Track and field teams finish on high note

The Southern Miss Golden Eagle track & field teams set a school record with 29 top-eight finishes when they competed in the NJCAA Super Southeast Regionals on Saturday.

Junior Marcus Norwood highlighted the meet by becoming a member of the seven-foot jump club. He won the men’s high jump with a mark of 2.16m (7-1), while Courtland Wells finished second with a jump of 2.05m (6-8.75). Ke’Airra Jones also won the women’s high jump with a mark of 1.78m (163-3).

Ganna Demydova had a strong second place showing in the women’s long jump with a mark of 6.05m (19-10.25), and Tamarra Bowie finished third in the women’s triple jump with a mark of 12.64m (41-5.75).

The women’s 4x100 meter relay team of Tandra Patterson, Brianna Rayfield, Jamie White and Tori Bowie clocked a time of 45.89 and finished second.

Sarah Omotayo finished second in the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 14.47, and White finished second in the women’s 100m with a season-best time of 12.01. The men had strong showings in the 110m hurdles and 800m, as Randy McCoy and Dale Dunn finished first with times of 14.71 and 1:51.15 in the respective events. Julien Bousquet finished second in the men’s 800m with a time of 1:53.97.

Southern Miss dominated the men’s hammer throw, as Suyi Georgewill, Napoleon Beniot and Robert Collingwood all placed in the top three with throws of 58.80m (192-11), 48.26m (158-04), and 45.28m (148-07), respectively.

Rachel Polk and Collingwood won the women’s and men’s shot with throws of 15.30m (50-2.50) and 17.09m (56-1), respectively. Polk also won the women’s discuss with a throw of 49.37m (162-0). Cara Wells placed third in the discuss and hammer with throws of 47.65m (156-4) and 50.38m (165-3).

The track & field teams will resume competition when they travel to the Conference USA Outdoor Championships at Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans, La., from May 10-13.