Mississippi State’s men’s track team won the team title at their home opening outdoor meet Saturday at the SEC Quadrangular. State’s women finished second overall.
The Bulldogs gained 174 points in the first outdoor meet of 2003, winning over LSU by 12.5 points. The Lady Bulldogs finished 19 points behind the LSU Lady Tigers, who won the women’s side.
State’s women, however, had better individual showing in events at W.O. Spencer Stadium/Carl Maddox Track. Sophomore Tiffany McWilliams broke her old school record in the 1500-meter run, winning the race in 4:18.52. That mark qualifies her for NCAA Regionals in Columbus, Ohio, May 30-31.
Sophomore Crystal Averitt also had a record-setting day. The Boyd, Texas, native won the hammer throw competition with a new school record of 175-7. That was the first of Averitt’s two regional qualifying marks, as she also threw 150-11 in the discus to qualify in that as well. She finished second in the discus and third in the javelin (117-5).
Meggan Hodge also won the 3000-meter run Saturday afternoon. The sophomore from Beaumont, Alberta, completed the 7 1/2-lap race in 10:14.57. Freshman Mina Thorstenson came in first the 5000m (17.45.27).
MSU’s men had three qualifying marks and eight first-place finishes in the home opener. All-American sophomore Glenn McFadden won the 100m and 200m, qualifying for regionals with his 20.89 mark in the 200-meter dash. McFadden also anchored the 4x100m relay team with Kelvin Harris, LaChristopher Lewis and Keston Nelson to a win (40.85).
Lewis also ranked first the long jump competition. The Coldwater, Miss., native leaped 23-10 to outdistance the field.
Seniors Kelvin Harris and Chris Boldt both won events to start their final outdoor campaign. Harris ran a regional-qualifying time of 14.17 to finish first in the 110m high hurdles. Boldt won the 1500m but just missed a qualifying mark with his time of 3:50.11.
Sophomore Matthew Denton won the high jump, clearing the qualifying mark of 6-9 1/2. J.D. Erickson, a sophomore from Memphis, Tenn., won the hammer throw with a toss of 156-2.
MSU will be home again next Saturday, March 29, with the Bulldog Invitational. State hosts the Bulldog High School Invitational on Friday afternoon.