As expected, the LSU track and field team qualified another slew of athletes at the Tiger Relays Friday and Saturday, highlighted by 18 NCAA regional qualifying marks and 11 individual event wins.
The men’s and women’s reigning national champion 4×100-meter teams carried their momentum from the indoor season, with both teams sweeping the event at the meet.
Lady Tigers Lolo Jones, Monique Hall, Tania Woods and Muna Lee ran a time of 44.63 seconds, while the men’s group of Kelly Willie, Marvin Stevenson, Pete Coley and Bennie Brazell topped the field in 39.44 seconds.
The same group of Tigers also won the 4×400-meter relay later in the evening, recording a time of 3:04.78.
The Lady Tigers also won gold in the long relay as Nadia Davy, Keioike Lutcher, Monique Hall and Tanya Osbourne finished in 3:35.28.
“I think our performances were what we needed on a night like this,” LSU coach Pat Henry said. “We experimented in certain situations like the 4×100 by switching up the order and it worked out well for us.”
Nine-time All-American Lolo Jones won the 100-meter hurdle finals with a season-best time of 12.21 seconds.
Senior Jeffrey Fisher and freshman Tanya Osbourne both turned in provisional qualifying marks to win the men’s and women’s titles with times of 1:49.7 and 2:08.25 in the 800 meters, respectively.
Bennie Brazell, running his first hurdles race of the season, won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 50.65, topping the field with a PR of 47.02.
Austin Benton took the 400 meters and Katie Denton, with a time of 18:01.25, won the 5,000.
In the field events, Katie McKeever finished first with a season-best effort in the shot put, throwing 49 feet 6 1/2 inches.
Four NCAA regional qualifying marks highlighted LSU’s first day of action.
Three Lady Tigers posted qualifying times in the 100-meter hurdles en route to advancing to Saturday’s final.
All-American Lolo Jones won her heat, while turning in the field’s second fastest time at 13.35 seconds. RaNysha LeBlanc also finished first in her heat, advancing with a time of 13.86, while Brittany Littlejohn advanced with 13.73.
Sophomore Brandon Racca turned in LSU’s other qualifying mark, placing second in the javelin with a season-best effort of 205-10.
LSU recorded a sweep in sprint medley relay as both the men and women won gold. Running legs of 100-100-200-400, Lolo Jones, Monique Hall, Brittany Harris and Hazelann Regis combined to clock a time of 1:39.78.
Track and field qualifies 18 athletes for NCAAs
March 29, 2004