May 5, 2007

NACOGDOCHES - The Stephen F. Austin men's and women's track and field team sits in strong position after the second day of competition in the 2007 Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The Ladyjacks enter Sunday first overall leading Texas-San Antonio, 70.50 to 49.50. The Lumberjacks are currently third with 51 points, but trail team leader Southeastern Louisiana by only 11 points. SFA recorded five NCAA regional marks and four all-conference selections Saturday.

Senior thrower Kenneth McKinley recorded the `Jacks' first individual championship of the meet when he won the league's shot put title. McKinley distanced himself from the field when he recorded an NCAA regional mark of 56-8.75 in the event. Classmate James Williams also advanced to the finals in the event finishing seventh overall with a throw of 53-11.75.

Senior Ryder Peacock just missed recording the Lumberjacks' second individual title of the afternoon in the high jump. Peacock cleared an NCAA regional height of 6-10.75 to tie individual champion Corey Billizone of Southeastern Louisiana, but Billizone was awarded the title based on the tiebreak system. Junior Justin Reyes also scored a point for SFA in the high jump, finishing in a three-way tie for seventh place clearing a height of 6-4.75.

Senior Leah Matthews and freshman Tabitha Riley carried the Ladyjacks' momentum from Friday night's 10,000-meter race into the final three events of the heptathlon Saturday afternoon. The talented duo came into the day third and fourth overall. Matthews started the day by finishing second in the long jump with a mark of 19-0.50. Riley really came on in the final two events of the heptathlon finishing fifth in the javelin and fourth in the 800 meters to edge out Matthews for third place. It marked the first All-SLC honor of Riley's career.

Junior Markeshia Edwards also earned all-conference honors with her NCAA regional mark in the women's shot put. Edwards recorded a throw of 48-00.50 to finish second overall.

Adding to the Ladyjacks' strength in the shot put were freshmen Kaitlyn Andrews and Frednisha Marshall. Andrews finished fifth overall with a throw of 46-3.25, while Marshall posted a 45-4.50 to finish sixth overall.

Junior Meghan Denman followed Edwards lead by recording an NCAA Regional mark in the high jump. Denman finished fourth in the event clearing a height of 5-8.75.

Junior Wade Whittington joined the barrage of NCAA Regional marks for SFA Saturday in a talent-packed field of the men's javelin. Whittington finished fifth overall with a throw of 208-2 in the event.

Senior Katrina Nicholas just missed all-conference honors in the women's steeplechase. Nicholas finished fourth in the race with a time of 11:25.17. In the men's steeplechase, Keith Mahipala recorded a fourth-place finish posting a time of 9:25.88. Temmate Aaron Hohn concluded the scoring for SFA with his sixth-place finish (9:31.89) in the event.

Senior Sarah Emerson wrapped up her final SLC Outdoor Championship meet by recording a sixth-place finish in the women's javelin throw. Emerson finished the event with a mark of 127-3.

Freshman Chris Jones also put together another strong day of competition in men's combined events. The lone Lumberjack in the competition, Jones remained in the field's top five with a solid performance in the discus. He won the event with a mark of 129-10.

The Ladyjacks placed three athletes in the finals of the women's long jump. Freshman Silent-Joy Egboba-Waye led the SFA trio with a jump o 19-3.50. Egboba-Waye's jump was good enough to finish in a two-way tie for fourth. Matthews followed up a strong showing in the heptathlon by placing seventh overall with a jump of 19-1.25. Alecia Green rounded out the Ladyjacks' trio by finishing eighth with a mark of 18-9.00.

In the men's long jump, junior Sumbo Adeniran scored two points for SFA. Sumbo finished seventh overall with his mark of 22-9.75.

The SFA men and women return to Fletcher Garner Track Sunday to wrap up the SLC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The field events will begin at 10:30 a.m. with the women's pole vault final. The track events get under way at 5 p.m. with the women's 4 x 100-meter final.

-SFA-