AUSTIN, Texas –
Donavon Banks placed sixth in the men's javelin event among some of the top throwers in the nation while
Grace McKenzie is in third place through four events in the women's heptathlon following action on day one of the 93
rd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays on Thursday.
Banks' sixth place mark of 235-6 in the "A Section" ranked as the third-best throw among collegiate participants. Anderson Peters of ADIDAS won the event with a throw of 270-8. The top collegian was Arthur Peterson of Texas-Arlington who threw a 255-1.
McKenzie totaled 3,374 points through four of the seven events in the heptathlon, ranking as the second-highest collegian to finish the day. Taliyah Brooks of Asics leads after day one with 3,767 points followed by G'Auna Edwards of Arkansas with a score of 3,404.
McKenzie scored 1,011 points in the 100-meter hurdles (13.77), 855 points in the high jump (5-7), 619 in the shot put (37-3.75) and 889 in the 200-meters (24.98). She'll wrap up competition on Friday with the long jump, javelin throw and the 800-meters.
Other McNeese student-athletes in action on the day saw
Alanna Arvie finish 12
th in the hammer throw with a mark of 193-3;
Hunter Longino 11
th in the javelin B section at 191-0;
Kobe Nevills with a PR in the 400-meters with a time of 48.65; and
Olufolabo Ogunyemi with a 56.49 in the 400-meter hurdles to set a new PR.
Gideon Cheplak, the reigning Southland Conference Men's Track Athlete of the Week, capped off the late night with a seventh place finish in the men's 10,000 meters with a time of 29:33.40. That mark ranks in the top five in school history.
Henry Kiplagat finished 15th in the race with a time of 30:42.97, blistering his previous PR by more than 1:30 that he clocked while a member of the Jackson State program.
Cowboy Results:
400m –
Kobe Nevills 48.65
400 hurdles –
Olufolabo Ogunyemi 56.49
10,000m – 7,
Gideon Cheplak 29:33.40; 15,
Henry Kiplagat 30:42.97
Javelin A – 6,
Donavon Banks 235-6
Javelin B – 11,
Hunter Longino 191-0
Cowgirl Results:
Heptathlon – 3,
Grace McKenzie 3374 after 4 events
Hammer – 12,
Alanna Arvie 193-3
