Final Results
Natchitoches, La. - The Texas State track and field team completed the Southland Conference Outdoor Championships on Sunday evening in Natchitoches, La. with the women finishing in fourth place with 82 points and the men placing seventh with 45.5 points.
On the women's side, junior Elena Horn captured her third conference title in two years in addition to setting a new personal record. Horn ended with a mark of 4.05 meters (13-03.50), nearly two inches higher than her previous personal-best of 4.01 meters (13-01.75).
Senior Katherine Evans continued her impressive SLC Championships performance Sunday with a fourth-place finish in the triple jump. Evans entered the event as the ninth seed but finished with a mark of 12.14 meters (39-10.00).
In the 100-meter dash, freshman Courtney Miller ran 11.94 to finish in fourth place while senior Jiovanna Martinez finished in fifth place in the hammer with a personal-best throw of 49.77 meters (163-03).
Junior Katie Miller took the bronze in the 400-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 1:00.47. Miller also teamed with Hayley Helfenbein, Kellie Trinkaus and Jennie Thomas for the 4x400-meter relay. The team took fifth place, recording 3:47.01.
On the men's side, sophomore Logan Cunningham tied with Stephen F. Austin's Colton Ross and Texas-Arlington's Jeff Rodriguez in the pole vault after the four rounds of competition with all three clearing the mark of 5.05 meters (16-06.75) on their first attempt. The three athletes then entered into a jump off with Ross clearing the mark of 5.15 meters (16-10.75) to take first. Cunningham tied for second with a height of 5.05 meters.
Pole vaulter Landon Ferguson tied for fifth place with a mark of 5.05 meters (16-06.75), clearing the height on his second attempt.
The 4x100-meter relay team of Brandon Thomas, Reginald Reed, Timothy Young and Kevin Aje finished in 41.29 to take fifth place. The 4x400-meter relay team of Joshua Schmiedehaus, James Johnson, Thomas and Reed also took fifth place with a time of 3:15.52.
Sophomore mid-distance runner William Taudien placed fifth in his event, the 800-meter run, with a time of 1:53.11 while senior Daniel Schmidt set a new personal-best on his way to placing fourth with a distance of 55.12 meters (180-10). Adding a bronze medal for the Bobcat men was sophomore Dijan Johnson. Johnson finished the 400-meter hurdles in 53.24.
The Texas State track organization will say goodbye to many seniors this year as well as head coach Galina Bukharina. Bukharina coached at her last Southland Conference meet of her career. Bukharina will leave Texas State after 19 years of service including nine as the head coach.
“It is touching after 19 years for this to be it,” Bukharina said. “It is emotional. I love my team. It is hard knowing I will only be a spectator next year.”
Athletes eligible to attend the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds will compete May 26-28 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on the campus of the University of Oregon. To view the entire event schedule fans can visit www.goducks.com.
A list of Texas State athletes that will be competing at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds will be available shortly at www.txstatebobcats.com on the track and field home page.
Southland All-Conference:
Women: Senior Katherine Evans (heptathlon, high jump), Senior Jiovanna Martinez (discus), Junior Elena Horn (pole vault), Junior Katie Miller (400-meter hurdles)
Men: Sophomore Logan Cunningham (pole vault), Sophomore Dijan Johnson (400-meter hurdles)
