Meet Results

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of South Alabama's track and field teams began competed Friday at the BSC Panther Indoor Invitational hosted by Birmingham-Southern at the Birmingham CrossPlex, with the women's team tying for second and the men placing third over 15 events.

The women recorded 70 points while competing in a field of 22 schools, while the men posted 100 going against 14 other teams.

"I think it was a good start to the season," said head track and field coach Paul Brueske.

Kaitlyn Beans, a sophomore from Montgomery, Ala., took home two victories for the Jags; one in the long jump (5.77m) and the other in the triple jump (12.81m); she also earned second place in the high jump with a height of 1.60m. Kriszti Szabo, in her first meet with South Alabama, earned second place in the triple jump with a distance of 12.61m and fourth place with her effort in the long jump with a distance of 5.61m. Also in the triple jump, Ariel Johnson claimed eighth place with a distance of 11.57m.

Rafael Scott, a redshirt freshman in his first meet with the Jags, took first place in the men's 60-meter dash with a time of 6.87 seconds. Mark Watts also brought home a first-place finish for the Jags in the men's 400-meter dash with a time of 48.95, while Michael Smith took second in the event with a time of 49.69 and Spencer Anderson placed fifth with a time of 50.66.

South Alabama also had winners in the men's and women's shot put. For the men, Jan-Louw Kotze was first for the Jags with his throw of 15.27m, while LaMia Miller claimed the women's division with a 14.26m toss. In the same event, Matt Weinhold (13.73m) placed third for the men and Jasmine Ferguson (12.47m) was fifth for the women. 

"We had a few winners at the meet as well as a lot of personal records for the athletes," stated coach Brueske, "It's a good sign early in the season."

In the pole vault, Jordan Friz (3.80m) — a freshman in her first meet with the Jags — and Ireland Armstrong (3.50m) took second and fourth place, respectively, for the women's team. Ty Holenbeck earned fifth place for the men's team with a height of 4.25m.

Lezyon Legarde earned second place and fourth place in the triple jump (14.13m) and the long jump (6.56m), respectively, for the men's team. Scott also competed in the long jump and earned sixth place with a 6.42m leap. 

Cameron Stokes posted a fifth-place finish for the men's team in the high jump with a height of 1.80m. In the men's weight throw, Jan-Louw Kotze (12.79) came in sixth place and Matt Wienhold (12.59) was seventh. For the women's team, Lamia Miller placed sixth with a distance of 15.86m. 

In the 3000-meter run, Michael Remich (9:14.12) earned third place and Phillip Friedlander (9:27.18) came in behind him in fourth place for the men's team. Nicole Durham, Joanna McCoy and Ivy Chastain competed for the Jaguars in the women's race, coming in fourth, eighth, and ninth with times of 10:20.96, 10:39.91, and 10:43.76, respectively. 

Remich (4:33.88) finished fourth and Friedlander (4:49.23) came in seventh in the men's mile run, with Alivia Bryars (5:28.72) ending in eighth place and Ivy Chastain (5:32.31) 10th for the women at the same distance. 

In the men's 800-meter run Buddy Soto (1:57.32), Cameron Ellis (1:57.63) and Cameron Stokes (2:13.07) placed third, fourth, and 10th, respectively. Ravaughn Pope earned sixth place for the Jags in the men's 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.52. In the men's 200-meter dash Tevin Barnett placed seventh with a time of 22.83. Dominique Gaines, in her first meet for the Jags, earned a fifth-place finish with a time of 58.20 in the women's 400-meter dash with Marina Swanepoel placing seventh in the same race with a time of 58.25.

The men's and women's teams also competed in the 4x400 relays; the former placed third with a time of 3:20.30, while the latter was 10th after recording a time of 4:05.55.

"I hope we take this momentum into Christmas break and keep training up for the rest of the season," Brueske said of the team moving forward the rest of the season.

Emory scored 86 points to claim the women's event, with Kennesaw State tying the Jaguars for second place.  KSU won the men's competition after totaling 127 points and Central Arkansas coming in second with 122.5

USA will next be in action at the Commodore Indoor Invitational in Nashville, Tenn., on Jan. 16-17.

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).

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