HOUSTON – McNeese senior thrower Marcus Francis finished off the season sweep in the shot put when just over two months after winning gold at the Southland Conference Indoor Championships, he retained the league title by winning the event on Friday and did it in school record fashion.
 
Francis threw 61-feet, 9 ¾-inches, breaking a 34-year-old school record of 61-7 ¾ that has been held by All-American and Olympian Kevin Toth and set in 1991. Francis is also the first Cowboy to win gold in the shot put since Toth did it in 1990 and 1991.
 
The 10 points collected for the win gives the Cowboys 23 points and in sixth place after the second of three days of the championships.
 
The Cowgirls had their top shot put thrower reach the medal stand when Jaslyn Russell finished third to capture the bronze medal with a throw of 48-11.50 and setting a new personal record in the process.
 
Russell's six points gave the Cowgirls 16 after day two as they'll head into Saturday's final day in seventh place.
 
Other notes on the day:
• Amari Godette qualified for the finals in the men's 100m after placing third in the prelims with a time of 10.41.
• Tray'Quan Francis ran a 1:52.56 in the 800m prelims to qualify for the finals.
• The Cowgirls qualified two runners in for the finals in the women's 800m – Keelei Dorsey and Jasmine Perez.
• Grace Sullivan placed fifth in the women's 3000-meter steeplechase to collect four points.