The LSU track and field team won a meet record six championship relay finals last season at the Penn Relays.This time around, it was about the individual events.LSU’s five individual championship event titles marked the program’s most ever at the Penn Relays this weekend at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.Freshman pole vaulter Rachel Laurent was named the Women’s College Athlete of the Meet for Individual Events after setting a meet record in the pole vault at 13 feet, 10 1/2 inches.”Rachel Laurent, as a freshman, her first time ever there on a day that really the conditions were worst, to be able to set a Penn Relays record, I think was quite an achievement,” said LSU coach Dennis Shaver.It marked back-to-back seasons the Lady Tigers won the pole vault, as junior Katelyn Rodrigue was atop the leaderboard last season at 13 feet, 7 1/4 inches. Before Rodrigue, LSU had never won the event at the Penn Relays.Senior long jumper Jeremy Hicks received equivalent honors to Laurent, being named the Men’s College Athlete of the Meet for Individual Events. Hicks sprung past the competition in the long jump, setting a personal outdoor best of 26 feet, 3 inches.”It was truly exciting to see him be able to win his first time at Penn,” Shaver said. “He had to do it on his last jump. Certainly, we were excited for him.”LSU won its only relay championship title Friday, despite most of the relay finals finishing Saturday.Junior Samantha Henry, sophomore Kenyanna Wilson, sophomore Brittany Hall and junior LaTavia Thomas teamed up to win the women’s sprint medley championship final for LSU, finishing in 3 minutes, 47.26 seconds.Senior Trindon Holliday and junior Samantha Henry made quick business of the men and women’s 100-meter dashes, respectively.Holliday won his first Penn Relays 100-meter dash and became the first Tiger ever to win the event at the prestigious meet.Holliday cruised to a victory in 10.16 seconds — .23 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Terrell Wilks of Florida (10.39 seconds).Henry cut it a bit closer but still came out with the win. She crossed the finish line in 11.22 seconds, .05 seconds ahead of G.C. Foster’s Shillionie Carter (11.27).Sophomore Walter Henning dominated the hammer throw championship with a toss of 225 feet, 6 inches. Henning’s nearest competitor, Manhattan’s Seid Mujanovic, was 15 feet away at 210 feet, 11 inches.Similar to the women’s pole vault, LSU has taken the hammer throw at the Penn Relays in back-to-back seasons.Henning’s throw surpassed LSU senior Rabun Fox’s winning throw last season of 208 feet, 8 inches.”Now the regular season is over and it’s championship time,” Shaver said. “It’s going to give us an opportunity over the next month or so to really get zeroed in on what we’re going to try to do in our national championship. In the meantime, preparation will begin this week to try to get a little bit better for the Southeastern Conference [Championships].”The SEC Championships are May 15 to 17, followed by the NCAA Mideast Regionals on May 29 to 30 and the NCAA Championships on June 10 to 13.—–Contact Rowen Kavner at [email protected]