Three meets in eleven days made for the most action-packed two weeks LSU outdoor track and field has seen all season.
First, three days in Azusa, California, for the Bryan Clay Invitational followed by a weekend in Gainesville, Florida, for the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational. Seven days later the Tigers were back with the annual Alumni Gold Meet on April 26.
The Tigers produced new national bests in multiple events, including top 10 times for both the men’s and women’s relay teams.
Here’s a look at where their performances stand as the dust settles:
Michaela Rose 800-meter
On the west coast, Rose not only took the 800-meter win in Azusa, but set the third-fastest time in the country.
Her time of 2:00.22 beat out 16 others at the meet and temporarily put her at the top of the nation. Later in the week, she dropped to third when runners from Harvard and Clemson overtook her by less than half a second.
Rose is a two-time national champion in the event after winning gold at the previous NCAA outdoor championships and is back to stake her claim in her senior year.
If she can match her all-time best of 1:58.37, it would put her in the lead.
Rose’s time is first in the SEC and over a second clear of the competition.
Tima Godbless 200-meter
On the opposite side of the country, the women’s 200-meter invite in Florida saw sophomore Godbless lead for all 22.55 seconds of her race.
Godbless has earned multiple event wins in the 200-meter this season but this is a new personal best, which sets her at No. 5 in the country and No. 4 in the SEC with some tough opponents from South Carolina, Georgia and Texas A&M.
She is also a part of the women’s relay team, which will go on to set a record of their own one week later.
Turner, Watkins, Thomas, Reid 4×100 relay
The men’s relay delivered some of the SEC’s top times on the second day in Gainesville.
Long jumper Jordan Turner handed off the baton to dual-sport athlete Jelani Watkins, and then sprinters Myles Thomas and Jaiden Reid. The team collected a time of 38.77 seconds that sent them to fourth in the conference and seventh in the nation.
LSU and Tennessee finished side-by-side in fourth and fifth at the meet with the Vols ahead by one hundredth of a second.
Linton, Williams, Bigam, Godbless 4×100 relay
On Saturday, the women’s relay team clocked a new season best of 43.09 seconds in front of the home crowd at the Alumni Gold meet.
Junior transfer Michaeda Linton took off first, handing it over to the freshman, Nasya Williams, who set a good pace for the next two runners. Sprints specialist Aniyah Bigam raced the third leg, and that left showstopper Tima Godbless to bring it home.
The team placed behind Tiger Olympians Mikiah Brisco, Thelma Davies, Rosemary Chukwuma and Favour Ofili with a time of 42.22 seconds. Brisco was a part of the LSU relay squad that holds the collegiate record of 41.55 in the event.
Nonetheless, the current team of Tigers recorded the nation’s seventh-quickest time, which ranks fourth in the conference.
Matthew Sophia and Jahiem Stern 110-meter hurdles
Juniors Sophia and Stern were the last Tigers to make their mark on the national ranks and went 1-2 in the hurdles.
Sophia’s time was only eight hundredths faster than his teammate’s and barely passed him in the national ranks.
Stern set a 13.33 at the Battle on the Bayou earlier this season, which is the No. 8 time in the country right behind Sophia at No. 7 with his new time of 13.31. The pair are placed fourth and fifth in the SEC.
With times so tight and constant overtaking, it is likely these two will be battling it out until the very end.
