Former LSU track and field athlete Lolo Jones stated Friday before the LSU Alumni Gold meet that sophomore Xavier Carter was one of the few athletes who have “raw talent.”
Jones said “there are so many things that he can improve on, but even if he doesn’t change those things, he’s still beating people at the top of their game.”
On Saturday that fact could not have been more evident in LSU’s last home track meet of the season.
Carter, who had not run the 100-meter dash since his days at Palm Bay High School in Melbourne, Fla., outraced Adidas runner Trell Kimmons by more than two-tenths of a second, clocking 10.12 seconds in the race.
“I’ve been in track a long time, and I have never seen someone separate in the 100 as much as he did.” said former LSU long jumper Gerald Taylor.
The time was the fastest in LSU history and fifth fastest in the world this year, and Carter easily qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional meet in Knoxville, Tenn.
Carter now holds the school record in both short sprints. He notched a 20.39 in the 200-meter at last season’s Southeastern Conference Championships.
“That was a great run for Xavier, especially after not running that race since his state high school meet two years ago,” LSU coach Dennis Shaver said. “He’s really in good shape, and we’re keeping him kind of rested up so I wasn’t very surprised to see a time like that.”
Carter was not the only Tiger to shine.
Also qualifying in the sprints on the day for the men were All-Americans Austin Benton and Marvin Stevenson.
Benton qualified for the 400-meter dash with a time of 46.97 seconds. Stevenson’s qualifying time of 21.03 in the 200 was just shy of his personal best.
Senior distance runner Patrick Gavin managed to run a personal best time of 3 minutes, 45.03 seconds in the 1,500-meter, moving into ninth place in LSU history behind his distance coach Mark Elliot.
“When you got a few good guys running really well, it elevates all the guys around them,” Shaver said. “That’s what a Kelly Willie and a Xavier Carter bring to the team. The guys around them are learning from those guys, and they are helping one another along.”
Stevenson, Carter and Willie were joined by Richard Thompson in the 4 x 100-meter relay and their time of 39.33 seconds won first place.
The LSU women were also on top in the 4 x 100-meter relay.
Sherry Fletcher, Brooklynn Morris, Jessica Ohanaja and Kelly Baptiste combined to run a time of 43.56 seconds, just shy of their season best mark of 43.48.
The two teams also swept the 4 x 400-meter relays.
Siraj Williams, Reggie Dardar, Melville Rogers and Stevenson finished first for the men with a time of 3 minutes, 4.46 seconds.
The Lady Tigers’ foursome of Deonna Lawrence, Meisue Francis, Tanya Osbourne and Cynetheia Rooks won in 3 minutes, 30.95 seconds.
Ohanja finished first among collegiate competitors in the women’s 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.18. She was second only to Jones, who returned to Bernie Moore Track Stadium and set a stadium record of 12.85 in the event.
Other individual winners for LSU include Baptiste in the 200 meters, Andrea Linton in the triple jump, Roland Leblanc in the 3,000-meter steeple and Rabun Fox in the hammer throw.
 
Contact Jeff Martin at [email protected]