Victories in jumping events and the 800-meter run Saturday sparked the No. 2 LSU women’s track and field team to a Southeastern Conference championship at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Arkansas this past weekend.
While sprinting events have been the Lady Tigers’ strength throughout the season, second and third place finishes from senior Brittany Hall and sophomore Charlene Lipsey in the 800-meter run Sunday gave LSU 14 key points and late separation for a 135-118 margin against runner-up Arkansas.
“[The points] came at a critical time … before the 200 meters, and those two events really helped the women put the meet out of reach,” said LSU coach Dennis Shaver.
LSU jumpers kicked off the scoring in a big way Saturday, accounting for 29 points. Freshman Jen Clayton took the long jump title and senior Brittani Carter won her second straight SEC high jump championship.
The Lady Tigers excelled in the 60-meter hurdles and the 200-meter dash, claiming 18 points and a sweep of the top two spots in each event.
In the hurdles, freshman Jasmin Stowers edged senior Tenaya Jones with an NCAA-qualifying time of 8.12 seconds while sophomore All-American Kimberlyn Duncan topped junior Semoy Hackett in the 200 meters.
Overall, LSU had four event winners and six runner-up finishers.
For the men’s squad, the meet was a blend of fantastic individual performances and mixed team results.
The No. 2 Tigers finished third, behind Arkansas and runaway winner Florida.
Senior Walter Henning continued his record-setting season with a third straight conference title in weight throw, while junior Michael Lauro captured second.
Sprinters junior Horatio Williams and senior Gabriel Mvumvure combined for third and fourth place finishes, respectively, in the 60-meter dash and the 200-meter dash.
The pole vault was also a bright spot for the Tigers, as junior Marcus McGehee’s second place finish and two other top-five results accounted for 17 team points.
Despite the seemingly disappointing finish, Shaver said the men’s team placed where he expected, adding that he wouldn’t be surprised if they finished higher at the NCAA Championships in March.
“We’re a much better NCAA Championship team than SEC Championship team because of the nature of the SEC meet and its focus on distance events and extended depth,” Shaver said.
 
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Contact Chris Abshire at [email protected]