The LSU women’s track and field team took the lead late Sunday at the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships but could not hold on, finishing in second place behind Tennessee with 105 points this weekend at Kentucky’s Nutter Field House. The men’s team finished in sixth with 64 points.The Lady Tigers finished in the same spot they started the final day of competition, while the Tigers improved their standing after entering the last day tied for ninth.However, the Tigers’ 64 point-finish was only one point behind Auburn and South Carolina, who finished tied in fourth with 65 points.The Arkansas men’s team (130 points) defeated second-place Florida (102) by 28 points, while the Lady Vols won the women’s competition with 111 points.LSU junior Trindon Holliday won the men’s 60-meter dash with a time of 6.58 seconds, and junior Samantha Henry won the women’s 60-meter dash with an NCAA championship automatic-qualifying time of 7.21 seconds, .01 second faster than Tennessee junior Lynne Layne (7.22).The sweep by Holliday and Henry gives LSU back-to-back sweeps in the 60-meter dash at the SEC Indoor Championships. Henry went on to win the 200-meter dash (23.45 seconds), again ahead of second-place Layne (23.53 seconds).”Samantha really kicked it into another gear this weekend,” said LSU coach Dennis Shaver in a news release.Freshman Rachel Laurent broke her own school record in the pole vault with a jump of 14 feet, 1/2 inch, becoming the first Lady Tiger in school history to win the conference championship in the event. Sophomore Walter Henning also broke his own school record, remaining undefeated in the weight throw for the season with a toss of 74 feet, 5 1/2 inches.Freshman Robert Simmons won the 400-meter dash, finishing in 46.22 seconds.—-Contact
Track and Field: Lady Tigers finish second at SEC Indoors
By Rowan Kavner
Sports Contributor
Sports Contributor
March 2, 2009