Returning after a week off, the Texas State Men’s and Women’s track and field teams competed in the Jaguar Invitational in Birmingham, Alabama hosted by the University of South Alabama, Feb. 4.
The Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championships will be held at exact place, so the Texas State track and field had a early feel for the upcoming SBC Championships.
The meet began with the women’s 3000-meter run and the women’s high jump as the first field event of the day. Senior jumper Chelsie DeCoud had a season best of 1.74-meters leaving her in first, senior high jumper Courtney Johnson in fourth and freshman high jumper Lauren Purdom in eighth.
In men’s 60-meter hurdles prelims, sophomore steep chaser Christian Jackson ended with 8.69.
In the women’s 60-meter hurdles, junior multis Kylah Smith ended with 8.47 and freshman hurdler Whitney Ochiam with 8.74. Smith also had the top prelim time which betters her conference leading mark. Also junior multis Lauren Brogger ended with 9.25.
In the men’s 60-meter dash, senior sprinter Demarcus Porter finished with 6.87 and sophomore multis Ben Collerton with 7.29. The men also finished first to the final.
Junior sprinter Tramesha Hardy also advanced to the final in the women’s 60-meter dash in 7.41. Freshman sprinter Chrischaynie Washington finished with 7.79.
Senior mid-distance Logan Pittdman scored for the Bobcats in the men’s mile, finishing with 4:13.76. Following behind was junior mid-distance Kyle Denomme finishing with 4:17.29. Freshman distance runner Cade Michael ended with 4:21.76 and senior mid-distance Jordan Janer ends with 4:27.21.
The Bobcats scored five points with freshman jumper Carlos Wilson in fourth in men’s long jump.
Hardy ran 7.41 in the final to finish second overall.  Hardy has the Sun Belt Conference leading mark in the 60-meter dash.
Porter in seventh scored 6.90 in the men’s 60-meter final. In the men’s 800-meter run, the Bobcats scored eight more points.
Senior sprinter Esther Oyetunde ran 2:13.25 in the women’s 800-meter run, which was for five points and fourth amongst collegiate athletes in the race.
The Bobcats scored 13 more points in the women’s triple jump with senior jumper Mylana Hearn winning the event and sophomore horizontal jumper Taydria Nickerson finished in sixth. Hearn had another big leap this season — 12.48 meters.
In the women’s 5000-meter run, sophomore distance runner Kendra Long finished in second with sophomore distance runner Madilyn King in third, giving the Bobcats another 14 points. In the women’s 4×400-meter relay the Bobcats completed in first receiving 10 points. The Bobcat Women finished with 128.5 points dominating and winning the Jaguar Invitational.
 
In the men’s 200-meter dash, the Bobcats placed third and fourth receiving 11 points. Also, in the Men’s 4×400-meter relay, the Bobcats completed in first receiving 10 points, and placing third overall in the invitational.
Track and field will continue its season in Birmingham, Alabama at Birmingham Crossplex for the Sun Belt Indoor Championships Feb. 18-19.