LSU track and field coach Dennis Shaver felt like the outdoor track season did not begin March 21 at the Willie Williams Classic in Tucson, Ariz.
“I always feel like the LSU Tiger Relays is the true opener to our outdoor season,” Shaver said. “We always like to give our athletes a couple of weeks to recover from the indoor season after the NCAA Championships.”
But the Tigers and Lady Tigers did not perform like it was the outdoor season opener.
Relay teams and throwers highlighted the action at the Tiger Relays this past weekend at Bernie Moore Track Stadium.
The men’s and women’s teams combined for seven relay winners and five throwing titles.
The Tigers and Lady Tigers swept the 4×400-meter relay titles Saturday. The Tigers won in an NCAA-leading time of 3 minutes, 6.11 seconds, while the Lady Tigers crossed the finish line with a time of 3 minutes, 30.83 seconds.
LSU senior Brooklynn Morris, junior Nickiesha Wilson, sophomore LaTavia Thomas and senior Deonna Lawrence won the women’s 4×100-meter relay with a time of 43.62 seconds.
The men’s main 4×100-meter relay team was not so fortunate.
LSU sophomore Armanti Hayes false-started in the first heat, disqualifying the foursome of Hayes, senior Richard Thompson, freshman Gabriel Mvumvure and junior Trindon Holliday.
The men’s second 4×100-meter relay team, composed of junior Jeremy Hicks, freshman Zedric Thomas, senior Ryan Fontenot and sophomore Will Coppage, won the event with a regional qualifying time of 40.53 seconds.
The teams also won both sprint medley relays while the men won the 4×800-meter relay with a time of 7 minutes, 50.13 seconds.
The Tigers qualified a pair of shot-putters for the Mideast Regional in junior Ricky Jean-Francois and junior Adam Wilcox.
Francois won the event title with a throw of 59 feet, 1 1/4 inches. Wilcox came in fourth with a throw of 56 feet.
“Ricky [Jean-Francois’] performance was outstanding considering he’s been trying to balance this with football the last few weeks,” Shaver said.
Junior Rabun Fox won the hammer throw with a personal-best 210 feet, 11 inches.
Fox’s throw is the third-best in school history and the second-best mark in the NCAA this season.
Junior Chad Radgowski won the men’s javelin with a throw of 224 feet, 3 inches. Junior Anna Lyons won the women’s javelin with a throw of 158 feet, 8 inches.
Junior Nickiesha Wilson (13.19 seconds) and senior Jessica Ohanaja (13.32 seconds) finished first and second, respectively, in the women’s 100-meter hurdles.
Other Tiger Relays event winners include Thomas (triple jump) Patrick Lee (400-meter hurdles), Katelyn Rodrigue (pole vault) and Kim Williams (hammer).
The Tigers and Lady Tigers have now qualified 29 athletes and four relay teams for the Mideast Regional, which will be held May 30 and 31 in Fayetteville, Ark.
The teams travel to Austin, Texas on Thursday to compete in the 81st Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
—-Contact Robert Stewart at [email protected]