The Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs indoor track team placed two top five finishes in the MSU all-time record books at the 10th Annual Tyson Invitational. The veterans proved successful at the world class event held in the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark.
Junior Wendy Copeland and senior Priscilla Gaines set marks Friday placing fourth and fifth, respectively, on the MSU superlatives list. Copeland competed in the championship group and set a mark of 19-8 1/4 inches to place eighth. Gaines competed in the long jump group and set a personal-best mark of 19-2 1/4.
“Priscilla and I are getting more consistent jumping,” Copeland said. “We had a better meet this time at the long jump.”
The two were the best MSU performances of the weekend in front of a crowd of nearly 5,000 spectators inside the Tyson Center. Copeland’s mark on the superlatives list gives her third and fourth best marks all-time. With her jump, Gaines set her first mark on the MSU superlatives list.
“Wendy jumped six meters in the long jump and Priscilla had her best jump of the year,” MSU coach Al Schmidt said. “That was the highlight of [Friday].”
Some of the best talent in the nation entered into the championship category, which Copeland jumped in.
“I was really happy about even making the championship section of the Tyson Meet because it is very competitive,” she said.
MSU’s 4×400-meter relay team ran a time of 3 minutes 47.04 seconds, which earned fourth on State’s all-time best. The relay team of junior LaQuinta Aaron, sophomore Diamond Marks, senior Marrissa Harris and junior Crystal Wilson placed 15th. Auburn took first with a time of 3:37.75.
Assistant coach Brian Fetzer said his older athletes are becoming more consistent.
“The Tyson Invitational is one of the best meets in the country and it gave us a feel for what the SEC Championship will be like in two weeks.”
Harris and Aaron each competed in the hurdles competition. Harris finished 15th at a mark of 8.50. Aaron placed 25th at 8.75. Michigan senior Tiffany Ofili led all hurdlers with a time of 8.05.
The distance groups turned in excellent times. Freshman Loren Bruce placed eighth in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 18:27.48. First place honors went to Michigan sophomore Kaitlyn Peale at a time of 17:14.10.
Sophomore distance runner Simone Domingue finished 10th in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:07.12. Auburn sophomore Amber Riley won the 3,000 with a time of 9:40.80.
“Loren ran a personal best in the 5,000 and Simone ran well in the 3,000,” Fetzer said. “Overall, we did well, especially with two marks for the all-time superlatives list.”
Another freshman set a personal best. Ana’s Deschamps, of Villers sur le Mont, France, placed 16th in the mile at 5:10.44. New Mexico Junior College freshman Caroline Jepleting took home first at 4:55.07.
On the men’s side, freshman sprinter D’Angelo Cherry ran unattached and placed the best time overall in the men’s 60-meter dash. Running in the consolation finals due to his unattached status, he set the best time of the field at 6.64. His time bested the first place in the final, Auburn’s Marcus Rowland at 6.66.
“Honestly, I think [Cherry] is going to be brilliant,” Copeland said. “He has a great start, and he is just a freshman, so he has a lot to learn.”
Cherry set a time equivalent to Trindon Holliday, LSU sprinter and football star. Holliday placed fifth in the Puma Invitational alongside professionals like Terrance Trammell, who placed first with a time of 6.56.
“[Cherry] said he wants to work on his top-end speed,” Copeland said. “If he just stays motivated and healthy, he is really going to be a blast in his freshman year.”
In big news in the men’s distance world, an American and collegiate record was set in the 5,000 meters.
Oregon senior Galen Rupp posted a time of 13:18.12 coming in second. His kick was no match for Ethiopian professional Bekana Daba, who ran a 13:17.89.
The indoor team has two weeks to prepare for its next meet, the SEC Indoor Championships Feb. 27 and 28 in Lexington, Ky.