University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Sunday, February 24
Jonesboro, Ark.
10:00 AM
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
at
Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championship
Trio Dominates Men's Shot Put, Cajuns Stand Third at SBC Indoors
2/24/2013 10:25:00 PM | Track and Field
Contact: Matt Hebert
JONESBORO, Ark. – Boosted by having three of the top four finishers in the shot put the Ragin' Cajuns men's track and field team exited the first day of the 2013 Sun Belt Indoor Championships in third place here at the Convocation Center on the Arkansas State University campus.
Myles Melancon became the first Cajuns athlete to claim an individual conference championship as he led the Cajuns domination in men's shot put with a first-place toss of 17.12m/56-2. Albert Fournette, the defending shot put champion, was a close second at 17.00m/55-9 ¼ while Kenneth Nassar claimed fourth place (16.58m/54-4 ¾).
The trio accounted for 23 of the men's squad's 39 points, which has the team in third place only seven points behind current leader WKU (46 points).
Melancon grabbed his second career Sun Belt indoor title (won the event in 2011 in Jonesboro) while Fournette earned medalist honors for the second straight season.
Sophomore Sander Maes, the defending heptathlon champion, got off to a great start using second place finishes in the 55 meter dash (6.75), long jump (6.85m/22-5 ¾) and shot put (12.96m/42-6 ¼) to finish opening day as the event leader. Maes has 2,949 points and holds the edge over a trio of Arkansas State competitors – Ethan Turpen (2,920), William Oliver (2,898) and Thomas Ligon (2,837).
Michael Vani was the other Cajun to collect medalist honors on opening day of the conference championships as he finished second in men's pole vault with a clearance of 4.85m/15-11. It marked the second straight season the senior transfer from South Florida finished as SBC runner-up.
Devin Davis (4th, long jump), Madalyn Trisler (6th, high jump), Tarvia Conway (7th, high jump), Tia Mitchell (6th, long jump) and Jasmin Fusilier (8th, long jump) each scored points toward the Cajuns' team totals.
“It was a good day on the men's side as we scored higher in each event we entered in,” head coach Lon Badeaux remarked. “We didn't qualify as many on the track as we needed, but we should still have a chance to be successful tomorrow.
“The women had a rough day scoring,” Badeaux added. “We really performed well, but our placing wasn't what it should be to move up in the standings.”
On the track, Justin Jones placed second (6.41) and Morgan Breaux placed fourth (7.08) to advance out of the preliminaries in men's and women's 55 meter dash, respectively. Breaux surpassed her previous career indoor best of 7.35 seconds set at the 2011 SBC Championships in Jonesboro.
Kacey Elphage, who has excelled in hurdles this season, can aim for a SBC title on Monday after she advanced out of the 55 meter hurdle preliminaries with a time of 8.02 seconds. On the men's side, Morgan Cormier also advanced to the 55 meter hurdle finals with a time of 7.77 seconds.
Jones qualified for a second finals appearance on Monday as his clocking of 21.82 seconds advanced him in the 200 meter dash.
Field events will kick off day two of the championships on Monday at 9 a.m., while the track events will begin at 1 p.m.
Use the championship central page to find live results, times and recaps. It is located at http://www.sunbeltsports.org/CHAMPIONSHIPS/2012-2013Championships/Winter/IndoorTrackField.aspx
MEN'S PERFORMANCE LIST
Long Jump
Devin Davis (4) 7.09m/23-3 ¼
Micah Thomas (14) 6.39m/20-11 ¾
Pole Vault
Michael Vani (2) 4.85m/15-11
Josh McDaniels (11) 4.55m/14-11
Caleb Wisecarver (13) 4.40m/14-5 ¼
Nicolas Laurant (16) 4.40m/14-5 ¼
Derek Foreman (NH)
Shot Put
Myles Melancon (1) 17.12m/56-2
Albert Fournette (2) 17.00m/55-9 ¼
Kenneth Nassar (4) 16.58m/54-4 ¾
800 meter run preliminaries
Matt Rice (13) 1:58.76
400 meter dash preliminaries
Zach Meche (8) 49.43
55 meter dash preliminaries
Justin Jones (2) 6.41
55 meter hurdles preliminaries
Morgan Cormier (4) 7.77
High Jump
Devin Davis (7) 1.95m/6-4 ¾
3000 meter run
Zach France (20) 9:11.57
Trey Bonin (21) 9:14.77
Corbett Ourso (23) 9:19.36
200 meter dash preliminaries
Justin Jones (6) 21.82
Distance Medley
Scott Brewster, Keygan Keys, Matt Rice, Cole Stafford (8) 10:24.46
Heptathlon
Total Points After Day 1
Sander Maes (1) 2,949 points
Wes Gonzales (11) 1,922 points
•55 meter dash
Sander Maes (2) 6.75 – 792 pts
Wes Gonzales (7) 6.86 – 755 pts
•Long Jump
Sander Maes (2) 6.85m/22-5 ¾ – 778 pts
Wes Gonzales (FOUL)
•Shot Put
Sander Maes (2) 12.96m/42-6 ¼ – 665 pts
Wes Gonzales (9) 10.76m/35-3 ¾ – 531 pts
•High Jump
Sander Maes (3) 1.90m/6-2 ¾ - 714
Wes Gonzales (8) 1.81m/5-11 ¼ – 636 pts
WOMEN'S PERFORMANCE LIST
High Jump
Madalyn Trisler (6) 1.67m/5-5 ¾
Tarvia Conway (7) 1.62m/5-3 ¾
Lindsey Harmon (13) 1.62m/5-3 ¾
Alex Harrell (14) 1.62m/5-3 ¾
Shot Put
Jana Jones (10) 12.90m/42-4
Brandi Franks (11) 12.90m/42-4
Long Jump
Tia Mitchell (6) 5.79m/19-0
Jasmin Fusilier (8) 5.78m/18-11 ¾
Ta'Shania Bean (13) 5.57m/18-3 ¼
Stacy Imagbe (14) 5.53m/18-1 ¾
800 meter run preliminaries
Danielle Castaldi (9) 2:17.62
400 meter dash preliminaries
Amanda Roberts (13) 58.97
Krystal Chevis (14) 59.38
55 meter dash preliminaries
Morgan Breaux (4) 7.08
Stacy Imagbe (10) 7.20
Alexis Malone (12) 7.22
55 meter hurdles preliminaries
Kacey Elphage (3) 8.02
Distance Medley
Ashley Irwin, Krystal Chevis, Danielle Castaldi, Anna Devitt (9) 12:25.99
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