April 19, 2008
Texas A&M athletes totaled 20 career best marks at the LSU Alumni Gold on Saturday and in the process recorded 10 victories and added a dozen runner-up performances while facing five other top 25 ranked teams at Bernie Moore Stadium.
On a day full of career best marks for the Aggies, the 200 meters provided a showcase for A&M?™s sprinting prowess. The Aggie men, currently ranked No. 1, recorded a 1-2-3 sweep while the No. 3 ranked A&M women sported a 1-2-5-6-9 finish in the multiple-section final.
Porscha Lucas claimed the women?™s race in a personal best of 22.69 to take over the collegiate lead for 2008. Likewise, Chris Dykes did the same in the men?™s 200 as he won in a personal best of 20.46.
In field events Laura Asimakis won the women?™s javelin with a huge personal best of 166-9 (50.82). With a winning margin of three inches, Asimakis becomes the No. 5 performer on the Aggie all-time list as she improved on her previous best of 158-3.
Lucas, now third on the 2008 world list, remains the No. 2 performer on the A&M all-time list and now has the No. 4 performance. Her previous PR was a 22.79 from the 2007 Big 12 Championships. On the current world list Lucas trails a 22.35 from Jamaica?™s Kerron Stewart, the 2007 NCAA Champion for Auburn, and a 22.56 by former Longhorn Sanya Richards.
Dykes set his career best over 200 meters for the second consecutive week. Coming into the 2008 season he had a best of 20.84. Following a 20.64 victory at UCLA, Dykes now equals the No. 6 performer on the Aggie all-time list. On the 2008 world list, Dykes currently ranks No. 7.
Dominique Stafford and Richard-Adu-Bobie completed a 1-2-3 sweep by A&M in the event by running times of 21.03 and 21.08, respectively. Stafford?™s mark was a career best.
Following Lucas in the women?™s 200 there were three more A&M sprinters who set personal best marks to occupy positions No. 4-5-10 on the Aggie all-time list. Simone Facey clocked 22.99 in her first 200 of the outdoor season to establish the No. 11 performance in school history.
Khrystal Carter placed second in her section and fifth overall with a 23.33 to become the No. 4 performer on the A&M 200-meter all-time list. Jessica Beard lowered her best to 23.35 as a section winner and is now the No. 5 performer. Allison George claimed the No. 10 position with a 23.59 that placed her ninth overall.
For the second consecutive week Beard also defeated a 400-meter field that included international post-collegians. With a late surge past Davita Predergast (52.17), Beard claimed the victory in 52.11, the No. 9 performance on the A&M all-time list.
Also running in the section with Beard was Esther Akinsulie of Canada (52.38), Mississippi?™s Kenyata Coleman (52.45) and former LSU NCAA champion and Olympian Hazel-Ann Regis (53.00).
Other winning efforts by the Aggies came in tandem with a career best effort.
Brenna Williamson lowered her best in the steeplechase by 10 seconds with a winning time of 10:38.81. She improves to No. 2 on the Aggie all-time list with the second best performance. Williamson only trails the school record of 10:29.53 run by Sarah Ravenelle at this meet last season.
In the women?™s discus Anteneshia Lindsey matched her career best to the centimeter with a winning toss of 165-11 (50.58) to better the field by over nine feet. Lindsey also placed second in the shot put with a regional qualifying mark of 47-5 ?ľ (14.47).
Julian Reid improved his career best mark in the long jump while placing fourth, but finishing as the top collegian. With a leap of 24-9 ?ľ (7.56) Reid bettered his previous best of 24-9 ?Ľ. He also has a windy best of 25-0 ?ľ this season.
Former Aggie jumper Fabrice Lapierre finished third in the competition with a windy jump of 26-0 (7.92). Miguel Pate won the event at 26-10 (8.18) while Brian Johnson was runner-up with a 26-4 ?Ľ (8.03).
In the women?™s triple jump Angela Thomas finished as the top collegian, placing second overall, with a personal best of 41-10 ?ľ (12.77). Thomas remains as the No. 8 performer on the Aggie all-time list. Tiffany Peters placed fifth with a windy mark of 40-9 ?˝ (12.43), while Ashley McCarty finished 10th with a 39-5 (12.01).
Zuheir Sharif placed fifth overall in the triple jump, which featured an international laden field. Sharif?™s 50-2 ?ľ (15.31), though, made him the top collegian in the field as he topped LSU?™s Zedric Thomas (49-6 ?Ľ).
Kevin Ondrasek snared a regional qualifier in the 1,500-meter race as he placed third with a personal best of 3:46.82, moving him to No. 6 on the Aggie all-time list. Nick Toohey finished fifth in a personal best of 3:50.27. A pair of career-best times were also recorded by Graham Northcutt (3:56.82) and Dusty Langwell (3:57.98). Northcutt won the second section of the race and finished 12th overall.
The 4 x 100 relays offered a showdown between the Aggies and LSU with the Tigers claiming both races. LSU women established a stadium record at Bernie Moore Stadium with a winning time of 42.84 that took over the collegiate lead from Texas A&M. The previous record was a 43.12 set by South Carolina during the 2002 NCAA Championships.
The Aggies were runner-up in 43.38 with a foursome of Elizabeth Adeoti, Porscha Lucas, Simone Facey and Gabby Mayo. LSU?™s quartet included Brooklyn Morris, Samantha Henry, Juanita Broaddus and Kelly-Ann Baptiste. Auburn finished third in 44.47 while Mississippi placed fifth in 45.46.
In the men?™s sprint relay, LSU ran a winning time of 39.17 with Team Canada placing second in 39.25 while the Aggies were third with a 39.36. Texas A&M ran with the foursome of Richard Adu-Bobie, Gerald Phiri, Dominique Stafford and Chris Dykes.
