Stephen F. Austin
SLC Indoor Championships
Ladyjacks Win Third Consecutive SLC Indoor Title
2/26/2011 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Feb. 26, 2011
NORMAN, Okla. - In what has become a very familiar site at the Southland Conference Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks won the 2011 Southland Conference Indoor Track and Field title. The Ladyjacks scored 115.5 points to outdistance the competition by nearly 20 points Saturday afternoon in Norman, Okla. It marks the third consecutive indoor title, and the fifth-straight track and field title for the women. The Lumberjacks scored 105.5 points and finished third overall, less than six points out of second.
The SFA men and women combined to record three individual conference titles, and had 12 more athletes earn All-SLC honors. SFA also set two school records on the final day of the meet.
"This may have been the most satisfying victory I've had the honor of being a part of," said SFA head coach Phil Olson. "We have had to overcome a tremendous amount of difficulty since the beginning of January. You really have to give credit to our kids for coming out everyday and giving us everything they have. Both our men's and our women's teams really put it on the line today. Myself, and my staff, couldn't be more proud of what they have accomplished."
Freshman Chelsea Stephen gave the Ladyjacks a boost to start the second day of action. The Hightower, Texas native was the only Ladyjack to finish in the top eight of the 60-meter hurdles, but she made the most of her opportunity clocking a time of 8.55 to win the conference title.
Senior Andrew Plentl gave the Lumberjacks a strong start to the day's action. He entered the final event of the heptathlon, 1,000-meter run, fourth overall, but clocked a strong performance to finish third and earn All-SLC honors.
Shortly after Plentl's all-conference performance in the heptathlon, junior Jon Arthur earned All-SLC honors in the shot put. Arthur set a new school record in the event with a toss of 59-5.00 to finish second overall.
East Texas native Mary Dickerson continued to prove to the league that she is one of the best 400-meter runners in the Southland Conference. The Groveton, Texas, native clocked a time of 55.95 to win the event. She was one of three Ladyjacks to advance to the finals. Freshman Paige McCutcheon finished sixth overall just edging out teammate Amahra Edwards.
The `Jacks were just as strong in the men's 400-meters placing three in the finals. Freshman Cass Brown clocked a time of 48.94 to finish fourth overall. Senior Donavon Sammons was fifth clocking a time of 49.43, while teammate Hampton Hawkins was sixth (49.47).
Junior Nick McCloud had a busy day for the Lumberjacks Saturday. He added to the Lumberjacks individual title haul when he clocked a time of 7.82 to win the 60-meter hurdles. McCloud returned to the track to post a sixth-place finish in the men's 60-meter dash (6.85), just edging out freshman Eldridge Mumphrey.
McCloud was back on the track in the men's 200, and again led a trio of Lumberjacks in the finals. McCloud posted a time of 22:01 to finish fourth just missing all-conference honors, while freshman Cass Brown was seventh (22.59) and Ty Thomas was eighth (22.61) overall.
Freshman Jamal Peden just missed another all-conference honor in the triple jump. The Wylie, Texas product recorded a jump of 50-5.25 to finish fourth in the event, scoring five points for the SFA men. Classmate Nathan Collier clocked a personal-best time of 4:16.41 to finish fifth overall in the men's 1,500 meters.
Junior Danielle Burchett tacked on an all-conference performance in the women's 800 meters. She finished third overall with a time of 2:12.00. It marks the second time this season that Burchett has set a school record in the event.
Junior Macy Wade recorded the strongest meet of her career in the pole vault. One of two Ladyjacks to score in the event, Wade cleared a personal-best height of 12-3.50 to finish second overall to earn all-league honors. Classmate Sarah Sloan finished seventh in the event with a mark of 10-10.00.
Leading by less than seven points heading into the women's 3,000 meters, freshman Lauren Smith and senior Megan Jenkins lock up the victory heading into the 1,600-meter relay. Smith earned All-SLC honors by finishing third in the event (10:05.15), while Jenkins was fifth (10:04.55). Xavier Rodriguez clocked a time of 8:32.46 to finish fifth overall in the men's 3,000-meters.
The Ladyjacks closed out the meet with a fourth-place finish in the women's 4X400-meter relay with a time of 3:54.29, while the `Jacks clocked a time of 3:18.16 just missing a conference title with a second-place finish.
-SFA-
