MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama men’s and women’s track and field teams matched the elements on Saturday at Jaguar Track, as the track squads made use of the gusty winds at their backs and the field athletes saw their implements sail at the second and final day of the USA Invitational.
 
Three school records fell, a new Puerto Rican national discus throw record holder was established and the women’s team recorded 28 top-eight finishes – 15 of which were career-bests.
 
Troy’s Martins Pildavs woke the crowd up early when the Latvian threw a javelin over 75 and-a-half feet. Pildavs would later win the event, but it was seniors Stephen Calogrides and Glen Odom that got momentum started for the Jags, each throwing to the top five at second (63.09m) and fourth (59.46m), respectively.
 
Leah Hixon recorded her first of two personal-records on the day with a 5.69m measure in the women's long jump for fifth place. Freshman Erikka Williams took third in the event – also on a PR – on a 5.72m leap.
 
Hixon’s other PR came in the women’s 100-meter hurdles (7^th, 15.16), but it was Lindsay Schwartz who took the race tape in 13.98 seconds – a PR and her first of three wins on the day. Johnnie Borries took fourth in the race in a career-best 14.97 seconds.
 
On no rest from the hurdles win, Schwartz later won the women’s high jump, clearing 1.73m for another PR. Schwartz’s third win came after lunch when she topped the 800-meter run in 2:22.69, ahead of fifth-place Shannen Weyer (2:26.98).
 
Demetre Baker broke the first USA record Saturday when he threw for 17.72m to win the men’s shot put. The record surpasses Baker’s own that he set at Troy’s Coach O Invitational in 2011. Adam Patterson took fourth in the event on a mark of 15.06m.
 
Angela McCord won the women’s javelin with a season-best 43.82-meter effort. Lacy Barger followed at fourth (38.17m), ahead of Hixon (5^th, 38.08m) and Jasmine Ferguson (8^th, 29.09m).
 
Bobbie Williamson threw for her second discus school record in as many weeks around the mid-day mark when she recorded a winning measure 46.66m.  Last week, at the Tiger Track Classic in Auburn, Williamson posted a then-USA record 44.91m. The Honolulu, Hawai’i, native finished second overall and first collegiately in the hammer throw yesterday on a mark of 55.39m.
 
Taylor Krause and Connor Smith finished tied for second in the men’s pole vault on a 4.71-meter height. William Henley took sixth on 4.56m. Briana Aiken finished fourth in the women’s division (3.50m). Smith also finished sixth in the 110-meter hurdles in a personal-best 15.71-seconds.
 
The Lady Jags had a great deal of success on the track, which was the source of excitement late into the afternoon. Melissa McCluskey recorded two PRs in runner-up finishes in both the 200- and 400-meter dashes (24.65; 57.68). Kendra Lowe finished seventh in the 400 in a career-best 1:00.80. Erika Saxton also recorded two PRs in the 100 (4^th, 12.11) and 200 (25.12).
 
Justin Housley used an impressive kick in the final half-lap to win the men’s 1500-meter run in 3:58.97. Derek Westbrook followed at third (4:05.98). The Jaguar men went 3-4-5 in the men’s 800, starting with Ronny Wilson (1:57.35). Alex Shields took the fourth spot in a personal-best 1:58.35 and Corey Cotter was fifth (1:59.34).
 
Amongst a tight field of 24, Daniel Cooper and Alex Shields went 2-3 in the men’s 3,000 meters in times of 9:00.75 and 9:05.24, respectively. Wilson followed at sixth in 9:16.75.
 
Spencer Anderson caught stride well behind the leader heading into the final turn of the men’s 400-meter hurdles and exploded onto the home stretch, gaining multiple positions and finishing second (56.11) on the heels of winner Thaddeus Curtis of Troy.
 
Tori Lawson won the women’s 3,000 meters in 10:53.95 after pacing freshman Kristin Parry to a 10:54.47 finish for second. Weyer finished runner-up in the 1,500 meters in 4:54.64. Shayna McCarver rounded out Lady Jag finishes, leaping a personal-best 12.01m to finish third in the triple jump.
 
The men’s discus throw served as a worthy conclusion to a historic day for the Jaguars, as Joey Torres threw for a school-record 56.23m. Torres, born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, is also now the country’s leader in the event, according to the Federación de Atletismo de Puerto Rico (Athletic Federation of Puerto Rico), which states that the country’s previous leader was Alfredo Romero on a 2002 mark of 56.20m set in San Juan.
 
Torres now has three collegiate discus titles this season and his mark is an improvement on the previous school record 56.05m he set in a championship conference victory last season. The Navarre, Fla., native also finished third collegiately in the men’s hammer throw contested on Friday, which also saw Steven Nobles take second collegiate (55.48m) and Adam Patterson finish fourth amongst collegians (52.85m).
 
Baker finished second overall in the discus on a personal-best 54.16m mark. The new measure is an improvement on his second-best all-time 52.04-meter standard.
 
Full meet results can be found here.
 
The Jags will return to Auburn for the second time this month for the War Eagle Invitational to be contested at Hutsell-Rosen Track on Apr. 20-21.
 
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).