Stephen F. Austin
Texas Relays
`Jacks Excel Between Meets Across the Nation on Friday
4/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Stephen F. Austin at the Texas Relays
Mike A. Myers Stadium • Austin, Texas
Friday Results 
• Texas Relays HQ
Stephen F. Austin at the Bobcat Invitational
Bobcat Track and Field Stadium • San Marcos, Texas
Friday Results
Stephen F. Austin at the SF State Distance Carnival
Cox Stadium • San Francisco, Calif.
Friday Results
Stephen F. Austin at the Stanford Invitational
Cobb Track and Angell Field • Stanford, Calif.
Friday Results
AUSTIN, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin track and field teams posted good results between four different meets on Friday as athletes competed in the Texas Relays, the Texas State Bobcat Invitational, the Stanford Invitational and the San Francisco State Distance Carnival throughout the day.
Senior distance runner Charles Mathenge continued to rewrite the SFA record book at the Stanford Invitational late on Friday evening. He took down a 14-year-old school record in the 10,000-meter run with a new personal best of 29:23.59. The mark helped the Kenyan move past Nathan Flores' previous standard of 29:27.29 set in 2002.
Mathenge finished 20th out of 36 of the nation's best in the sport and is in prime position to qualify for the NCAA First Rounds in May. He now holds six schools records at SFA between indoor and outdoor track and cross country.
The SFA 4x400-meter relay teams fared well in the world famous Nike Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin on Friday. The men captured the second fastest qualifying time among 34 relays with a mark of 3:09.81. Johnathan Joe, Will Gibson, D'Lance Sharp and My'Lik Kerley teamed up for the time - a season-best for the Lumberjacks. Only TCU was able to come in faster than SFA, edging out the `Jacks by just 0.46 seconds.
Valerie Osamor, Aliyah Davis, Tiffany Williams and Dawnshae Evans also qualified for Saturday's final in the 4x400m, crossing in 3:45.58 to place third out of 32. The Ladyjacks were the fastest relay in the Southland Conference and only fell short of Purdue and UTSA.
Entering the weekend with the 18th fastest men's mile relay in the nation, the `Jacks can improve on that even more when they compete in the finals at 4:05 p.m. on Saturday. The women will also race around that time, hoping to jump over some teams and improve on their No. 39 ranking in the country.
Lucas Akins used a new personal best to grab runner-up honors in his section of the men's discus throw at the Texas Relays. On his final of six attempts, he spun one 172-9 (52.66m) to jump up to second out of 16 competitors. The throw would be good enough for the No. 3 spot in the SLC.
Over in San Marcos at the Bobcat Invitational, freshman Isiah Pittman was busy putting up a big result in the men's long jump. He catapulted 24-3 (7.39m) to prevail as the champion in the 23-man field. Pittman currently holds the third best mark in the event in the league.
Just one day removed from placing third in the 1,500-meter run at the Texas Relays, Quinlin McGregor was back at it again on Friday at Texas State. He took fifth out of 37 in the same event, using a time of 3:58.11 to do so.
Noah Gilfillan tied for second in the Bobcat pole vault competition. He jumped 15-11 (4.85m) to finish even with South Florida's David Bell.
Out west at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival, Colby Mehmen and Nicholas Guerra battled in a competitive men's 10,000-meter field consisting of 95 entrants. Mehmen registered a new PR at 30:16.50 to place 15th overall. Only one other runner in the entire NCAA West Region owned a better time entering the weekend.
Guerra came just two seconds shy of setting a new personal best in his first 10k race in two years. He crossed 25th in 30:31.52.
The weekend's action will conclude on Saturday at the Texas Relays and the Bobcat Invitational. Demi Payne will take to the runway of the women's elite pole vault in Austin beginning at 4:45 p.m.
-SFA-
