RESULTS

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Two gold medals in the final two events propelled the McNeese Cowgirls to their first-ever Southland Conference Indoor Track & Field team championship in school history Monday at the Birmingham CrossPlex and capping off the two-day event.
 
Cowgirl high jumper Sakari Famous broke her own school record in the event with a height of 5-10.75 to win a gold medal and giving McNeese a 16-point lead over second place UIW and essentially clinching the title. Minutes later, the 4x400m relay team of Malaiya Jedkins, Kayla Warner, Dreunna Washington and Shania Anthony captured gold by clocking a 3:48.83 and putting the seal on the team title.
 
McNeese finished the meet with 156 points, followed by UIW with 134 and Northwestern State with 89 to round out the top three teams. HBU placed fourth with 80.5 points, UNO was next with 78, Southeastern 52.5, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 47 and Nicholls with 20.
 
The Cowboys finished the meet with a fierce rally to place third in the team standings, running a school record in the 4x400m relay with a time of 3:12.80 and capturing the gold. Cowboy anchor man Jalon White, who won medals on the day, burned up the track with a 46.998 in his leg to assist with the win and record.
 
UIW won the men's team title with 131.5 points followed by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 109.5, McNeese 104, New Orleans 97, Southeastern 95, Northwestern State 67, HBU 50 and Nicholls 5.
 
"What an exciting day," said head coach Brendon Gilroy. "Everyone had a role and took care of business. Down the stretch, the women were going on all cylinders. The men missed on a few spots but finished strong to get third place."
 
A total of 16 medals were handed out to the Cowboys and Cowgirls on the day – eight apiece (4x400 counting as one).
 
In addition to Famous and both 4x400 relay teams winning gold, Jedkins added a second gold for her on the day in the triple jump when she soared to a mark of 41-5.25 on her final jump. It was the first of four records broken for McNeese on the final day, including Famous' and the men's 4x400 relay. Dreunna Washington, who was named Co-High Point Scorer in the meet, clocked a new record in the 200-meters at 24.19 to win a silver medal.
 
Washington won four medals in the meet – two gold (long jump and 4x400 relay), a silver (200-meters) and a bronze (60-meters).
 
Kayla Warner added a silver medal in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:12.67; Morgan Talley a silver in the 60m hurdles (8.79) and also finished fourth in the triple and long jumps to; and Janell Fullerton brought home a silver medal in the shot put (46-8).
 
Other medalists for the men saw Joey Croft (4:11.40) and Evans Kemboi (4:11.85) finish 2-3 in the mile run; Kemboi with a bronze medal in the 3000m (8:19.72); Ronnie Jackson earning a silver in the 60m hurdles (8.06) and a bronze medal in the triple jump with a mark of 47-5; and Marcus Francis with a bronze in the shot put (52-11).