MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama track and field teams took a combined 20 events at Samford's Alabama Track Challenge in Birmingham, Ala., and the USA women's shot put record reset for the second time this season at the UC Davis Triton Invitational in San Diego, Calif.
 
Freshman Graham Collins scored 6,836 decathlon points—the second-best point total in Jaguar program history—with wins in five categories and a personal-best long jump mark of 6.91m (22-08.00) at Samford's Alabama Track Challenge, while the Triton Invitational saw junior Autavia Fluker set a new USA shot put record (16.22m, 53-02.75) on her final throw.

MEET INFORMATION
Event: 2019 Alabama Track Challenge
Dates: April 11-12
Host: Samford
Site: Birmingham CrossPlex
Results

NOTES
-Graham Collins' 6,836 decathlon point total ranks third in the Sun Belt, eighth on the NCAA Division I East Region performance list and 26th in the nation.
-Olivia Swan had season-best performances and took the top spot in the women's 400m hurdles and high jump. The senior now ranks third in the Sun Belt in both events and her 1.78m (5-10.00) high jump mark is tied for 20th in the NCAA.  
-Harry Barthelemy recorded a 2.07m (6-09.50) high jump to win the event and take third place in on the all-time USA performance list. The newcomer finished first among collegians and second overall with a 6.74m (22-01.25) long jump.
-Freshman Hunter Appling's second-place, 14.14 second 110m hurdles time is the third-fastest in Jaguar program history and ranks third in the conference.
-Carolien Millenaar won the 800m in a personal-best 2:12.57, a time which moves the sophomore to fourth in the all-time USA records.
-Angeline Smit recorded the second-longest shot put mark in the league this season, a 14.60m (47-11.00) effort which won the event and ranks fourth in program history. She finished fifth in the discus with a 43.91m (144-00.50) throw.
-Jessie Droogsma's first-place, 54.03m (177-03.00) hammer throw was the eighth-longest in Jaguar history. She placed fourth in the discus with a 44.92m (147-4.50) mark.
-Thomas Boyd picked up his fourth hammer throw win in as many attempts this season with a 57.01m (187-00.25) effort and took the runner-up position in the shot put after a 15.56m (51-00.50) toss.
-Emilie Berge won the women's 100m hurdles (14.38 seconds) and long jump (5.93m, 19-05.50). 
-The men's team crossed the line in 41.40 seconds and the women's team finished in 49.06 seconds to help USA sweep the 4 x 100m relays. The women also won the 4 x 400m relay with a time of 4:03.25.
-Christian Ellis recorded another men's triple jump victory with a 15.36m (50-04.50) effort.
-Thad Porter's 10.91-second 100m time was good for a first-place finish. The sophomore had a 13.28m (43-06.75) triple jump to take fifth place in the event.
-USA had the top three finishers in the men's pole vault (Sean Collins, Chris Taylor and Connor Allred) and women's javelin (Hanna-Mai Vaikla, Liz Bolden and Halee Thomas). Allred's 4.75m (15-07.00) height was a career-best.
-Ben Rolader ran the mile in 4:36.04 to earn a victory in his first collegiate attempt. On the women's side, Silje Lindstad finished fifth after covering the distance in 5:20.15 in her first attempt.
-Freshman Jalen Boyd won the 400m with a time of 49.59 seconds, followed by senior Larry Lombard at 49.89 seconds. Xavier Rogers (50.10 seconds) and Cam Martin-Stewart (50.41 seconds) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
-Keith Davis earned the top spot in the 200m with a time of 21.91 seconds, followed by Rogers (22.12 seconds) and Jalen Boyd (22.25 seconds). D.J. Taylor (22.71 seconds) crossed the line fifth.
-Caitlyn Dressler cleared 3.50m (11-05.75) to place second in the women's pole vault.
-Jobi Finau finished second in the discus with a 45.09m (147-11.00) mark and fourth in the hammer throw with a season-best 52.31m (171-07.25) effort.
-Darnesha Harris ran the women's 100m hurdles in 14.77 seconds and the 400m hurdles in 1:05.68 to place third in both races.
-Cierra Hedrick took top-five finishes in the 100m (12.36 seconds, fourth) and 200m (25.41 seconds, fifth).
-Mary Franklin King finished fifth in the women's 3,000m with a time of 11:58.57, which eclipsed her previous personal-best by more than 27 seconds.
-Other Jaguars who earned top-five finishes in their respective events include Ethan Boyd (men's hammer throw and shot put, third), Sam Brown (men's high jump, fourth), Taylor Dames (women's high jump, second), Elysa Griffin (women's long jump, fifth), Javen Jackson (men's 400m hurdles, third), Cade Marty (men's javelin, fourth), Micayah Upshaw (women's triple jump, fourth), Vaikla (women's long jump, fourth) and Cindy von Ahlefeldt (women's 400m hurdles, fourth).
 
MEET INFORMATION
Event: 2019 Triton Invitational
Date: April 12-13
Host: UC San Diego
Site: Triton Track & Field Stadium
Results
 
NOTES
-Fluker's 16.22m (53-02.75) shot put mark earned her a fifth-place finish and leads the Sun Belt standings this season. She is ranked 10th in the NCAA Division I East Region and holds one of the top 25 marks in the country.
-Fluker finished sixth in a 50-person invitational field with a 59.25m (194-04.50) hammer throw.
 
UP NEXT
USA will send selected student-athletes to Torrance, Calif., April 18-20 for the Mt. SAC Relays. The remainder of the team will travel to Auburn, Ala., April 19-20 for the War Eagle Invitational.

QUOTES FROM COACH BRUESKE
On the Alabama Track Challenge: "For the most part, Samford was a good meet for us. It is great to be able to get in a good friendly meet and have our athletes do so well."
 
On the freshman class: "I thought (Graham) Collins, Barthelemy and Appling performed well. We have some talented freshmen, with some more talented recruits on their way. If these folks stay focused our future should be bright."
 
On Fluker's performance: "To travel to the other side of the country after experiencing some travel issues and still put together a solid meet against some of the best in the nation is encouraging. She had her second-best hammer throw ever after a long day of traveling and then got a school record today on her sixth and final throw. It made the long trip worthwhile."
 
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—