MOBILE, Ala. – Three University of South Alabama track and field student-athletes will compete in the multis portion of LSU's Bayou Bengal Invitational in Baton Rouge, La. Jan. 31—Feb. 1 and USA will host the Jaguar Invitational at the Birmingham CrossPlex Feb. 3.
MEET INFORMATION
Event: Bayou Bengal Invitational
Date: Jan. 31 – Feb. 1
Host: LSU
Site: Carl Maddox Fieldhouse
FIELD (15)
Grambling, Hinds CC, Lamar, Louisiana, LSU, McNeese State, Meridian, New Orleans, Nicholls, Northwestern State, South Alabama, Southern, Texas Southern, Tulane, ULM
NOTES
-Emilie Berge ranks second in the all-time Jaguar pentathlon records after accumulating 3,947 points to win the 2017 Sun Belt Indoor Track & Field Championships. She did not compete in the pentathlon during the 2018 season.
-Hanna-Mai Vaikla finished third at the 2018 conference meet with a pentathlon score of 3,645.
-Graham Collins, a freshman from Mobile, Ala.'s McGill-Toolen Catholic High School, will be making his collegiate heptathlon debut at the meet.
-The Bayou Bengal Invitational multis kick off at 3:30 p.m. Thursday with the men's 60m. Friday's first event, the men's 60m hurdles, is scheduled for 11 a.m.
MEET INFORMATION
Event: Jaguar Invitational
Date: Feb. 3
Host: South Alabama
Site: Birmingham CrossPlex
FIELD (13)
Alabama-Birmingham, Alcorn State, Jackson State, Lee (Tenn.), Louisiana Tech, Memphis, Mercer, Meridian CC, Mississippi Valley, Samford, Southeastern Louisiana, South Alabama, Texas State
NOTES
-Junior Autavia Fluker broke her own school record for the second consecutive week and currently leads the Sun Belt Conference with a 15.44m (50-08.00) shot put mark at the Vanderbilt Indoor.
-Michaela Preachuk, the 2018 conference weight throw champion, had a mark of 18.22m (59-09.50) at the UAB Blazer Invitational. The senior holds the top spot in the Sun Belt standings.
-Sophomore transfer Onesmus Kemboi leads the league in the men's 5,000m after posting a time of 15:00.59 at the Vanderbilt Indoor.
-Jaguar Invitational field events will begin at 12:10 p.m. Sunday with the women's high jump. Running events are set for a 12:30 p.m. start time with the women's mile.
QUOTES FROM COACH BRUESKE
On the Bayou Bengal Invitational: "It's a combined events competition, so it will be the pentathlon and heptathlon. We're sending Emilie Berge, Hanna-Mai Vaikla, and freshman Graham Collins. This will be his first collegiate heptathlon. Those guys have struggled with some minor injuries. This will be their first outing, so hopefully everything will go well. We expect them to be competitive in the Sun Belt Conference; this will be good preparation for that."
On hosting the Jaguar Invitational: "We'll have a lot of teams there, including some good Division I teams. I think the competition is going to be good. Hopefully that will push our athletes to improve their personal bests and get us one step closer to reaching our potential. We're looking for this to bring out great efforts from our athletes."
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—
