University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Track Begins Competition at ASTATE Invitational
1/27/2012 10:14:00 PM | Track and Field
ASTATE Invitational Day 1 Results
A newcomer performing well in the men's heptathlon, a personal-best for Tarvia Conway in the high jump and a pole vaulter taking over the lead in the Sun Belt Conference were the highlights for the Ragin' Cajuns men's and women's track and field teams as action began at the Arkansas State Invitational in Jonesboro, Ark.
Sander Maes, a freshman from Belgium who joined the team between semesters, had a strong showing in the heptathlon with 3,007 points which places him in second place heading into Saturday's events. Maes trails Arkansas State's William Oliver (3,051 points) by just 44 points.
Maes' highlight in the heptathlon came in the high jump with a recorded height of 2.09m/6-10 ¼. That placed him first in the event and gives him the current high mark in the Sun Belt Conference.
In the pentathlon, Morgan Breaux was the first Cajuns athlete to take part in the event this season. She finished ninth with 2,681 points.
Conway tied for the top mark with Arkansas State's Lakeitha Minter in the women's high jump after she posted a height 1.64m/5-4 ½. That mark places her in the Top 10 on the Sun Belt's performance list and topped her previous best of 1.55m/5-1 at last weekend's Blue Raiders Invitational.
Newcomer Michael Vani (transfer from University of South Florida), was the top collegian in the men's pole vault. His height of 5.10m/16-8 ¾ placed him second in the event and surpassed teammate Chris Roy (4.95m/16-2 ¾) for the top mark in the Sun Belt Conference. Roy was unable to record a height, a rare occurrence for perennial Sun Belt champion.
Vani's vault mark was eight inches higher than Arkansas State's Ethan Sandusky. He bested his previous indoor personal best of 16-2 ¾ set last season at USF.
Brittany Blunt, a junior college transfer from Coffeyville CC, posted her second toss of 50-plus feet in the women's weight throw. Blunt placed second with a distance of 16.54m/54-3 ¼, a week after tossing 16.66m/54-8 at Middle Tennessee.
“It was a pretty successful day,” head coach Lon Badeaux remarked. “Sander Maes performed well in the first day of the heptathlon, which included a conference leading high jump, and newcomer Michael Vani took the conference lead in the pole vault.
“Except for the slip up with Chris Roy in the pole vault, everyone built upon their yearly performances which will help us as we move toward the conference meet.”
Five Cajuns men took part in the men's weight throw with Jacob Fontenot placing highest with a mark of 16.79m/55-1 which was good enough for third place. Fontenot eclipsed his previous indoor best of 16.70m/54-9 ½ set last season at the Texas A&M Conference Challenge.
Albert Fournette (15.64m/51-3 ¾) and Myles Melancon (15.50m/50-10 ¼) both recorded their first 50-plus distances of the 2012 season in the weight throw.
The Arkansas State Invitational will resume on Saturday at 9 a.m. with the conclusion of the men's heptathlon. Field and running events are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. with the finals of the running events set to start at 2 p.m.
MEN'S PERFORMANCE LIST
Pole Vault
Michael Vani (2) 5.10m/16-8 ¾
Weight Throw
Jacob Fontenot (3) 16.79m/55-1
Albert Fournette (6) 15.64m/51-3 ¾
Myles Melancon (7) 15.50m/50-10 ¼
Donnie Broussard (8) 15.02m/49-3 ½
Tyler Guidry (9) 14.65m/48-0 ¾
Heptathlon
Total Points After Day 1
Sander Maes (2) 3,007 points
Wes Gonzales (5) 2,444 points
-
55-Meter Dash
Sander Maes (2) 6.82 – 778 pts
Wes Gonzales (6) 7.02 – 708 pts -
Long Jump
Sander Maes (2) 6.97m/22-10 ½ – 807 pts
Wes Gonzales (4) 6.30m/20-8 – 652 pts -
Shot Put
Sander Maes (4) 10.82m/35-6 – 535 pts
Wes Gonzales (5) 9.66m/31-8 ½ – 465 pts -
High Jump
Sander Maes (1) 2.09m/6-10 ½ – 887 pts
Wes Gonzales (5) 1.79m/5-10 ½ – 619pts
High Jump
Tarvia Conway (2) 1.64m/5-4 ½
Madalyn Trisler (7) 1.54m/5-0 ½
Weight Throw
Brittany Blunt (2) 16.54m/54-3 ¼
Jana Jones (7) 14.31m/46-11 ½
Brandi Frank (13) 11.34m/37-2 ½
Pentathlon
Total Points (FINAL)
Morgan Breaux (9) 2,681 points
-
55-Meter Hurdles
Morgan Breaux (7) 8.94 – 807 pts -
High Jump
Morgan Breaux (8) 1.47m/4-9 ¾ – 588 pts -
Shot Put
Morgan Breaux (14) 7.81m/25-7 ½ – 387 pts -
Long Jump
Morgan Breaux (11) 4.66m/15-3 ½ – 469 pts -
800-Meter Run
Morgan Breaux (13) 2:53.28 – 430 pts
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