Track & Field: Louisiana earns 15 top-six finishes in final tuneup prior to SBC Indoor Championships
Matt Sullivan, Associate Director of Athletics Communications
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Freshman Hannes Burger clocked a personal-best in claiming the men’s Mile Run while Frankie Griffin equaled her personal-best in the women’s high jump to lead the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns track and field team on Friday at the Samford Bulldog Invitational at the Birmingham Crossplex.
Freshman Terroll Jolla posted the fastest time in the preliminaries of the men’s 60-meter dash before posting a time of 6.86 seconds in the finals to finish second overall for Louisiana.
Two other Ragin’ Cajuns freshmen – Obdarius Ware and John Joseph – each earned third-place finishes in their respective events with Ware posting a mark of 22 feet, 9 ¼ inches in the men’s long jump with Joseph going 47-10 in the men’s triple jump.
Burger, who finished second in the Mile Run at the Samford Open last month, shaved six seconds off his time and crossed the finish line in a personal-best 4.11.97 for Louisiana. Freshman Tyrell Hargrove posted a time of 50.00 to finish fourth overall in the men’s 400-meter dash for the Ragin’ Cajuns while the men’s 4×400-meter relay team earned a second-place finish with a time of 3:22.13.
Griffin equaled her personal-best in the women’s high jump for Louisiana, which was set at the same facility last month. The Zachary, La., native cleared the bar at 5-8 and finished in a tie with South Florida’s Imani Carmouche. Louisiana had two athletes finish in the top-five of the women’s pole vault with freshman Reagann Leleux finishing third (12-5 ½) and Kimmie Rushford fifth (11-11 ¾).
Shalei Matthews earned a fifth-place finish in the women’s triple jump (38-5 ½) for the Ragin’ Cajuns, while twin sister, Kalei Matthews earned a fourth-place finish in the women’s 200-meter dash (24.75) and Juliette Smith a seventh-place performance in the 60-meter hurdles (8.91).
Dominique Williams set a personal-best in the men’s weight throw for Louisiana, finishing second overall after posting a mark of 62-0 ¼. Teammate Graham Sokol placed sixth in the event for Louisiana (55-9), with Shaquille Singuineau finishing fourth in the shot put (54-2) and Damon Guidry third in the men’s high jump (6-6 ¾).
Louisiana will return to Birmingham in 10 days when it opens competition at the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, scheduled for Feb. 18-19 at the Birmingham Crossplex.
