SFA to Host Skechers Carl Kight Invitational
4/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
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NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- The Stephen F. Austin track and field programs are set to host the lone home meet of the season this Thursday and Friday, as the Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks welcome nine teams to Homer Bryce Stadium for the annual Skechers Carl Kight Invitational.
The two-day meet will feature schools from three different states. Central Arkansas and Northwestern State will make the trip to Nacogdoches representing the Southland Conference while the participation of the University of Louisiana-Monroe makes for four Division I programs in action. Dallas Baptist, East Texas Baptist, Jarvis Christian College, UT-Tyler, Texas College and Wiley College round out the field of 10.
The hammer throw and the pole vault will get things started on Thursday afternoon for both the men and women beginning at 4:00 p.m. The `A' section of the long jump will conclude the field events on day one starting at 5:00 p.m. A distance carnival begins on Fletcher Garner Track later in the evening at 7:15 p.m. with all three distance events (1500m, 3000m steeple, 5000m) scheduled.
Field events will pick back up at 10:00 a.m. on Friday morning with the running events slated to begin at 1:25 p.m. The 4x400 meter relays will be the final two events of the meet tentatively set for 4:40 p.m. at the end of a rolling schedule on Saturday afternoon.
SFA has a host of student-athletes currently ranked in the top 50 of the USTFCCCA outdoor track and field preseason polls. Highlighting the list is junior NCAA record holder Demi Payne. In her first outdoor meet of the year last weekend at the prestigious Texas Relays, Payne broke an SFA outdoor record and earned a third place finish in the women's pole vault with a jump of 14-7.25 (4.45m). That mark is currently the second best height cleared in the NCAA this outdoor season. She will be in the field of five women on Thursday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. to start the meet.
Senior Josh Taylor has started his final outdoor campaign on the right foot as well. The two-time All-American and SFA record holder is coming off a huge 2014 season in the men's 400 meter hurdles. He has also been a key part of a young 4x400 team that broke the school record last season.
The 2015 relay team -- comprised of Taylor and freshmen Johnathan Joe, Tedrick Hawkins and My'Lik Kerley -- own the 13th-fastest time in the nation this season (3:08.51) after finishing fifth out of 46 teams last weekend at the Texas Relays.
Cameron Meyer, who will be competing unattached on Thursday, and Daven Murphree each sit among the nation's best in the pole vault preseason rankings on the men's side. Meyer has a personal best outdoor mark of 17-5 (5.31m) and Murphree has gone up and over 17-1 (5.21m).
Other notable events to watch include the women's 100-meter hurdles and the men's 4x100 relay. Senior Stephanie White is the school record holder in the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.44 seconds while the 4x100 team of DeAndre Burns, Trevon Caudle, Aaron Piper and Hawkins has posted a time of 40.95 already this season. 
Senior Cody Rhodes, who ranks ninth in the men's decathlon this year after a big week last week at the Texas Relays, will also be in action this week in multiple events.
Admission to the Skechers Carl Kight Invitational is $8.00 per person and will cover both days of the meet. Fans unable to make it out to Homer Bryce Stadium on Thursday or Friday will be able to watch all of the action via a live video stream courtesy of SFA All-Access.
-SFA-
