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Lamar University Track Heads to Southland Conference Championship
May 3, 2007 BEAUMONT - The Lamar University men's and women's track and field teams wrap up the 2007 regular season this weekend, as they head to Nacogdoches, Texas for the 44th annual Southland Conference Outdoor Track Championships. Competition begins Friday morning at 10 a.m. as the men's decathlon and women's heptathlon kick things off. Field events start at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. with the women's and men's hammer throw events, respectively. The lone non-multi running events scheduled for Friday are the 10,000 meters for the women and men at 8:30 and 9:15 p.m., respectively. Saturday's competition begins at 9 a.m. with the continuation of the multi events. Field events get underway at 1 p.m. and the running event preliminaries start at 5. Several Cardinals are looking for repeat performances from the 2006 meet, while several others are looking to make their mark at the SLC outdoor meet for the first time. Amanda King, who won the women's 3,000 meter steeplechase championship in record setting fashion last season with a 10:31.46 performance, will look to defend her crown this season. She enters the meet with the second fastest time in the conference this season behind teammate Renee Graham, who will not be running the steeple at the championship. Clerc Koenck will look to repeat as the champion in the 1,500 meter run, after grabbing the title at last year's championship with a 4:36.60 performance. This season she has the top 1,500 meter time in the conference, a 4:28.78 performance which she ran at Baylor. King enters the meet as one of the favorites as well, having posted the third fastest time of 4:39.56 at the Texas Invitational. Graham, who won the 5,000 meter indoor championship earlier in the spring, will look to capture the title in the outdoor championship as well. She enters the meet with one of the fastest times in the SLC this season, a 17:15.91 performance which she ran at Rice University. King has also posted one of the fastest 5,000 meter runs in the conference this season, a 17:29.97 which she ran at Baylor.
In addition to her hopes of repeating as the champion in the 1,500, Koenck will look to contend for the 800 meter championship. She enters the meet with the second fastest 800 time in the SLC this season, a 2:12.23 performance which she ran at the Ty Terrell Relays. On the men's side, Francis Kasagule, who won the indoor mile and the indoor 3,000 meter run earlier in the spring, will look to capture the title in the 1,500 meter run. He enters the meet with the fastest time in the SLC this season, a 3:46.59 performance which he ran at Rice. He is also one of the favorites in the 5,000 meter run, entering the championships with the second fastest time in the SLC this year, a 14:10.71, which he ran at Baylor. Danny Shaw, the defending SLC outdoor champion in the mile will also be in the mix for the title, as he has the sixth fastest time in the conference at 3:54.54. In the men's sprints, Michael Gauthier looks to return to the form of two years ago in the 100 meter dash, when he grabbed third place with a 10.57 performance. He enters the meet with the eighth fastest time in the SLC this season, a 10.64 performance, which he ran at the Ty Terrell Relays.
44th Annual Southland Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships Schedule
Friday May 4
Saturday May 5
Sunday, May 6 |
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