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Esherika Hawkins
Scott Donaldson

Track & Field

USA TRACK & FIELD TRAVELS TO TEXAS FOR SUN BELT CONFERENCE OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama outdoor track & field team will travel to San Marcos, Texas for the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championships Friday through Sunday.
 
The meet will begin at 9 a.m. Friday and Saturday with the men's decathlon. Sunday's events will start at 11 a.m. with the men's discus competition.
 
MEET INFORMATION
Event:
2018 Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championships
Dates: May 11-13
Host: Texas State
Site: Bobcat Track & Field Stadium
Live Results
ESPN Live Coverage Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

FIELD (12)
Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Little Rock, Louisiana, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy, ULM, UT Arlington

NOTES
Men's Running Events
-Rafael Scott's 10.25-second 100m dash at the Tiger Track Classic set a new school record, ranks second in the Sun Belt Conference and is among the top 35 times on the NCAA Division I performance list. Alex Elam is third in the division rankings with a 10.33-second time from the South Alabama Invitational; freshman Thad Porter completed the race in 10.43 seconds at the same meet to earn ninth in the league standings. 
-Keith Davis was the runner-up in the 200m dash at the South Alabama Invitational with a 21.13-second finish that is among the top 10 times in the conference.
-Ben Rolader, Larry Lombard and Migael Strydom are among the top 15 on the conference 800m performance list after finishing second through fourth, respectively, at the South Alabama Jaguar Classic.
-Strydom's 1,500m time of 3:47.66 at the Mt. SAC Relays is the second-fastest time in the league. Warno Potgieter holds sixth place after crossing the line in 3:52.96 at the Florida Relays, and Rolader's 3:56.01 mark from the South Alabama Invitational is 10th in the Sun Belt this season.
-Luke Fielding finished in the top five in all five 1,500m races he entered this season, including a first-place finish at the University of Mobile Invitational.
-Jacob Johnson earned two 400m hurdles victories this season, including a 53.51-second finish at Samford's Alabama Track Challenge which ranks eighth in the conference. Javen Jackson ranks among the top 15 in the conference after winning the University of Mobile Invitational 400m hurdles with a time of 54.60 seconds.
 
Women's Running Events
-Taylor Dames recorded the fifth-best 100m hurdles time in the Sun Belt this season – 13.94 seconds – in a victory at the South Alabama Invitational. Emilie Berge ranks eighth in the conference standings with a 14.21-second time at the South Alabama Jaguar Classic.
-Cierra Hedrick took third place in the USA record books and fifth in the conference 100m rankings with an 11.74-second finish at the South Alabama Invitational.
-Elysa Griffin ranks eighth on the Sun Belt 100m performance list after a third-place, 11.85-second finish at the South Alabama Jaguar Classic. She is 14th in the conference 200m rankings with a 24.72-second time at the South Alabama Invitational.
-Olivia Swan ran the second-fastest 400m hurdles time in the conference – 1:00.99 – at the Florida Relays and won four of seven 400m hurdles events this season.
-Laura Labuschaigne completed the 1,500m in 4:33.44 at the Mt. SAC Relays to claim fifth in the Sun Belt.
-Carolien Millenaar broke the USA school record in the 3000m steeplechase by more than three seconds on her first and only career attempt, completing the race in 10:56.51 at the War Eagle Invitational. The time ranks fourth on this season's Sun Belt performance list.
 
Men's Field Events
-Andrew Allen is third on the all-time USA performance list, fourth in the conference, and 39th in the NCAA Division I East hammer throw rankings with a 61.30m (201-01.25) effort from the South Alabama Jaguar Classic. He has six top-three finishes, including three victories, in seven hammer throw events this season. He recorded his season-best javelin mark, a 58.17m (190-10.00) throw which ranks seventh in the Sun Belt Conference standings, at the Jaguar Opener.
-Ethan Boyd claimed second place in the event and fifth in the conference hammer throw rankings at the South Alabama Jaguar Opener with a 57.64m (189-01.25) mark.
-Thomas Boyd ranks seventh in the Sun Belt shot put standings after a first-place, 16.48m (54-01.00) throw at Samford's Alabama Track Challenge. He ranks sixth in the conference hammer throw rankings with a 56.77m (186-03.00) mark at the same meet.
-Matt Weinhold recorded a season-best discus throw of 50.78m (166-07.00) to finish second at Auburn's Tiger Track Classic and rank seventh in the conference standings.
-David Reinhardt returned from injury and had his best performance of the season at the South Alabama Invitational, where he won the javelin event with a 59.17m (194-01.50) throw that is the sixth-longest in the Sun Belt this year.
-Cameron Stokes won the javelin event at the University of Mobile Invitational by more than 11m (36-01.00) with a career-long 56.59m (185-07.75) throw which is among the top 10 distances in the conference.
-Sean Collins is tied for first in the Sun Belt Conference and tied for 10th on the NCAA Division I performance list with a 5.50m (18-00.50) pole vault at Auburn's Tiger Track Classic. The junior has earned four victories in seven events this season.
-Niel Giliomee ranks third in the league and among the top 20 in the NCAA Division I standings with a 5.40m (17-08.50) pole vault at the South Alabama Invitational. The mark is the second-best in University of South Alabama history.
-Chris Taylor cleared a personal-best 4.97m (16-03.50) at the Southern Miss Open to take third place in the pole vault event and seventh in the Sun Belt season standings.
-Jobi Finau ranks 10th in the conference discus standings after a first-place, 49.44m (162-02.25) throw at the South Alabama Invitational. The junior also ranks 10th in the Sun Belt hammer throw standings with a 53.89m (176-09.50) effort at Samford's Alabama Track Challenge.
 
