The men and women’s outdoor track and field teams fared well at the UNO invitational with high hopes this weekend in New Orleans.
Matt Pantusa, head track coach, said the team has maintained a positive attitude during track meets this season.
“It seems like everyone is happy to be running. We have a lot of people setting their personal best just about every time they run,” Pantusa said.
After competing in both the Southern Mississippi and UNO Invitationals, Pantusa said he is pleased with the times of his runners.
“The first two meets we used to test us and see what we needed to work on. The times that our runners got the past couple of weeks were pretty good for the most part,” Pantusa said.
Sophomore Jenny Willie caught Pantusa’s attention with a 7 feet and 10 inch jump in the women’s pole vault.
“This week we got another school record with Jenny and she added another 10 and a half inches on the pole vault,” Pantusa said.
Junior Caroline Hulden placed second in the women’s 800-meter run with a time of 2:14.09, and sophomore Cassie Jones placed 18th with a time of 2:30.07.
“Caroline was about two seconds off of her best time on the 800. Her time was the third best in Nicholls history,” Pantusa said.
Although Jones placed 18th in the 800-meter run, Pantusa said he was pleased she was able to place fourth in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:55.62.
“She ran the 1,500 and 800-meter runs, which are very short. She is used to the 5,000 and 10,000-meter runs,” Pantusa said.
“It is good to get it in her mind that she can run the shorter things at a fast pace. For a long distance runner to know that, it is very helpful because they could start their fast pace at the end of the race sooner.”
In his first meet of the season, senior Farren Clark placed fifth in the men’s 800-meter run with a time of 1:53.98 seconds.
“Farren did quite well in his first track meet. He ran a time that was two seconds slower than his personal best. He is off to a good start,” Pantusa said.
Despite initially placing second, the men’s 4X400 meter relay team was disqualified because the change-off between sophomores Cory Chaisson and Cruz Adderley was out of the handout zone.
“I didn’t see it happen because I was watching to make sure that they were getting a smooth handoff, which they did. It was just in the wrong place,” Pantusa said.
“The time they ran was pretty fast, so I was impressed. That happens now and then, and it is just something we have to work on.”
With a ninth place finish with a time of 42.28, Pantusa said the men’s 4X100 team is struggling right now.
“The 4X100 is a bit slow right now. We really do not have people who are specifically 100-meter dash people. Our runners are more along the lines of 400 and 200-meter dash runners,” Pantusa said.
In other events, sophomore Ravanno Ferguson placed ninth with a time of 22.18 in the men’s 200-meter dash, sophomore Tyson Brown placed tenth in the men’s 400-meter dash with a time of 48.82, senior Trina Peters placed ninth in the women’s 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:12.52 and senior Troy Alvarado placed sixth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 56.13.
While Jones, Hulden and Clark will travel to the Alabama Relay this week, the rest of the team will have two weeks off before the Pelican Relay in Baton Rouge April 11 and 12.
“We will practice as usual Saturday. It is going to be good for us because it will give us some time to think about racing a little harder,” Pantusa said.
“We can get in some good practice and it will give us a little time to sharpen up our skills.”