Morgan Smalls, Tzuriel Pedigo, and Sara Funderburk won event titles as the LSU Track and Field team closed out competition in Tempe, Arizona at the Baldy Castillo Invitational on Saturday.
Jake Norris was the top collegiate finisher in the hammer throw with a toss of 223 feet and one inch (68.00 meters). This mark earned him a second-place finish overall behind professional Adam Keenan. The mark is an early outdoor NCAA lead for Norris.
In the women’s 200-meter dash, the LSU sprinters scooped up four of the top six spots. Leah Phillips (23.33) and Alia Armstrong (23.34) sprinted to a two-three finish with personal bests. Amber Anning (23.51) and Tionna Beard-Brown (23.66) finished in fourth and sixth place.
The duo of Da’Marcus Fleming (21.00) and Dorian Camel (21.03) secured the fifth and sixth positions in the men’s 200-meter dash. Ronnie Rounds’ best clearance of 6 feet, 8.75 inches (2.05 meters) in the high jump earned him a sixth-place finish. Garriel White (24.34), Ashton Hicks (21.44), and Aaron Smith (21.89) all collected personal bests in the 200-meter dash as well.
Morgan Smalls and Serena Bolden started the second day of the Baldy Castillo Invitational for LSU with a one-two finish in the long jump. They both recorded their best marks in this event in the second round. Smalls leaped out to a distance of 19 feet, 11.75 inches (6.14 meters) for the win, while Bolden notched a mark of 19 feet, 4.75 inches (5.91 meters).
Tzuriel Pedigo and Eli Gaughan finished the same as the jumping duo of Smalls & Bolden as they took the top two spots in the javelin. Pedigo, the 2021 NCAA champion in the event, unleashed a 240-foot two-inch throw (73.22 meters) on his second try of the day for the win. This throw is an early NCAA lead in the event. Gaughan collected a career best heave of 227 feet four inches (69.31 meters) on his fourth attempt and won silver. This mark is two inches shy of the No. 10 spot on the all-time LSU list.
Sara Funderburk was the third event winner of the day for the Tigers. She ran the 1,500-meter run in a career best time of 4:25.05 for the victory. This run took more than three and a half seconds off her prior career best. Addison Stevenson placed fifth with a time of 4:28.54.
The women’s 4×100 meter relay of Alia Armstrong, Tionna Beard-Brown, Hannah Douglas, and Favour Ofili took silver with a time of 43.15 in their first outdoor relay of the season. The men’s group of Da’Marcus Fleming, Dorian Camel, Kenroy Higgins II, and Ashton Hicks ran a 39.74 to take third in their event.
In the women’s 400-meter dash, Garriel White took second with a time of 53.34 in her first outdoor solo performance for LSU. Freshman Michaela Rose also ran a personal record in the event with a readout of 54.14 to secure bronze. Hannah Carroll took sixth with a career best of 56.56.
Da’Marcus Fleming ran the fastest 100-meter time of his career and clocked in at 10.20 seconds to place third in the event. Hurdler Eric Edwards Jr. also ran a personal best in the event with a time of 10.55.
Lorena Rangel (2:07.84) and Eric Coston (1:51.48) both placed third in the 800-meter run, while freshman Dyllon Nimmers ran a personal best of 1:51.55 to place fourth in the event.
Amber Hart began the outdoor season with a bronze showing in the discus with a throw of 168 feet eight inches (51.43 meters). The final two podium placings on Saturday came from steeplechasers Garrett Hamilton and Will Dart. Hamilton set a personal record with a time of 9:12.74 for second place, and Dart claimed third with a time of 9:13.02. Cade Martin placed fourth with a personal best of 9:21.71.
The LSU men’s 4×400 meter relay capped off the meet by running a solid season opening time of 3:05.90 for third place. Dorian Camel went first and was followed by Sean ‘Squirrel’ Burrell and Aaron Smith before Ashton Hicks anchored the stick home.
LSU Track and Field will return home to Baton Rouge for a few days before heading to the Texas Relays on March 24-26 in Austin, Texas.
