T&F Sends Athletes to California/Baylor
4/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Mt. SAC Relays Info
Bryan Clay Invitational Info
Michael Johnson Classic Info
NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- The Stephen F. Austin Track and Field teams will split up this week to compete in two elite meets. A handful of SFA distance runners will be traveling to the edge of the U.S. to take part in the Mt. SAC relays in Walnut, California on Thursday and Friday, while the rest of the Lumberjacks/Ladyjacks will compete in the Michael Johnson Classic at Baylor University on Saturday.
With just a couple more competitions remaining before the Southland Conference Outdoor Championships in Hammond from May 8-10, every race, every throw and every jump becomes more and more important to prepare for the championship season.
Brittany Innis and Courtney High will start the busy track and field week with their races at the Mt. SAC Relays. Innis, the school record holder in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase, will get an opportunity to improve on the program's top mark when she competes in the event starting at 8:22 p.m. CT. High will take the stage at 9:45 p.m. CT in the women's 10,000-meter run.
Later in the evening, Charles Mathenge, Colby Mehmen and Samantha Ottman will each compete in separate 10k races. In what are expected to be fast races among some of the sport's top athletes, the SFA men's 10k outdoor record of 29:27.29 will be in jeopardy when Mathenge races at 11:46 p.m. CT and Mehmen takes to the track at 12:44 a.m. CT. Rounding out SFA's competitors in action on Thursday will be Ottman in the women's 10k, starting at 1:15 a.m. CT.
On Friday, school record holder Rana Ryan will run in the women's 1,500-meter run at 1:00 p.m. CT as the last SFA Mt. SAC entry.
The distance crew will then travel to Azusa Pacific University where Anthony Gallardo will race in the men's 5k at 8:30 p.m. CT as part of the Bryan Clay Invitational.
On Saturday at the Michael Johnson Classic, the rest of the Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks will be action starting at 11:00 a.m. with the hammer throw. Running events will get underway at 1:00 p.m. at Hart Track and Field Stadium with the 100/110-meter hurdles. The men's and women's 4x400 meter relay races will close the meet starting at 8:10 p.m. Both the Lumberjack and Ladyjack teams will be among the favorites to challenge for the relay titles.
One of the events that will create the most buzz on Saturday afternoon is the women's pole vault competition. NCAA indoor record holder Demi Payne has threatened to set a new NCAA outdoor standard in each of the last two weeks. At the SFA Skechers Carl Kight Invitational on April 2 and at the Texas Invitational last Saturday, Payne has had three good attempts at what would be a new record height of 15-1.75 (4.62m). Saturday could be the day that the junior accomplishes history yet again when she competes at 5:00 p.m.
Another SFA student-athlete to watch this weekend will be newcomer My'Lik Kerley. The versatile freshman was clocked at 47.21 seconds in the 400m last week at the Texas Relays while recording an impressive 45.90 second split in the men's 4x400. Also a talented high jumper, Kerley will be a contender in each of his events at Baylor.
Live results for the Michael Johnson Classic will be provided by Delta Timing and the Mt. SAC Relays results can be found on the meet home page.
-SFA-
