Toni Lee turned in the best weekend so far in this UL track season Saturday at the Cajuns’ own Louisiana Classics meet.
Lee swept to victories in both the long jump and triple jump in women’s competition and followed with a fifth-place performance in the 100-meter. That effort was easily the highlight of the Cajuns’ lone regular-season home meet this spring, one held in spring-like conditions.
"The weather was fine," Lee said. "The wind was never too heavy."
Lee won the long jump with a 19-4 effort, holding off Southern’s Monica Robinson (19-2 1/2), and came back for a 38-8 effort in winning the triple jump.
"I was hoping to beat my 19-6 of last weekend," Lee said. "I was hoping for a 19-8, or even 20 feet. In the triple jump, I went 39-1 last week and was trying to do better than that."
Lee, who clocked a 12.60 in the 100, focuses most of her heavy training each week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, tapering toward meet action.
"That’s where I really get the work in," she said. "I take it slow on Thursday and Friday, then try to do my best on Saturdays. I usually get my running in early in the week, then work on my approach.
"I prefer competing every weekend. I don’t want to take too long a break in between. If we run every week it keeps me up to par."
That week-to-week approach also works for Lee’s season goals, although she does keep her larger goals in mind.
"My big goal," she said, "is to qualify for NCAA Regionals in both jumps. I still need to qualify in the triple jump. I’ve already qualified in the long jump."
NCAA women’s qualifying in the long jump is 6 meters (19-8 1/4), while Lee will need a 12.32-meter effort (40-4) in the triple jump to make it.
Lee’s effort was UL’s best of the weekend, while freshman Stacey Fuller had the top performances among the Cajun men. Fuller finished second in the 400-meter in 47.65 and fourth in the 200-meter in 21.89.
The other top individual placing for the Cajuns came from Casey Brown in the women’s 5000-meter, with Brown posting a 19:06.27 clocking to finish as runner-up in that event.