Published May 16, 1987 by Louis Bonnette, McNeese Sports Information
 
McNeese's one-man show in last weekend's NCAA indoor track and field championships presented the university with a third-place showing in the team standings.
 
The Cowboys tied for third place in the final team standings with 16 points, all scored by Brian Cooper.
 
This is the highest any Southland Conference team has ever finished in the NCAA indoor meet and also the highest for any university in Louisiana since LSU won the NCAA outdoor title in 1933.
 
The Cowboys, Georgetown and Indiana all tied for third place with 16 points. Arkansas won the team title with 39 points and SMU was second with 31.
 
The next highest Southland or Louisiana school was LSU which finished 11th while Northeast Louisiana tied for 13th.
 
Cooper was the Cowboys' entire show and he claimed second places in both the 55-meter dash and the long jump, earning All-American honors in each event.
 
He ran a 6.17 to take second in the 55-meters to set a new school record, getting edged out by Pitt's Lee McRea who posted a 6.13 time for the title. A day earlier, he placed second in the long jump with a mark of 26-3 ½.

"This just goes to show the caliber of athlete that we have in the Southland Conference," Cowboy head coach Bob Hayes said. "I'm very proud of Brian and proud for our university and our community."
 
The NCAA meet wraps up Cooper's indoor activity and he will now join the Cowboys for their outdoor season.
 
Men's Total Points:
1. Arkansas - 39
2. SMU – 31
3. McNeese – 16
     Indiana – 16
     Georgetown – 16
6. Fresno State – 14
     Houston – 14
     Kansas State – 14
     Pittsburgh – 14
     Washington State – 14