MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama outdoor track & field team will travel to Hattiesburg, Miss. Friday and Saturday for its final meet of the regular season, the Southern Miss Open.
 
The meet will begin Friday at 3:30 p.m. with the men's triple jump and hammer throw events. Saturday's field events start at 11:30 a.m. with the high jump, discus and shot put competitions. Running events will begin Saturday at 12:10 p.m. with the women's 3,000m.
 
MEET INFORMATION
Event: Southern Miss Open
Dates: April 27-28
Host: Southern Miss
Site: Marshall Bell Track
Meet Information
Live Results

FIELD (17)
Alabama-Birmingham, Alcorn State, Belhaven, Dillard, Hinds Community College, Jackson State, Louisiana, Meridian Community College, Millsaps, Ole Miss, Shorter, South Alabama, Southeastern Louisiana, Southern Miss, Southern University at New Orleans, ULM, William Carey

NOTES
-Michaela Preachuk remains at the top of the Sun Belt Conference season standings after breaking her own hammer throw school record with a 61.58m (202-00.25) mark last weekend at the Mt. SAC Relays in California. The junior is 12th in the NCAA Division I East Region rankings and among the top 30 on the NCAA Division I performance list.
-Freshman Carolien Millenaar set a new all-time Jaguar record in the women's 3,000m steeplechase last weekend at Auburn's 2018 War Eagle Invitational. She crossed the line in 10:56.51, more than three seconds faster than the previous record, in her first time running the event. The time ranks fourth in the conference season standings.
-Sean Collins is tied for first on the Sun Belt Conference pole vault performance list with a 5.50m (18-00.50) mark from the Tiger Track Classic. He has five top-three finishes, including three victories, in six events this season. 
-Migael Strydom holds the second-fastest men's 1,500m time in the league after running a personal-best 3:47.66 at the Mt. SAC Relays.    
-Esherika Hawkins moved up to sixth in the all-time USA records with a 45.62m (149-08.00) discus throw at the 2018 War Eagle Invitational. It is one of the top-10 marks in the conference this season.
-Ben Rolader's 9:12.93 time in the men's 3,000m steeplechase at the Mt. SAC Relays was more than three seconds faster than his previous attempt and ranks third on the league performance list.
-Senior Laura Labuschaigne ran the Mt. SAC Relays women's 1,500m in 4:33.44 to claim the fifth-best time in the conference.
-Ashley Heitling ran the 10,000m for the first time this season at the Mt. SAC Relays and holds fourth place in the league standings after completing the event in 38:16.05.
-Three Jaguars were recognized at the 2018 Pete Tolbert Night of Champions Wednesday. Preachuk and Rafael Scott received the Most Outstanding Indoor Student-Athlete Awards, while Labuschaigne was named Female Outstanding Performer for cross-country and Female Student-Athlete of the Year. 

QUOTES FROM COACH BRUESKE
On the team's development throughout the season… "I think we have a good team. I think we've had some really elite performances, but I also think we have several athletes on the team who are capable and are very close to having breakthrough performances. It just hasn't happened in a couple situations, but I'm hoping it's going to happen in the next couple weeks. I think we've got some athletes who are really close, and that's the shot in the arm the team needs going into the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championships."
 
On the competition level at Southern Miss… "We've been facing really good competition and I think that really toughens up our athletes going into conference because we face such steep competition week in and week out."
 
On several student-athletes being recognized at the Pete Tolbert Night of Champions… "I think our athletes are leaders on campus, not just through athletic performance but also academically and supporting their fellow athletes. We have a good group of student-athletes who are not only good athletes, but good people as well."  

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. 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:  jaguarathleticfund.com/finishlineclub

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