MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama track and field teams competed in Auburn's War Eagle Invitational Friday and Saturday, while five Jaguar throwers entered events at Saturday's 2019 LSU Alumni Gold in Baton Rouge, La.
 
Senior Sean Collins took the men's pole vault win at Auburn, clearing 5.40m (17-08.50)—his best mark of the season—to move to second in the Sun Belt standings and tie for 11th on the NCAA Division I performance list.

MEET INFORMATION
Event: 2019 War Eagle Invitational
Dates: April 19-20
Host: Auburn
Site: Hutsell-Rosen Track
Results

NOTES
-Carolien Millenaar's career-record 4:33.84 time in the women's 1,500m invitational ranks third in the conference and moves the sophomore to sixth on the all-time USA performance list. She placed fifth in the 800m (2:13.33).
-Warno Potgieter took the runner-up spot in the men's 1,500m invitational with a time of 3:54.46. Onesmus Kemboi crossed the line in 3:57.10 to finish fourth.
-Senior Larry Lombard remains fifth in the Sun Belt standings after a fourth-place, personal-best 800m time of 1:52.68.
-Silje Lindstad ran a career-best 4:41.16 to take fourth place in the women's 1,500m and completed the 3,000m steeplechase in 11:11.16 to finish fifth.
-Christian Ellis finished fourth in the men's triple jump with a 15.25m (50-00.50) effort. On the women's side, Micayah Upshaw tied her career-long triple jump mark (11.43m, 37-06.00).
-Auburn transfer Andonet Cheruiyot ran the women's 5,000m invitational in 17:34.24, the fifth-fastest in the field.
-Olivia Swan and Taylor Dames had identical 1.71m (5-07.25) high jump marks to tie for fifth in the invitational event.
-Freshman Hunter Appling's 14.42-second 110m hurdles time was good for fifth place.
-Emilie Berge took sixth in the women's long jump (5.82m, 19-01.25) and eighth in the 100m hurdles (14.44 seconds).
-USA's men's and women's 4 x 400m relay teams recorded season-best times of 3:16.11 and 3:54.27, respectively. The women took fifth place in their event.
-Three Jaguar freshmen—Jalen Boyd, Xavier Rogers and Cam Martin-Stewart—had career-best 400m races. Boyd ranks eighth in the conference standings, while Rogers' time ranks 10th.
-Savannah Howie tied her season-high pole vault mark, clearing 3.50m (11-05.75). 
-Female Jaguars turning in season-best efforts included Swan (100m hurdles), Hanna-Mai Vaikla (100m hurdles, 200m), Cierra Hedrick (200m), Cindy von Ahlefeldt (400m) and Esherika Hawkins (hammer throw).
-Season-best performances on the men's side included Thad Porter (100m), Potgieter (800m) and Hunter Peters (400m hurdles).
 
MEET INFORMATION
Event: 2019 LSU Alumni Gold
Date: April 20
Host: LSU
Site: Bernie Moore Track Stadium
Results 
 
NOTES
-Autavia Fluker finished second in the women's shot put with a 15.68m (51-05.50) effort. The junior placed third overall and first among collegians in the hammer throw. Her 59.48m (195-01.50) mark just edged fellow Jaguar Michaela Preachuk, who finished fourth with a 58.78m (192-10.00) throw.
-Thomas Boyd earned a top-five men's hammer throw finish after a 56.68m (185-11.50) toss. His 15.60m (51-02.25) shot put mark was good for seventh place.
-Jobi Finau's 46.50m (152-06.50) discus throw was the sixth-longest in the field. 
 
UP NEXT
USA closes out the regular season in Hattiesburg, Miss. April 26-27 at the Southern Miss Open.

QUOTES FROM COACH BRUESKE
On this weekend's meets: "We faced some tough competition this week. We saw some good things."
 
On Fluker's efforts at LSU: "Fluker put together another solid performance against tough competition. She competed in her events back to back in one day and did a respectable job."
 
On Sean Collins: "Sean has faced so much adversity, but he does not make excuses or feel sorry for himself; he always seems to figure out a way to be competitive. We are blessed to have him. He is such a tough competitor."
 
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—