MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama track and field team competed this weekend at Vanderbilt's Commodore Invitational, recording five finishes in the top three at the meet held on Friday and Saturday at the Vanderbilt Student Rec Center.

"We had some good things happen this weekend," said head track and field coach Paul Brueske. "We were a little rusty in some of the more technical events, however we also had several performances that ought to be very competitive in the league."

LaMia Miller earned second place for the Jaguars — the team's highest finish — in the women's shot put with a throw of 13.71m, less than a meter behind the winner from Western Kentucky. In the women's long jump Ariel Johnson placed third with a distance of 5.25m, while Christoph Graf recorded a time of 8:20.86 to come in third in the men's 3000-meter run and Michael Remich placed third in the 5000-meter run with a time of 16:02.66.

Rafael Scott was third in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.85, in the 400-meter dash Mark Watts came in fourth after posting a 48.18-second mark and Cameron Ellis ended up fifth with a time of 1:56.68 in the men's 800-meter run. Renaldo Frechou posted a mark of 18.24m to finish fourth in the men's weight throw as well.

Kaitlyn Beans placed fourth the women's triple jump with a distance of 12.57m to go along with a fifth-place finish in the long jump (5.61m). Miller (15.81m), Morgan Jones (15.47m), and Phoebe Dowson (14.05m) finished fifth, seventh, and 10th, respectively, in the women's weight throw.

In the men's pole vault in sixth place Niel Giliomee (4.90m), with Jordan Friz coming in 10th place with a height of 3.70m in the women's event.

Alivia Bryars competed in the 800-meter dash, earning a seventh-place finish with a time of 2:19.31, and Jan-Louw Kotze placed seventh in the men's shot with a throw of 15.10m. Jasmine Ferguson placed eighth with a mark of 12.47m in the shot put and was 11th in the high jump with a height of 1.56m.

Competing for the women in the 400-meter dash Marina Swanepoel came in 10th place (58.06).

"We identified some areas we need to improve, now we just need to go back to work on Monday," Brueske said looking toward the Jaguars' upcoming schedule. 

The Jags will be back in action Wednesday at the Samford Stand Alone Multi in Birmingham, Ala.

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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