SFA to Face Nation's Best in New Mexico
2/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Meet Information/Schedule
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin track and field program will see some of the best athletes in the country this weekend as they travel to Albuquerque for the New Mexico Collegiate Classic on Friday and Saturday.
The Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks are coming off a good weekend at the Howie Ryan Invitational in Houston and at the UW Invitational in Seattle. A new school record was set and more athletes climbed to the top of the podium before the weekend was through.
Senior Demi Payne continued her hot start to the 2015 indoor season, winning her third consecutive women’s pole vault title in Houston. She launched herself over 15-1.75 (4.62m) on Friday afternoon to breeze by the 19-woman field by over two feet and set a Yeoman Fieldhouse record. After securing the individual crown, Payne threatened to claim her fourth NCAA record in three weeks but fell just short of 15-7.25 (4.76m) on three jumps.
On Jan. 24 at the Albuquerque Convention Center – the same location as this weekend’s meet – Payne broke her own national mark two times and currently still holds the best height cleared in the world this year at 15-7 (4.75m). She will look to raise the bar even higher when she returns to the scene of the crime this weekend with former NCAA record holders Sandi Morris (Arkansas) and Kaitlin Petrillose (Texas) among a strong 41-woman field.
Payne, along with Morris, was named to The Bowerman Trophy Watch List, an award recognizing the top collegiate athlete in the nation, on Thursday.
A week after winning the men’s 4x400 meter relay in Houston, SFA sprinters Johnathan Joe, Joshua Taylor, My'Lik Kerley and Cass Brown-Stewart will also be back in action this weekend in New Mexico. The women’s unit of Dar'Keisha Tryon, Cierra Jefferson, DeJernel Jordan and Jessica Hatchett will look to improve on their fourth place finish in Houston when they take to the track. The men’s relay will start on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. CT with the women’s relay to follow.
Senior Brarysheyia Simpson, who won the women’s 400-meter dash last weekend, will represent the Ladyjacks in the same event on Saturday starting at 2:55 p.m. CT.
Overall, 21 SFA athletes will be competing this weekend in a loaded field. The group will be in the mix of athletes from 28 different schools from across the country. Conferences represented include the Pac-12 (3), Big 12 (2), SEC (2) and Mountain West (3) while Abilene Christian is the only other Southland Conference program heading west.
Daven Murphree, Cameron Meyer and the rest of the men’s pole vaulters will start the meet on Friday evening at 5:00 p.m. CT. La'Tricia Griffin and the women’s shot put field will pick things up on Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. CT.
For live results from this weekend’s events, fans can check out LiveRunningResults.com and follow updates on Twitter (@SFA_TFXC). Live updates on the women’s pole vault on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. CT will be provided by New Mexico athletics (@Lobo_track).
-SFA-