Phiri lowered his career best in the 100 to 10.20 as runner-up to LSU?™s Trindon Holliday, who won in 10.17. Phiri improved to No. 7 performer on the Aggie all-time list.
In the women?™s 100 Lucas finished second to LSU?™s Samantha Henry in a very close finish, 11.27 to 11.28. Sherry Fletcher, the 2007 NCAA Champion for LSU, placed third in 11.30.
Josh Tiemann surpassed 180 feet in the discus for the third consecutive meet. His 180-1 (54.90) placed second to a 184-1 (56.12) produced by Teremine White of Southeast Louisiana. Dylan Conway earned his regional qualifying mark in the event by hitting a season best of 173-9 (52.96) for third place.
Texas A&M finished 2-4-6 in the combined results of the 400. A.C. Robinson posted the top time for the Aggie trio with a 46.42 while Justin Oliver placed fourth in 46.57 and Bryan Miller clocked 46.90 for sixth. Morquise Cleveland posted a 47.96 while Kyle Dykhuizen ran 48.94.
Javier Olivas placed second in the shot put with a mark of 57-3 (17.45).
In the women?™s 400 hurdles Lindsey Adams set a personal best of 59.32 to place second to the 58.63 run by Auburn?™s Danielle Gilchrist. Former A&M All-American Tresha Henry placed third in 59.43. Adams is currently the No. 7 performer on the A&M all-time list.
Nick Robinson was the second fastest collegian in the 400 hurdles with his time of 50.87 as he placed fourth overall. Auburn?™s Reuben McCoy won the race in 50.12. Cade Liverman finished eighth in 52.47.
The final running events on the track had LSU sweeping wins in the 4 x 400 relay. The Tiger men held off the Aggies for a 3:04.76 ?- 3:04.97 victory. Auburn was third in 3:07.81 while a crew of Tiger Olympians finished fourth in 3:09.35. A second Texas A&M relay placed seventh overall in 3:10.78.
Running on the first unit for the Aggies were Nick Robinson, Justin Oliver, A.C. Robinson and Bryan Miller.
LSU women posted a time of 3:29.28 to lower the collegiate best time for 2008 they previously held at 3:29.72. Texas A&M finished fourth in 3:36.38 with the foursome of Sandy Wooten, Simone Facey, Jennifer Williams and Jessica Beard. Tiger Olympians placed second in 3:29.64 while Team Canada finished third in 3:35.04.
Sarah Balfour ran 18:00.03 to place third in the 5,000 meters while Kasey McNorton finished seventh in 18:44.62.
The day started with a pair of career best efforts for A&M in the women?™s hammer and women?™s pole vault.
In addition to her exploits in the javelin, Asimakis cleared a personal best height of 12-8 ?Ľ (3.87) to place sixth in the pole vault, finishing as the fourth collegian in the field. Asimakis improved to No. 2 performer and equaled the No. 6 performance on the Aggie all-time list. Teammate Jennifer Davidson placed 11th with a clearance of 11-8 ?˝ (3.57).
Texas A&M school record holder Erica Boren, now competing as Bartolina, finished fourth as she cleared the same height as Asimakis on fewer misses.
Deidre Tarver recorded a toss of 160-7 (48.95) in her first outdoor competition of the season to place ninth in the hammer. Her mark moved her up to the No. 4 performer on the Aggie all-time list. Tarver also placed ninth in the discus with a mark of 137-6 (41.92).
Allison George lowered her personal best in the 100 to 11.43 seconds and she remains the No. 3 performer on the A&M all-time list. George placed sixth overall ahead of Khrystal Carter, who finished seventh with an 11.62. Others in the 100 field included Mayo (11.79) and Adeoti (11.80).
The men?™s 100 field included a season best for Richard Adu-Bobie (10.36), who placed fifth. Dominique Stafford won his section in 10.45 and placed 10th overall.
Ashika Charan finished fifth in the long jump, third collegian, with a leap of 20-1 ?ľ (6.14) while Yasmine Regis established a career best with her mark of 19-0 (5.79) to place 11th. Later the pair each ran a section of the 100. Regis was a heat winner in 12.04 while Charan posted a time of 12.05.
In the 110 hurdles Cade Liverman ran 14.24 to place fifth. Melvin Echard finished third in his section with a 14.53 to place ninth overall.
Adams also placed sixth in the 100 hurdles with a clocking of 13.40 while Jennifer Williams finished seventh in 13.43. The race was won by former LSU star Lolo Jones, who equaled the current world leading time of 12.72.
Whitney Holmes placed second in the second section of the 100 hurdles and placed ninth overall with a 13.68. Mayo?™s first race over the 100 hurdles this season produced a 14.11.
Katie Baker and Sandy Wooten were the fifth and sixth collegian finishers in the 400, placing ninth and 10th overall, with times of 54.25 and 54.27, respectively. They both finished behind former Aggie and 2006 NCAA Champion Clora Williams, who opened her outdoor season with a time of 52.86.
In the men?™s pole vault Brett Bennett placed sixth with a personal best of 15-7 ?ľ (4.77).
Behind Asimakis in the javelin, the Aggies also had Emalie Humphreys getting sixth with a toss of 141-4 (43.09) while Ilsa Rodriguez finished seventh with a mark of 140-10 (42.94).
Wes Caceras ran close to his personal best in the 800 as he placed ninth in 1:53.27.
Trinity Otto produced a season best of 21-8 ?Ľ (6.61) in the long jump. He also ran 15.11 in the 110 hurdles and put the shot 39-11 ?˝ (12.18). He finished the day with a 21.68 in the 200.
Meanwhile, heptathlete Sarah Pierson clocked 14.97 in the 100 hurdles and 64.73 in the 400 hurdles. She added a 16-8 ?˝ (5.09) long jump.