Feb. 16, 2002

HOUSTON, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin men's and women's track and field teams completed competition at the Southland Conference Championships Saturday with the Ladyjacks scoring 95.5 points to place second behind only Southwest Texas (180.5 points). On the men's side, SFA scored 72 points and finished fifth behind eventual league champion Southwest Texas (134 points).

The Ladyjacks were led by All-Southland Conference performers Misty Ballard-Swan, in the pole vault, and Destine Rawls, in the shot put. Ballard-Swan cleared a height of 12 feet, 9.50 inches to place second in the pole vault. Rawls also finished second in the shot put with her school-record toss of 50-10.00. Junior Blake Gordon was right on Rawls' heels finishing third with toss of 48-5.25.

The Lumberjacks were led by senior JW Potter and sophomore Justin Meier. Potter won the 800 meters crossing the line with a school-record one-minute, 52.65-second time. Meier took the 3,000m individual title with a time of 8:44.72. The Lumberjack distance medley relay team of Chris Gage, Daryl Williams, Potter and Meier also earned league title honors with their school-record time of 10:10.24.

"I think our women really surprised some people today," said SFA head coach Phil Olson. "The women finished second which is a big improvement from last season's finish. We set nine school records throughout the meet, so I am happy with the way our teams competed this weekend."

The SFA men's and women's track and field teams will return to action Friday March 1 at the LSU Last Ditch meet in Baton Rouge, La.

-SFA-