Women's Field Events
-Berge earned 5,479 heptathlon points at the Tiger Track Classic to top the Sun Belt performance list and rank second in the all-time school records. The point total is 10th in the NCAA Division I East rankings and 24th overall among NCAA Division I competitors. The sophomore recorded a personal-best 1.71m (5-07.25) high jump mark at the meet to capture sixth in the USA records and seventh in the conference season rankings. She holds tenth on the league long jump performance list with a 5.74m (18-10.00) mark at the same meet.
-Michaela Preachuk set a USA record for the second time this season and leads the Sun Belt hammer throw standings with a 61.58m (202-00.25) mark from the Mt. SAC Relays. The mark is 15th in the NCAA Division I East Region rankings and among the top 35 in the NCAA Division I standings overall.
-Meagan Hall recorded a personal-best 54.34m (178-03.25) hammer throw mark at the Southern Miss Open. The mark is eighth in the Sun Belt season standings and seventh in the all-time USA records.
-Jessie Droogsma holds the 10th spot in the Sun Belt discus standings with a 45.12m (148-00.25) throw at the Southern Miss Open. She set a personal-best hammer throw mark – 50.67m (166-02.75) – at Florida State's Seminole Twilight to rank among the top 15 in the conference standings.
-Esherika Hawkins ranks eighth in the conference discus standings and sixth in the all-time USA records after a 45.62m (149-08.00) throw at Auburn's War Eagle Invitational. She claimed ninth place in the USA record books and tied for 10th in the conference shot put standings with a 13.58m (44-06.75) throw at Samford's Alabama Track Challenge.
-Michaela Obijiaku won the South Alabama Invitational shot put event with a personal-best 14.56m (47-09.00) effort which ranks third in the USA records and fifth in the Sun Belt. Earned fifth place in the conference hammer rankings and sixth in the all-time Jaguar record books with a career-long 54.50m (178-09.50) throw at the Southern Miss Open.
-Angeline Smit recorded a 13.88m (45-06.50) shot put throw at the Florida Relays to place seventh in the conference standings and the all-time USA records. The freshman claimed fifth in the school discus records and sixth in the conference rankings with a second-place, 46.30m (151-11.00) throw at the South Alabama Jaguar Classic.
-Autavia Fluker ranks fourth in the Sun Belt shot put standings with a runner-up, 14.70m (48-02.75) effort at the South Alabama Jaguar Classic. She finished second in a field of 24 in the Florida Relays hammer throw with a personal-best 56.93m (186-09.25) effort which is fifth in the all-time USA standings and fourth on this year's conference performance list.
-Hanna-Mai Vaikla earned three victories in four javelin events this season, including a 46.51m (152-07.00) mark at the South Alabama Jaguar Opener which is the second-longest throw in the conference this season, the fifth-best in school history, and 31st in the NCAA Division I East Region rankings.
-Halee Thomas placed third in the javelin event at Samford's Alabama Track Challenge with a 40.43m (132-07.50) throw that ranks ninth in the Sun Belt.
-Dames has finished first or second in every high jump event this season, including a 1.79m (5-10.50) effort at the South Alabama Jaguar Classic which ties for second in both the school record books and the conference standings. It is tied for 12th in the NCAA Division I East Region standings and is among the top 30 marks on the NCAA Division I performance list.
-Swan recorded identical first-place, 1.79m (5-10.50) efforts at the South Alabama Jaguar Classic and Jaguar Invitational. The jump ties for second in the school record books and the conference standings, ties for 12th in the NCAA Division I East Region standings and is among the top 30 marks on the NCAA Division I performance list.
-Jordan Friz finished first among collegians at the South Alabama Jaguar Opener with a 3.81m (12-06.00) pole vault, a mark which is tied for third in the conference rankings. Megan James tied for third in the conference standings with a first-place, 3.81m (12-06.00) height at the Southern Miss Open. Caitlyn Dressler owns the fifth-best pole vault mark in the Sun Belt, a 3.70m (12-1.50) effort at Auburn's Tiger Track Classic.
-Kriszti Szabo is 10th in the Sun Belt triple jump rankings with an 11.87m (38-11.50) effort at Auburn's Tiger Track Classic. Taylor Young has the 12th-longest triple jump mark in the conference this season after an 11.56m (37-11.25) effort in her only competition, Auburn's Tiger Track Classic.
 
QUOTES FROM COACH BRUESKE
On this week's practices… "We're starting to back off and taper for this competition, and I thought we had a pretty good week of practice. We've got some bumps and bruises that we're dealing with, but the guys seem like they're handling it OK so I think we should have our best meet this weekend if they just stay relaxed and do what they're capable of."
 
On expectations for the Sun Belt Conference Championships… "I think we can be really competitive. We just have to go out and compete the way we're capable of and I think we'll do just fine."
 
On potential break-out performances… "Several people that I knew had the potential and some guys I know that are capable who are starting to show it in practice. I think they'll peak at just the right time."

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

—USA—
 
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