COMMERCE, Texas – The McNeese Cowgirl track and field team, the defending Southland Conference outdoor champions, got off to a fast start on the first day of the 2023 SLC Championship Meet here Thursday, winning two gold medals and scoring 42 points to hold the lead heading into Friday's day two of competition.
 
The Cowboys ended the day in third place with 19 points.
 
The meet will continue on Friday beginning at 11 a.m. with the men's decathlon and women's heptathlon. Individual events will start at 3 p.m. with the men's shot put and women's long jump while running events get started at 6:45 with the women's 100-meter hurdle prelims followed by the men's 110-meter hurdle prelims.
 
Hammer thrower Mariah Lee, who won a bronze in the event at last year's championships, blistered the field with a personal record and gold medal-winning throw of 196-08, 30-feet longer than the second-place finisher. Her mark climbed up the all-time top five best list in school history, ranking second on the Cowgirl chart. Lee is only the second Cowgirl to ever win gold in the event, joining Alanna Arvie who captured first place in 2021.
 
Blanche Beard repeated as conference champion in the women's javelin event, throwing 151-04 in the process. She's just the fifth repeat champion in the event in conference history and joins former Cowgirl All-American Samantha Chesson as the only multiple champion in the event. Chesson, who is in the McNeese Sports Hall of Fame, won gold in 1998 and 2000.
 
Lee bettered her previous PR that she recorded a month ago at the Bobcat Invitational by more than 11 feet. Chloe Hernandez finished fourth with a throw of 163-04 to tally four points and Jaslyn Russell captured one point with an eighth-place finish and a PR throw of 152-0. Reese Grossie tallied a new PR with her mark of 144-10, 16-feet longer than her previous season best while Madison Freeman posted a new PR of 131-08, six feet longer than her previous best.
 
In addition to Beard's gold medal win in the javelin, Hadley Ryland captured five points with a fourth-place finish and a throw of 138-04, 12 feet longer than her previous best. Addison Bonsall placed sixth to record three points with a mark of 123-0.
 
Distance runner Sorcha Moloney added five points to the Cowgirls total after finishing fourth in the 10,000-meters with a personal best time of 37:44.95. Pamela Kosgei placed eighth with a time of 40:14.22 to claim a point.
 
Aubry Weyerstrass cleared 11-03.75 to finish sixth in the women's pole vault and record three points. It was also a personal record for the junior vaulter.
 
Tyler Challis earned a spot on the medal stand for the Cowboys with a third-place finish in the men's hammer throw. Challis threw 187-01, recording a new personal best in the process. Marcus Francis earned a point with an eighth-place finish in the event with a mark of 160-10.
 
Toke Joergensen captured three points for the Cowboys with a sixth-place finish in the pole vault with a clearing of 14-11 and recording a season best.
 
Omer El-Fadl qualified for the 1500m finals when he finished second in the prelims with a time of 3:57.94.
 
Women's Team Scoring (4 of 21 events scored):
1, McNeese 42; 2, Northwestern State 25; 3, Incarnate Word 22; 4, New Orleans 17; 5, Lamar 14; 6, Southeastern Louisiana 13; 7, Nicholls 10; 8, TAMU-Commerce 8; 9, TAMU-Corpus Christi 4; 10, Houston Christian 1.
 
Men's Team Scoring (3 of 21 events scored):
1, Incarnate Word 35; 2, TAMU-Corpus Christi 24; 3, McNeese 19; 4, Southeastern Louisiana 15; 5, TAMU-Commerce 13; 6, New Orleans 6; 7, Northwestern State 4; 8, Houston Christian 1
 
Cowgirl Results (points):
200m Prelims – 13, Kayla Harrison 24.91 PR; 14, Boluwatife Akinwande 25.01; 23, Makayla Heath 25.43 PR.
400m Hurdles – 9, Reagan West 1:06.61.
10,000m – 4, Sorcha Moloney 37:44.95 PR (5); 8, Pamela Kosgei 40:14.22 (1); Bonnie Andres 41:27.91.
Hammer Throw – 1, Mariah Lee 196-08 PR (10); 5, Chloe Hernandez 163-04 (4); 8, Jaslyn Russell 152-04 PR (1); 9, Reese Grossie 144-10 PR; 13, Madison Freeman 131-08 PR.
Javelin – 1, Blanche Beard 151-04 (10); 4, Hadley Ryland 138-04 PR (5); 6, Addisyn Bonsall 123-00 PR (3); 16, Allison Freeman 107-00.
Pole Vault – 6, Aubry Weyerstrass 11-03.75 PR (3).
 
Cowboy Results (points):
200m Prelims – 16, Jalon White 21.62; 18, Kaleb Blalock 21.83; 19, Samuel Gray 21.92.
1500m Prelims – 2, Omer El-Fadl 3:57.94Q; 16, Filippo Squassina 4:05.87 PR.
10,000m – 4, Gilbert Kimutai 30:44.53 PR (5); 5, Jacob Kipkogei 31:19.45 (4).
400m Hurdle Prelims – 10, Jaden Powell 53.60 PR.
Hammer Throw – 3, Tyler Challis 187-01 PR (6); 8, Marcus Francis 160-10 (1); 9, Garrett Dietert 158-08 PR.
Pole Vault – 6, Toke Joergensen 14-11.00 (3).