NATCHITOCHES - The McNeese track and field teams are set to compete this weekend at the 2019 Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, beginning Friday morning at the Walter P. Ledet Track Complex on the campus of Northwestern State.
 
One of the premier events in the Southland Conference will be the 100-meter dash where the league is one of the strongest conferences in the country in the event, both in terms of depth and top performers. 
 
The Cowboys have two potential point scorers and medalists ranked highly:  Tyler Smith ranked fourth and Tyler Syrie ranked ninth in the conference.  Both are looking to be the first medalist in the 100-meter dash since former football and track star Diontae Spencer finished second at the 2013 championship meet. 
 
Both Smith and Syrie are also in position to score in the 200-meter dash, with Syrie ranked fourth and Smith eighth. 
 
Junior distance runner Brian Flanagan will be pursuing the first conference medal in the 3000-meter steeplechase.  The Cowboy is ranked third in the event and will be joined by freshman Joey Croft who is ranked sixth in the league. 
 
The 5000-meter run is one of the most unpredictable events at conference championship meets.  It is the penultimate event of the entire meet so almost all distance runners are entered in the event with approximately 60 athletes entered, many of which will have already run tough races before then. Cowboy Miguel Barrera-Lopez will be looking to lead the Cowboys in the event with a strong run. 
 
Freshman hurdler Morgan Frederick is ranked seventh in the 400-hurdles.  Frederick, who did not run any hurdles in high school, has positioned himself to contribute for the Cowboys in his first season. 
 
The Cowboy 4x100-meter relay team is one of the fastest teams the Cowboys have had in quite some time.  Running the second fastest time in program history this season, the team is ranked fourth in the Southland Conference and will be looking to make a jump in pursuit of a medal. 
 
The 4x400-meter relay squad for the Cowboys holds the number seven spot, with only two seconds separating the eighth and fourth-ranked teams.
 
In the triple jump, senior jumper Lentz Similien will look to repeat his career performance he posted at last year's conference meet.  Being the ninth ranked triple jumper, Similien will aim to put one jump together to help out the Cowboys.  He's in a similar position in the high jump as well with a chance to place high in a field that's not as strong as it has been in past years.
 
Senior thrower Darko Radakovic is also just on the outside of scoring position in the discus as he will look to conclude his career on a positive note. 
 
The Cowgirl squad received a huge hit earlier this week when it was learned that All-American multi-event star Grace McKenzie will miss the championships due to a strained hamstring.
 
In the sprints, junior Aleyah Donald holds the number one ranking going into conference in the 100-meter dash.  She will look to be the first Cowgirl champion in the event since school record holder Jasmine Webb did so in back-to-back years in 2013 and 2014. 
 
Donald's teammates, Taneisha Allen and Victoria Pierson, are both competing in the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash, looking to qualify for their first conference final in their careers. Pierson will also runn the 400-meter dash.
 
In the 800-meter run, freshman Shania Anthony is eighth-fastest runner entered in the event.  Anthony just missed the finals at the indoor championships by 100ths of a second and will use that experience to try and qualify for the 800-meter run final on Sunday. 
 
One of the strongest events for the Cowgirls, the 5000-meter run, is a great opportunity for the Cowgirls to score some big points.  Holding the top two spots and the 10t positions, Gladys Jerotich, Alex Eykelbosch, and Alissa Lander, are in position to score big for the Cowgirls on the final day of competition. 
 
All three of the Cowgirls will also run the 10,000-meter run on the first day of competition in what can be a tone setting event for the Cowgirls squad this weekend. 
 
The 3000-meter steeplechase is another event where the Cowgirls can score a bulk of points with sophomore Marta Lukijaniuk and freshman Jordan Waine ranked in the top 10.
 
Junior hurdler Brentney Carroll currently ranks ninth in the league in the 100-meter hurdles and will be looking for a good run in the prelims to qualify for the finals and score some points. 
 
The Cowgirls' 4x100 meter relay team is ranked fourth in the league and will be seeking their first medal in the event since the 2015 championships. 
 
The women's 4x400 meter relay team can move up with a solid performance.  Less than three seconds separate ninth place and fourth place in the league, so it will be a battle for every last position.
 
The Cowgirls are well suited to score major points across a majority of field events.
 
In the long jump, the Cowgirls have Carli McDonald ranked fifth, Heaven Terrell ranked 10th, and Shaelyn Hines 13th. In the triple jump, freshman Malaiya Jedkins sits ranked sixth while Morgan Talley is 11th. In the high jump, Crystal Coulter is currently ranked 10th in the league and will look to place in the top eight this weekend for the first time since her freshman campaign. 
 
Possibly the most versatile thrower in the Southland Conference, Alanna Arvie, is set to compete in all throwing events.  Arvie holds the top ranking in her specialty event, the hammer throw, is ranked ninth in the shot put, 16th in the discus, and seventh in the javelin.