LAKE CHARLES - McNeese Cowgirl field event standout
Jaslyn Russell has qualified to participate in the 2026 NCAA East First Round which will take place in Lexington, Kentucky May 27-30.
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Russell qualified in the shot put event where she ranked 48th in the region among competitors. The top 48 individuals advance to the NCAA regional event.
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The senior from Oakdale is scheduled to compete on Thursday, May 28, at 5:30 p.m. CT.
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Russell is coming off a fourth place showing in the shot put at the Southland Conference Outdoor Championships and has a season-best throw of 50-10.75 which she marked at the SFA Carl Kight Invitational on April 2. She also finished third in the hammer throw and sixth in the discus at the conference meet.
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In seven meets on the season, Russell captured first place four times in the shot put, placed second in two others and fourth in one.
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She ranked 51st in the region in the discus event, missing out on qualifying for the regionals by just eight inches.
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For her efforts in the hammer throw at the league championships, she earned third team all-conference honors. Two of her teammates also earned all-conference accolades -
Jeny Barcenas in the 3000m steeplechase earning second team honors while
Lawson Fritsch won silver in the men's pole vault to capture a spot on the All-SLC second team.
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Fritsch finished second in the men's pole vault after clearing a personal record height of 16-9.5. He held onto the gold medal until the final attempt by the eventual champion from SFA. Fritsch's height is ranked as the fourth-best in school history.
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Barcenas capped off day two of the championships with a second-place finish in the women's 3000-meter steeplechase. The senior clocked a time of 10:41.86 to capture the silver medal.
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Russell won a bronze medal in the hammer throw event, saving the best throw of her career for her last, throwing 177-8 to reach the podium.
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