HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The University of South Alabama men’s and women’s track and field teams amassed seven individual titles, 10 personal records and six improvements to all-time USA records in the outdoor season opener at the Southern Miss Invitational on Saturday at the Marshall Bell Complex.
 
Latifah Johnson shattered her own school record in the women’s hammer throw on a mark of 57.69m (189-03) – four meters further than her 2011 conference bronze-medal winning 54.21m – while several other Jags served up the best performances of their outdoor careers, some in multiple events.
 
Kendra Lowe set two PRs in a women’s 800-meter run win (2:18.26) and a fifth-place 1,500-meter run (4:55.48) finish.
 
Adam Patterson finished runner-up in the men’s shot put on a mark of 15.28m (50-01.75), which breaks a tie between he and Mike Tomlinson (15.21m/49-11) to give Patterson fifth-place in the school’s all-time standings. Patterson also took fourth in the men’s hammer throw on a 52.96m (173-09) mark to jump to fourth all-time ahead of Jeff Long and Jarrod Kedzior, who are redshirting this season.
 
Freshmen distance runners Shannen Weyer and Ian Bordelon won the first individual events of their collegiate careers on Saturday, with Weyer taking the women’s 5,000-meter course tape in 18:39.64, and Bordelon capturing the men’s division title (15:47) of the same event.
 
Weyer also took third in the 1,500 in 4:52.69, behind Mary Finn who was runner-up (4:49.31).
 
Joey Torres led a trio of Jaguars in the men’s discus throw, as he took the crown on a 52.76m (173-01) heave. He also placed third in the hammer throw (55.87m/183-04).
 
Steven Nobles finished ahead of Torres in the hammer throw on a mark of 56.00m (183-09) and seventh in the discus (42.02m/137-10). In her first appearance since a fall 2011 injury, Angela McCord finished second in the javelin throw (40.99m/134-06) to lead Lacy Barger (5^th, 38.08m/124-11).
 
Connor Smith finished fifth in the men’s high jump (1.87m/6-01.50), ahead of Ashton Krause (1.82m/5-11.50) and Garrett Schumacher (1.77m/5-09.75).
 
In their first meet since regionals last season where they finished 28^th and 29^th, respectively, Glen Odom and Stephen Calogrides went one-two in the men’s javelin on Saturday, this time with Calogrides surging ahead to take the title on a personal-best 63.56m (208-06) throw, an improvement to his third-place USA all-time standing. Odom recorded a distance of 62.86m (206-03).
 
William Henley won the men’s pole vault on Saturday, clearing 4.45m (14-07.25) to lead second-place Taylor Krause (4.30m/14-01.25).
 
Bobbie Williamson claimed three top-three finishes Saturday, her best being in the hammer throw on a PR of 54.38m (178-05), a full six meters greater than her second-place all-time mark. She also took second in the shot put (13.25m/43-05.75), ahead of Johnson (3^rd, 13.09m/42-11.50) and Johnnie Borries (4^th, 12.67m/41-07), and third in the discus (41.89m/137-05).
 
Mary Finn recorded runner-up finishes in three events: the women’s 800 (2:22.16), 1,500 (4:49.31) and 5,000 meters (18:47.67). Robert Mann placed third in the men’s 5,000 (15:57.03), fourth in the 800 (1:59.04) and ninth in the 1,500-meter (4:07.57) runs.
 
Steven Nobles finished ahead of Torres in the hammer throw on a mark of 56.00m (183-09) and seventh in the discus (42.02m/137-10). In her first appearance since a fall 2011 injury, Angela McCord finished second in the javelin throw (40.99m/134-06) to lead Lacy Barger (5^th, 38.08m/124-11).
 
Leah Hixon finished third in the long jump (5.49m/17-10.25), ahead of Erikka Williams (5.40m/17-08.75), and seventh in the 110-meter hurdles (16.39 seconds). Melissa McCluskey recorded a personal-best 25.35-second finish in the women’s 200 meters to take fifth.
 
Freshman Spencer Anderson notched two fourth-place finishes in the men’s 110- (15.47s) and 400-meter hurdles (55.68s), while also running as part of the ‘USA A’ quartet with Tyler Agee, Tevin Barnett and Daniels Duhe that took fourth in the 4x400-meter relay team (3:33.93) to lead the sixth-place ‘USA B’ squad comprised of Alex Shields, Daniel Cooper, Derek Westbrook and Justin Housley (3:48.67).
 
Shields also took sixth in the 800- (2:00.84) and 1,500-meter runs (4:05.06) – both outdoor PRs. Agee also finished third in the 110-meter hurdles (14.95), ahead of Ashton Krause (5^th, 15.51) and Barnett (8^th, 15.75). Barnett also placed fifth in the 400-meter hurdles (56.83).
 
Rounding out results for the Lady Jags were Erikka Williams and Kristin Parry, who finished third in the high jump (.52m/4-11.75) and 5,000 meters (14:23.16), respectively, and Erika Saxton, who took sixth in the women’s 100 meters (12.42).
 
Full meet results can be found here.
 
After finishing 13^th in the indoor women’s pentathlon at the NCAA Championships in Nampa, Idaho, on Saturday, senior Lindsay Schwartz will rejoin the team as it prepares for its next meet, the Louisiana Classics to be held on Mar. 16-17 in Lafayette.
 
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).