NATCHITOCHES – The McNeese Cowgirls got the 2019 Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships off to a good start with 13 points in the opening event with the running of the 10,000-meter run, but an unexpected foul and non-score by top-ranked Alanna Arvie in the women's hammer throw kept the Cowgirls from to their point total as the day ended with five women's events and three men's scored.
 
Gladys Jerotich picked up a silver medal in the 10,000-meters after posting a personal best time of 37:57.87. She was followed by Alissa Lander with a fifth place finish at 38:23.86, who beat her previous PR by nearly one minute. Alex Eykelbosch scored with an eighth place finish with a time of 38:45.13.
 
The Cowgirls ended the day with 17 team points and in fourth place. Arvie collected four with a fifth place finish in the javelin event with a PR mark of 143-feet, 7-inches.
 
In the women's long jump, Shaelyn Hines finished 11^th with a mark of 17-11.75; Carli McDonald was 15^th at 17-9.75; while Morgan Talley (17-9.5) and Heaven Terrell (17-9.5) tied for 17^th; and Crystal Coulter was 27^th at 16-9.75.
 
On the men's side, the Cowboys collected five points and are in eighth place after distance runner Miguel Barrera-Lopez placed fourth in the 10,000-meters with a time of 31:57.54. It was his first time to ever compete in the event. Daniel Saina missed out on scoring by 20 seconds as he finished 12^th with a time of 32:33.18.
 
The Cowboys came up empty in the long jump as Kevin Tripeaux finished 11^th with a leap of 22-2.5 while Lentz Semilien placed 12^th with a mark of 22-1.75.
 
In the men's hammer, Garrett Dietert finished 14^th with a toss of 143-8
 
Much of the day's events consisted of the women's heptathlon and men's decathlon.
 
Cowgirl heptathlete and the league's top-ranked athlete in the event, Grace McKenzie, was scratched two days ago after suffering a strained hamstring.
 
Saturday's schedule will feature a bulk of preliminary rounds in the sprints, hurdles and middle distances as well as the 3,000-meter steeplechase finals. Also, field event finals in the men's and women's shot put, men's and women's triple jump, and men's javelin, will be held while the heptathlon and decathlon will wrap up.
 
Action gets underway at 9 a.m. with the multi-events while individual events will start at 2 p.m. with the women's 1500-meter prelims.