BEAUMONT, Texas – Led by
Alexandra Sokolova's flashy 2:11.10 run in the 800 meters, the Lamar University distance squad had a positive day when it represented the track and field program at the Bryan Clay Invitational, hosted Azusa Pacific at Cougar Athletic Stadium Thursday and Friday nights.
Sokolova's time – which would top Southland Conference at the start of the week – was third in her heat and jumped to second place in the all-time outdoor list at Lamar. Her time was just 1.14 second short of
Verity Ockenden's 2:10.04 set in 2015. It was her all-time personal best with the Cardinals, and was more than a minute and half faster than her previous outdoor mark, set at the same race last season.
She joined
TaMar Hicks and
Freddie Gasbarri as athletes to set the personal bests in their events Friday. Hicks ran his lifetime best 800 time of 1:51.16, which was more than a second faster than both his indoor and outdoor previous bests. Gasbarri raced in the 1500, along with
Cormac Kelly and
Keith Fallon, and ran 3:47.73 mark in the event. Much like Sokolova, his previous best in the event was at the same meet last season (3:48.41).
Gasbarri's mark would sit as the best in the Southland Conference and Hicks' time third at the start of the week.
Kelly finished with his best time in the event on the season, 3:54.71. It topped his 3:59.10 mark set at the Victor Lopez Classic early this season. Fallon finished in 4:01.23.
Thursday night, both
Jannika John and
Evelyn Chavez raced in the women's 5,000-meters. John crossed the finish line in 16:59.96 and Chavez did in 17:14.04. John jumped to the top of the leaderboard in the Southland Conference and Chavez's time is fourth.
"We're moving in the right direction and taking several positive steps," said distance coach
Tony Houchin. "Having times that sit towards the top of the Southland standings gives up plenty of confidence, but we have plenty more work to do."
The track and field teams return to action in Waco on Saturday in the Michael Johnson Invitational, hosted by Baylor. That meet is the first of three LU has left before it heads to the Southland Conference Outdoor Championships.
