MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama track and field teams took the top spot in 23 of the 35 events contested at the South Alabama Invitational Friday and Saturday at the Jaguar Track.
 
USA recognized the 16 members of this year's senior class at the conclusion of the meet.
 
MEET INFORMATION
Event: 2019 South Alabama Invitational
Dates: March 22-23
Host: South Alabama
Site: Jaguar Track
Results

NOTES
Men's Running Events
-Senior Alex Elam finished second in the men's 100m with a time of 10.93 seconds. Keith Davis was third (10.98 seconds) and Javen Jackson ran a personal-best 11.15-second race to earn a top-five finish.
-On their first collegiate attempts, freshmen Xavier Rogers (21.91 seconds) and Jalen Boyd (21.92 seconds) finished second and third, respectively, in the 200m. Thad Porter placed fourth with a time of 22.15 seconds.
-Boyd won the 400m in 49.24 seconds, crossing the line just ahead of runner-up Cam Martin-Stewart who ran a personal-best 49.53-seconds.
-Larry Lombard's personal-best time of 1:52.78 took first place in the 800m. Warno Potgieter earned second place in the race with a time of 2:00.79.
-Onesmus Kemboi won the 3,000m with a career-best 8:38.64 time. Freshman Thomas Sand Nielsen finished third (8:50.08).
-Freshmen Hunter Appling and Graham Collins placed second and fifth, respectively, in the 110m hurdles.
-Jackson had the fastest 400m hurdles time of the day, a season-best 54.60 seconds. Jacob Johnson finished third with a 56.02-second effort.
-USA swept the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relays. The 4 x 100m team of Davis, Elam, Jackson and Porter completed the race in 41.42 seconds. The 4 x 400m team of Boyd, Jackson, Rogers and Martin-Stewart covered the distance in 3:18.16.
 
Women's Running Events
-Carolien Millenaar took first place in the 800m and moved to seventh on the all-time Jaguar performance list with a time of 2:15.18. Freshmen Silje Lindstad and Shay Lee finished third and fourth, respectively.
-Cierra Hedrick won the 100m with a time of 12.15 seconds and finished second in the 200m with a season-best 24.69-second effort.
-Elysa Griffin picked up a top-five finish in the 100m after crossing the line in 12.86 seconds.
-Cindy von Ahlefeldt took second in the 400m with a time of 1:01.83.
-Andonet Cheruiyot won the 1,500m with a season-best time of 4:42.89. Senior Kailee Kiminski placed third with a time of 5:06.77.
-Emilie Berge ran the 100m hurdles in 14.18 seconds to earn the top spot. Taylor Dames crossed the line in 14.80 seconds to finish third.
-Darnesha Harris clocked personal-record times in the 100m hurdles (14.59 seconds) and 400m hurdles (1:03.20) to take second place in both events.
-Olivia Swan won the 400m hurdles with a season-best 1:02.84 effort.
-The 4 x 400m relay team of Griffin, Harris, Hedrick and Swan covered the distance in 3:58.20 to take first place.
 
Men's Field Events
-Christian Ellis recorded a 15.49m (50-09.75) triple jump mark that is the second-longest in USA program history. Porter took the runner-up spot in the event with a 14.30m (46-10.75) jump.
-Freshman Harry Barthelemy earned victories in the high jump (1.96m, 6-05.00) and long jump (7.12m, 23-04.25) events.
-Senior Sean Collins won the pole vault after clearing 4.95m (16-02.75).
-Jobi Finau won the discus with a 47.40m (155-06.00) throw and took third place in the hammer with a 49.62m (162-09.50) mark.
-Seniors Thomas and Ethan Boyd finished first and second, respectively, in both the shot put and hammer events. Ethan Boyd's 14.75m (48-04.50) shot put mark was a career-best.
-Freshman Devon Swainston's personal-best javelin throw of 55.56m (182-03.25) was good for a second-place finish. Cade Marty placed third with a 51.61m (169-03.75) throw.
-Graham Collins took top-three finishes in the pole vault (4.65m, 15-03.00) and long jump (6.86m, 22-06.00) competitions.
 
Women's Field Events
-Emilie Berge won the high jump with a 1.79m (5-10.50) mark that ties for second on the all-time USA performance list. Dames and Swan finished second and third with marks of 1.74m (5-08.50) and 1.69m (5-06.50), respectively.
-Angeline Smit's second-place, 14.29m (46-10.50) shot put effort ranks as the sixth-longest in Jaguar program history. The sophomore placed third in the discus with a 44.68m (146-07.00) throw.
-Halee Thomas ranks sixth in the USA record books after a first-place, 45.98m (150-10.00) javelin throw. Liz Bolden finished second in the event with a 41.44m (135-11.50) mark.
-Michaela Preachuk took first place in the hammer throw with a 60.14m (197-03.50) mark.
-Autavia Fluker won her second consecutive shot put event with a 15.84m (51-11.50) effort. The junior finished second with a 55.76m (182-11.25) hammer throw.
-Jessie Droogsma took the runner-up spot with a 46.90m (153-10.25) discus mark.
-Griffin and Hanna-Mai Vaikla each had season-best 5.51m (18-00.75) long jump marks and finished third and fourth, respectively, based on attempts.
-Savannah Howie earned a top-three pole vault finish after clearing 3.50m (11-05.75).
-Micayah Upshaw and Aryn McDowell took two of the top four triple jump spots with marks of 11.36m (37-03.00) and 11.26m (36-11.25), respectively.
 
UP NEXT
The Jaguars will travel to three states for three separate meets next weekend. The Texas Relays will be held March 27-30 in Austin, Texas, and the Florida Relays are scheduled for March 28-30 in Gainesville, Fla. USA will also send competitors to the Southern Miss Invitational March 29-30 in Hattiesburg, Miss.

QUOTES FROM COACH BRUESKE
On the meet: "We had a good day. The weather was great and the athletes competed well."
 
On this year's senior class: "We have a solid bunch of seniors that are not only great student-athletes but also great people."
 
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—