TASHA BAILEY

lba011@latech.edu

 

The Tech track and field squad finished with nine wins and multiple regional qualifying marks at the Bulldog Invitational on Saturday at Mississippi State’s W.O. Spencer Stadium/Carl Maddox Track.

Tech’s men were led by senior Jason Morgan, who turned in regional qualifying throws in both the shot put and discus, while the women were led by the nationally ranked sprinter tandem of senior Donesha Spivey and junior Latonia Wilson, both of whom took home top place finishes with regional qualifying times.

“There were some good schools at Mississippi State,” Tech head coach Gary Stanley said.

“We were trying not to spread ourselves too thin, and so we limited our competition, but we had some very good performances.”

Senior Brenda-Grace Hunt shined in the field for Tech, with a regional qualifying throw of 44.98 meters in the javelin, landing her a first-place finish.

Junior Shaterika Allen also hit a regional qualifying mark in the women’s shot put with a throw of 14.72 meters which was good enough for a second-place finish.

Wilson, currently ranked eighth nationally in the 400M, finished first at the meet in the women’s 110M, clocking a regional qualifying mark of 11.67.

In the women’s 400 hurdles, junior Miriam Barnes finished first for Tech with a time of 1:00.95.

Spivey hit a regional qualifying mark and first-place finish with a time of 23.85 in the 200M dash, while junior Nina Gilbert finished in second at 23.87, the only other regional qualifying time in the event.

Senior thrower Monica Williams also qualified for the regional meet in the discus with a throw of 47.44 meters, earning her first place in the meet.

The women’s 4x100 team of Gilbert, Spivey, Wilson and junior Lasaides McClain, ranked 10th in the country, also qualified for regional competition with a first-place finishing time of 45.00.

The second-ranked women’s 4x400 team finished just behind top ranked LSU at 3:47.08.

Senior Nolan Jackson claimed a first-place finish in the men’s 110-meter hurdles, with junior John Kent finishing closely behind in third.

Morgan secured his place at the Regional meet with a top-place finish in the discus with a throw of 53.72 meters and a second- place performance in the shot put with a throw of 16.84 meters.

With the women’s team getting attention as of late with their string of recent victories and national rankings, Stanley also feels the Tech men are becoming a strong team.

“The men’s squad is on the verge of busting out.” Stanley said,

“Jason [Morgan] is having a great year, and they have some good potential.”

Prior to the meet in Starkville, Tech’s track team saw success at the LSU Relays in Baton Rouge on March 25, taking home a barrage of top finishes and regional marks.

“We had a heck of a day,” Stanley said of the final day in Baton Rouge. “We had a lot of good finishes.”

Spivey took home another regional qualifying time and No. One finish in the 100 M with a time of 11.55, while John Kent reserved a spot at the Regional meet with a second-place finish in the 110M hurdles.

The women’s relay teams also saw success, with the 4X100, 4x200 and 4x400 teams all coming in second place.

The 4X200 team set a new school record by posting a time of 1:34.25.

Tech track and field resumes action this afternoon when they will take part in the country’s second-largest meet, the Texas Relays, in Austin.

“[The Texas Relays] are going to be a huge meet for us,” Stanley said, “There will be teams for both the west coast and east coast. We are hoping to finish high in the rankings.”