GAINSVILLE, Florida – McNeese track and field got off to a good start here Thursday on the first day of the 3-day Florida Relays when freshman Donavon Banks finished seventh in the men's javelin event.
Banks, who is currently ranked No. 2 in the Southland Conference in the event, threw 206-feet, 3-inches in the second of six throws on the day. He was the highest finishing freshman out of 25 entrants.
Mississippi State sophomore Curtis Thompson won the event with a throw of 249-0.
In the women's 5,000-meter run, senior
Gemma Bridge placed 11
th with a personal record time of 17:10.28. Fellow Cowgirl
Katja Woelfl was close behind finishing in 16
th place at 17:18.31, another personal record.
In addition,
Leonie Weber clocked an 18:02.46 in her first run in the event.
Bridget Lyons of the Atlanta Track Club won the event with a time of 16:29.59 while Mississippi State's Mia Meydrich was the first collegiate runner to cross the finish line with a time of 16:35.00.
The Cowboys had a good showing in the men's 5,000-meters with
Nathan Jones and
Enrique Soto placing 12
th and 13
th while
Fisher Hamilton followed up with a 19
th place finish.
All three runners posted personal records.
Jones crossed the finish line with a time of 14:34.31 to edge out Soto who clocked a 14:35.12 run. Hamilton was timed at 14:54.92.
Alfred Chelanga of Shorter won the event with a time of 14:13.81.
The meet will continue on Friday with a full slate of events beginning with the women's discus at 11 a.m. central time. The SEC Network Plus, via Watch ESPN, will stream the day's events beginning at 11 until 3:30.
