Stephen F. Austin
Central Arkansas Open
SFA Dominates UCA Open
4/19/2014 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
April 19, 2014
UCA Open Results 
| Mt. SAC Relays Results
CONWAY, Ark. – It was another full week of action for the Stephen F. Austin track and field team that included more than a dozen meet records and two new school records.
The Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks were at the UCA Open. The meet provided an opportunity for SFA to compete at the facility hosting this year’s Southland Conference Championship and get familiar with the track.
It was a successful trip with SFA winning 16 events and setting 14 meet records along with one school record at the UCA Open.
The Ladyjacks dominated the meet with 11 of SFA’s 16 victories. Madison Johnston improved on her own school record in the javelin with a throw of 50.06 meters (164-03). She improves her mark by three inches and remains No. 22 in the NCAA this season.
Stephanie White set two meet records winning the 100 meter hurdles with a new personal best time of 13.84 seconds and in the 400 meter hurdles at 1:00.77. Josh Taylor continued his dominance of the 400 meter hurdles for the men this season with a win and meet record time of 51.30 seconds.
SFA made it a double in the long jump as well for meet records. Jamal Peden leapt 7.40 meters (24-03.50) to win the men’s event by more than a foot. Kirsten Knox dominated the women’s field at 5.93 meters to tie her personal best and win by 5.5 inches.
Jumps was a strong event for SFA with Heather McPherson winning the women’s high jump and tying the previous meet record of 1.67 meters (5-05.75). Melai Carter tied her mark for SFA to finish second based on misses.
SFA cruised by the field in two events going1-2-3 in the men’s pole vault and women’s discus.
Colton Ross notched another victory in setting a meet record in the men’s pole vault at 5.31 meters (17-06.50). Cameron Meyer and Daven Murphree were behind him at 5.01 meters (16-05.25) to tie for second.
In women’s discus, La’Tricia Griffin won at 43.67 meters (143-03) to best the previous meet record by a large margin. She was followed by Johnston in second place at 42.84 meters (140-07), a mark good enough to beat the previous meet record as well. Jessica Spelling was third at 41.51 meters (136-02).
Chasity Clark and Brarysheyia Simpson kept their fast times coming for the Ladyjacks. Clark set the UCA Open meet record in the 200 meters at 23.97 seconds and also finished second in the 100 meters. Simpson ruled the 400 meters in 54.93 seconds.
SFA dominated the relays on Saturday with the women winning both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays and setting meet records. The Ladyjacks clocked in at 45.84 seconds in the 4x100 and 3:44.07 in the 4x400. The time in the 4x100 is the fastest this season by the Ladyjacks. The men’s 4x400 relay also set a meet record for the Lumberjacks at 3:08.42.
While the majority of the team went to the UCA Open at Central Arkansas, three of SFA’s top distance runners went to the West Coast and did not disappoint at the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays.
The fireworks at Mt. SAC Relays came for SFA in the women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase. Laurie Byrd finished 14th in the women’s open A race against some of the nation’s top runners. Her time of 10:47.79 shaved more than a second off her own school record.
Nick Guerra also had a great showing at Mt. SAC Relays finishing in 19th place in the 10,000 meters. He clocked in at 30:29.28 to improve his personal record by nearly 50 seconds.
Freshman Quilin McGregor ran to a new PR at the Mt. SAC Relays as well, finishing 34th in the men’s 1,500 meters. He ran the race in 3:50.76 to now rank third in the Southland Conference.
The track and field team will return to closer quarters next week with the majority of the team heading to Houston for the J. Fred Duckett Twilight on Saturday. A small group will go to one of the longest running and most prestigious meets in all of track and field, the Penn Relays.
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