Four SFA Athletes Earn All-Region Honors
6/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
June 4, 2007
The Stephen F. Austin men's and women's track and field team had four athletes that earned all-region honors at the 2007 NCAA Midwest Regional Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Seniors Leah Matthews, Darwin Johnson, Kenneth McKinley and junior Wade Whittington all received the honor.
Matthews finished second in the long jump with a school record leap of 20-8.00. Matthews' mark was good enough to earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Outdoor Championships, which begin Wednesday in Sacramento, Calif.
McKinley recorded a throw of 56-1.25 to finish seventh overall in the event. McKinley recorded his top-eight throw during his second attempt in the competition.
Johnson set a school record in the discus throw and finished eighth overall in the event. He recorded a season-best throw of 180-5 to finish among the field's top eight.
Whittington won his flight in the javelin throw and finished sixth overall in the event. Whittington recorded a throw of 208-5 to finish among the region's top six in the event.
Both Matthews and McKinley have been named 2007 SFA Track and Field Team MVPs. Matthews earned all-conference honors in the pentathlon during the indoor season, and followed that up with a fourth-place finish in the heptathlon during outdoors, and is the school record holder in the long jump. She will go in search of national honors Wednesday as she prepares to compete in the long jump at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
McKinley battled through an injury-plagued senior season to return to the top of the Southland Conference. He won the 2007 SLC Outdoor title in the shot put, and concludes his career as a three-time SLC individual champion and a five-time All-SLC honoree.
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