Timothy Young, TXST (10.49)	Jhordan Hunter, UTSA (11.66)
200 Meters	James Johnson, TXST (20.61)	Ashley Idunoba, LU (23.44)
400 Meters	Cass Brown, SFA	Mary Dickerson, SFA (53.55)
800 Meters	Charles Grethen, TXST (1:50.49)	Danielle Burchette, SFA (2:08.01)
1,500 Meters	Tom Wade, LU (3:45.31)	Dana Mecke, UTSA (4:29.65)
3,000-Meter Steeplechase	Joe Wade, LU (8:54.70)	Randi Plentl, SFA (10:49.34)
5,000 Meters	David Rooney, MCN (14:05.80)	Lauren Smith, SFA (17:24.55)
10,000 Meters	David Rooney, MCN (30:51.78)	Lauren Smith, SFA (36:13.32)
110/100-Meter Hurdles	Keyunta Hayes, UTSA (13.86)	Chelsea Stephen, SFA (13.60)
400-Meter Hurdles	Keyunta Hayes, UTSA (50.37)	Chante'sean White, TXST (57.34)
4x100-Meter Relay	Texas State (40.20)	UTSA (44.81)
4x400-Meter Relay	Sam Houston State (3:07.49)	Stephen F. Austin (3:38.19)
High Jump	Isiah Clements, UTA (7-0.50)	Danielle Candelaria, TXST (5-8)
Pole Vault	Logan Cunningham, TXST (18-1 3/4)	Elena Horn, TXST (13-7 1/4)
Long Jump	Jamal Peden, SFA (25-8 3/4)	Kassandrea Son, AMCC (20-9 3/4)
Triple Jump	Jamal Peden, SFA (52-6)	Eboni Johnson, UTSA (41-7 1/4)
Shot Put	Richard Garrett, UTSA (61-8.25)	Zaquita McClanahan, UTSA (49-5 1/2)
Discus	Clint Harris, SFA (183-1)	Tiffany Mott, SFA (137-8)
Javelin	Ben Chretien, MCN (227-11)	Ashley Aldredge, NWLA (151-8)
Hammer	Jared Crafton, MCN (187-9)	Katie Bragg, UTSA (189-10)
Decathlon	Romain Martin, UTA (7,426 points)	--
Heptathlon	--	Mariah Georgetown, MCN (5,265 points)

Quotes from Final Day...

Women’s Discus Winner
Ashlee Smith, McNeese State, Jr., 165-10 (50.55m)
“It was a good competition. I love San Marcos and the area. I had a lot of fun.”

Women’s Triple Jump Winner
Eboni Johnson, UTSA, Jr., 41-7 1/4 (12.68m)
“I was not expecting this. This was a big PR for me. I just want to thank all the coaches and Go ‘Runners!”

Men’s Pole Vault Winner
Logan Cunningham, Texas State, Sr., 18 1/3-4 (5.53m)
“My first goal today was to win and it came down to one jump either in or out. I thank God every day for the ability to compete.”

Women’s 100 Meter Hurdle Winner
Chelsea Stephen, Stephen F. Austin, Jr., 13.60 seconds
“I felt great about the event. I was a little nervous and then I went over the first hurdle and felt really good. I kept going through the last hurdle. I’m really proud of myself. This is the second time I’ve won outdoor conference so I’m pretty good for a sophomore.”

Women’s 400 Meter Dash Winner
Mary Dickerson, Stephen F. Austin, Sr., 54.27 seconds
“It’s nice to be back-to-back 400 meter champion. It’s always been a goal of mine and it’s my last year so this is how I wanted to go out.”

Women’s 800 Meter Dash Winner
Danielle Burchett, Stephen F. Austin, Sr., 2:08
“I’ve been working on this all year and my coaches have been telling me I’m the best in the conference. I guess today I proved them right.”

Men’s 800 Meter Run Winner
Charles Grethen, Texas State, Sr., 1:50.49
“The first runner was fast and at the 300 meter mark I saw it slowed down a lot. Then the last 50 meters I knew I had to go after it and didn’t want a repeat of the indoor meet so I held my ground on the inside and got it done.”

Women’s 4x100 Relay Winners
UTSA, 44.71 seconds
Shahira Ehiemua (Fr.), Chiugo Okonkwo (Fr.), Krystal Wynn (So.), Jhorden Hunter (So.), seconds
“We’ve worked extremely hard for this and it came through today. We’ve been good teammates and pushed each other all season long. We had faith we would get the job done and it’s a blessing to win today.”

Women’s 1,500 Meter Run Winner
Dana Mecke, Texas State Sr., 1:50.47
“It’s truly been a blessing to be able to come back and compete this season. A lot of people wish they had one more shot and I’ve been fortunate enough to get that chance. I just want to finish the season the best I can because this is the last opportunity I will have to do what I love.”

Men’s 110-Meter Hurdle Winner
Keyunta Hayes, UTSA, So., 13.86 seconds
“Winning this event was a goal of mine coming into the meet and it was a very competitive race. Everyone was working hard and this was one of the closest races I’ve had this season because everyone fought to the finish.”

Women’s 100 Meter Dash Winner
Jhorden Hunter, UTSA, So., 11.66 seconds
“It’s taken a long time to get here and I’m so happy to get this point. I want to thank my UTSA family for all their support. It’s taken a lot of hard work to get here and it all paid off with this victory. To finish 1-2 with Shahira (Ehiemua) is very exciting because we’ve been racing together since high school.”
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Men’s 400 Meter Hurdles Winner
Keyunta Hayes, UTSA, So., 50.37 seconds
“I had a lot of confidence coming into today, but everyone brought their game. I thought I ran a good race, but I had a couple of mistakes on the backside. My teammates really did a great job of pushing me. I really wanted to get the school record, but I have plenty of time to do that. Big ups to Darryl (Wyrick) and Josh (Smith) for helping us finish 1-2-3.”

Men’s 5000 Meter Winner
David Rooney, McNeese State, Jr., 14:05.80
“Coach had told me the record was 14:20, and I wanted to go after it and set a challenge for myself.”

Men’s 100 Meter Dash Winner
Timothy Young, Texas State, Jr., 10.49
“I’m proud of what I did. It’s not my primary event so I’m definitely happy I won.”

Women’s High-Point Scorer
Lauren Smith, Stephen F. Austin
“It was pretty cool to be able to achieve this. I didn’t expect to be able to. It was shocking, but I think I was able to run better races because I was trying to get points for my team. I knew I had to win the 5K to help us win the championship.”

Women’s Team Champion
Phil Olson, Head Coach, Stephen F. Austin
“It was a huge blessing from God. He’s blessed all year long. We’ve had a lot of trials this year and haven’t competed as well as we would have liked all year long. We’ve been at about 80 percent and today we were 100 percent. I’m so proud of this team, this is the eighth consecutive championship (indoor and outdoor).”