Jaguar Opener Schedule
MOBILE, Ala. - The University of South Alabama track and field teams will begin the outdoor season by hosting the Jaguar Opener Friday and Saturday at the Jaguar track.
The Jaguar Opener will be the first of three outdoor meets USA will host this season. The meet will begin with the men and women's triple jump at 4:30 p.m. (CST) The women's javelin will start at the same time, followed by the men's javelin. At 4:45 p.m. the first day of the meet will conclude with the men's polve vault and the men's and women's shot put event.
The field will consist of teams or unattached individuals from Grambling University, University of Mobile, Southern Missouri, Troy, West Alabama and West Florida.
South Alabama had 16 student-athletes earn all-conference honors last spring at the 2016 Sun Belt Outdoor Championship, and 12 of whom are expected to compete in the meet this weekend.
The Jaguar women's track and field team clinched their first outright Sun Belt Championship in 2016, only the second title for South Alabama. The Jaguars shared the title with Louisiana Tech in 1999.
Kaitlyn Beans won the women's triple jump with a 13.19m mark to earn all-league honors, and she placed seventh in the long jump with a 5.82m jump. The Montgomery, Ala., native would go on to compete in the NCAA Outdoor Championship and earn second-team All-American honors.
Three Jaguars earned the top three spots in women's javelin last spring. Barbara Rivera repeated as an all-Sun Belt honoree after winning in the event with a mark of 43.14m, and Jessica Matthews claimed second with a career-long 41.77m throw. Krisztina Szabo also earned all-league honors, coming in third place with a 40.78m mark.
Junior Jordan Friz earned all-conference accolades after clearing 3.90m to place third in the conference championship. Michaela Preachuk placed third in the women's hammer throw with a mark of 54.39m, earning Preachuk her first career all-conference honors.
Ashley Heitling and Joanna McCoy both recorded the fastest times of their careers in the women's 10,000-meter run, and they moved into the top 10 on the school's all-time list. Heitling's 36:09.11 time ranked her second in USA history while placing second in the event, and McCoy finished third with a 36:40.18 to move into fourth place. The fourth and fifth-place finishes in the women's 5,000-meter run propelled the Jaguars to clinch 132 points and the Sun Belt title, beating Arkansas State by three points.
Sean Collins was named the league's 2016 Freshman of the Year after clearing 5.51m in pole vault and setting three records - school, conference and conference championship - at the conference championship meet. The then-freshman won the discipline and earned all-conference honors, but he suffered a season-ending injury on his first attempt at 5.61m.
In throws, Zach Blahnik earned all-league honors in the hammer throw with a 63.18m mark and third place. Lane Adams placed third as well in the men's javelin with a 62.26m mark. Larry Lombard was the final member of the Jaguar men's team to receive all-league honors - a 53.01-second, third place finish in the 400-meter hurdles.
"We're excited to start the outdoor season," head coach Paul Brueske said. "I believe we have the potential to be very strong in outdoors as long as we commit to working hard and constantly improving."
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
Join the Finish Line Club, the track and field and cross country specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All donations to the Finish Line Club go directly to support the South Alabama track and field/cross country programs. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/sports/2013/3/13/Finish Line Club.aspx?id=23
- USA -
