The LSU track and field team opened the outdoor season with a bang this past weekend, capturing six individual event titles at the Louisiana Classics meet held at the Ragin’ Cajuns Track/Soccer Facility.
Coming off a third-place finish for the Lady Tigers and a fifth-place title for the Tigers at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, LSU coach Dennis Shaver said the meet was a sound start to the outdoor season.
“The way in which our athletes competed [Saturday] was impressive for a season opener,” Shaver said in a news release.
A pack of freshmen led the way for the Tigers, most notably Aaron Ernest, who captured three event titles on the day. The New Orleans native took home the 100-meter dash title with a new wind-legal personal best of 10.31 seconds and captured the 200-meter dash title in 21.29 seconds.
Ernest then teamed with fellow freshman Trevor Sansone and sophomores Shermund Allsop and Ben Guarisco to win the 4×100-meter relay title in 40.26 seconds.
Rodney Brown and Jeremy Tuttle continued the string of impressive freshman debuts, leading the throwers in the field. Brown finished as the top collegian in the discus, throwing 190-8 on his second throw of the preliminary round to advance to the finals.
Tuttle set a new personal best in the javelin competition, shattering his personal high school best by 11 feet. He finished fourth in the event after throwing the personal best on his sixth throw.
“Many are already in a spot to compete at the NCAA Championships with their performance [Saturday] at the Louisiana Classics,” Shaver said.
Seniors Brieanna Kennedy and Samia Stokes paced the Lady Tigers, with Kennedy setting two new personal bests in the hammer throw and the discus. She claimed a runner-up finish in the discus and placed third in the hammer throw, and she now ranks No. 7 in Lady Tiger history in the discus.
Stokes won her third-straight Louisiana Classics title in the discus, finishing 10 feet clear of the field with a 171-5 on her third attempt. The throw puts Stokes in prime position to garner her third straight NCAA Championship bid.
The Tigers and Lady Tigers return home next weekend as they host the LSU Relays on March 23-24 at Bernie Moore Track Stadium.
 
—- Contact Chandler Rome at [email protected]