By Geoffrey StouteSports Writer
With the Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships two weeks away, head track and field coach Agapius Amo said the outdoor season has been better than the indoor.
Amo said those participating in field and running events have improved their stamina and endurance. Although everyone has been improving, he singled out freshman high jumper Allison Zeringue and sophomore thrower Jaime Johnson in the field and freshman distance runner Anastasia Jones and junior middle distance runner Wongani Phiri in distance running.
“Allison Zeringue jumped 5-2 (in the high jump),” Amo said. “In indoor she couldn’t even clear the bar, which is 5-1. Jaime Johnson threw 11.12 meters. That is her personal best in shot put.”
“During indoor, Anastasia Jones ran a 22 (minute time) in the 5K,” Amo added. “Looking at practice, she can run a low 19. Wongani was running 5:21 in the 1500-meter run early in the season, and now she’s running a 5:09. That’s a good improvement.”
Jones said she had a good season and feels good about the upcoming conference meet. Phiri said she is looking to improve for conference.
Amo also said freshman jumper Dominique Harris, freshman pole-vaulter Jackie Sanders and senior 400-meter hurdler Shannon Cox have done good things for his squad.
So far this outdoor season, Sanders has improved on her previous pole vault record of nine feet four inches with a jump of 10 feet at the Louisiana Classic on March 20. She achieved 10 feet again on April 9 at the South Alabama Invitational. Harris, who has shin splints, has jumped 10.37 meters in the triple jump and 4.79 meters in the long jump. Amo said if she can recover from her shin splints, she will be able to have better results in the triple jump.
Cox has also shown some improvement in the 400-meter hurdles, according to Amo.
“She’s much better in outdoor,” Amo said. “She needs to reduce about three seconds to get to the level of last year, and hopefully she will be able to do it in conference. If she puts a little endurance, she can get faster than last year.”
Last Saturday, the Lady Colonels participated in the LSU Alumni Gold Meet in Baton Rouge, which Amo said was difficult. Along with some athletes not meeting the minimum height requirements in the jumps or distance requirements to be measured, the squad also had to battle fatigue, illness and injuries.
Phiri led the Lady Colonels with a 12th place showing in the 5000-meter run, finishing with a time of 20:22.13. She also placed 28th in the 1500-meter run.
Jones, junior distance runner Naomi Quisenberry and freshman distance runner Jodi Dufrene finished 33rd, 34th and 36th respectively in the 1500-meter run while Cox finished with a time of 1:11.93 in the 400-meter hurdles, which was good enough for 21st place. Harris rounded out the running participants for the Lady Colonels, finishing in 44th place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 28.75.
In the field events, Johnson finished 20th in the shot put with a heave of 35-10.50 while Zeringue finished 17th in the high jump with a leap of 5-01.
With two weeks remaining until the conference tournament, Amo said his squad should be able to rest and get its momentum back.
Although the Southland Conference is very competitive, he believes that his team will be able to compete in the pole vault, high jump and 10,000-meter run.
“If Allison Zeringue clears 5-5 or 5-6 in high jump, we’ll be able to compete,” Amo said. “If Jackie jumps 11 feet and the 10,000-meter runners can run good times, we’ll be able to compete with the conference and finish top eight. In order to get points you have to finish in the top eight.”
After today’s meet at Lamar, the Lady Colonels will take part in the Demon Invitational in Natchitoches on May 7 before participating in the SLC Championships in Huntsville, Texas, on May 13-15.
