Greg Rossino

Sports Co-Editor

The men’s and women’s track teams performed well this past weekend at the Southern Miss Invitational in Hattiesburg, Miss., thanks in large part to their throwers.
The men swept through the throwing events while freshman Tiphanie Baker won the discus event, breaking a long-standing record in the process.
Sophomore Norman Austin led the way for the men by winning the javelin after just one throw of 198 feet, 7 inches.
Senior Ryan Baker came through in the hammer with a lifetime-best throw of 162 feet, 4 inches.
Sophomore Ryan Schmeling had a surprising discus throw of 159 feet, 9 inches, giving him a new personal best as well as beating out Alcorn State’s pre-meet favorite Brandon Franklin.
Completing the sweep for Troy was senior Michael Heck, who won the shot put with a 50-foot, 8-inches toss.
In other events, the men’s 4x100 relay team continued the success of the throwers.
Tevis Wells, Matavis Madden, Lamontrey Stamper and LaMar Hicks finished in second place with time of 41.11.
Madden and Wells also ran well in the 4x400 relay with times of 48.00 and 47.5, respectively, earning the men a fourth-place finish with a total time of 3:15.
In the 400 intermediate hurdles, sophomore Mike Conley came in third place with a time of 54.24.
Freshman Jeremy Moujoodi finished sixth in the 1500 race with a time of 4:02.
Else where in the field, Scott Crews had a vault of 15 feet in the pole vault capturing third place.
Sophomore Mike Nichols finished in fourth in the long jump after a jump of 22 feet, 2 inches and finishing in sixth in the triple jump after a 44-foot, 8-inch jump.
Freshman Tiphanie Baker led the women’s team throughout the invitational.
Baker threw three personal bests in the discus on her way to upsetting favorites Vanessa Thomas of Alcorn State and Kim Carrier of Southeastern Louisiana.
Baker has now set three records in her freshman season in the indoor weight throw, indoor shot and outdoor shot.
Freshman Leander McKenzie was the only other event winner for the women’s team.
McKenzie won the 110-meter hurdle in a time of 14.40.
Juniors Tawanna Meadows, Jocelyn Williams and Shenita Howell each placed well in their events.
Meadows’ time of 11.89 in the 100 meters gave her a second-place finish.
Williams finished second after a personal best of 56.61 in the 400 meters.
Howell’s 133-foot, 4-inch toss in the discus earned her a fourth-place finish.
Director of Track and Field Bob Lambert was pleased with how the thrower in particular as well as the rest of the team, performed.
“I was amazed by our throwers. They had simply a banner day,” said Lambert.
“Even our younger throwers, Drew Oliver and James Hargreaves, had a bunch of personal bests in the shot, discus and hammer. Tiphanie’s discus throw was a whopping 14 feet over her previous best effort,” Lambert continued.
Both teams will continue to train for the upcoming Georgia Relays in Athens, Ga. on March 16.