Lone Star Conference Outdoor Track and Field athletes have recorded 19 NCAA Division II Automatic qualifying marks (13 men, 6 women) and 134 provisional efforts (81 men, 53 women). See the LSC performance list here:
https://www.tfrrs.org/lists/3340.html.
The 2021 LSC Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be held at West Texas A&M in Canyon, Texas on May 6-7-8. For more information, visit championships central here:
https://lonestarconference.org/tournaments/?id=40.
ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
Butare Rugenerwa, West Texas A&M, JR, Digital Communication, Amarillo, Texas, Amarillo
Rugenerwa returned to the track last week and did not disappoint as he won the 800-meters at the Oliver Jackson Twilight Invitational in the third-fastest time in program history. He crossed the finish line in 1:50.04 giving the Amarillo native the three fastest times in program history.
MEN’S FIELD
Decio Andrade, Angelo State, JR, Economics, Camacha, Portugal, Escola Secundaria de Francisco Franco
Andrade continues to make history for Angelo State with a personal best hammer throw of 235-7 (71.82m) at the Oliver Jackson Twilight to break the school record that he set in 2019. That mark slots him as the third-best performer all-time in NCAA Division II and was the best throw since 2016, and also sets a new Lone Star Conference best-ever mark.
WOMEN’S TRACK
Shiean Walters, Angelo State, FR, Exercise Science, Coleman, Texas, Coleman HS
Walters placed first in the 400m dash for the Rambelles with a time of 55.92 in the Oliver Jackson Twilight meet hosted by Abilene Christian. Walters currently leads the conference with her time.
WOMEN’S FIELD
Zada Swoopes, West Texas A&M, SR, Sports and Exercise Science, Whitewright, Texas, Whitewright HS
Swoopes continues her dominance in the shot put as she won the event at the Oliver Jackson Twilight over competitors from Clemson and North Texas. She became just the second thrower in NCAA Division II history to throw over 17 meters twice in the same year with her toss of 56-5.25 (17.20m). She also finished fifth in the hammer throw with a mark of 166-10.25 (50.86m).
WEEKLY AWARDS
Men’s Track
M-17 James Majenge, Cameron
M-24 Ezekiel Kipchirchir, West Texas A&M
M-31 Benjamin Azamati, West Texas A&M
A-7 Benjamin Azamati, West Texas A&M (2)
A-14 4x100-Meter Relay (Tyrin Lewis, Benjamin Azamati, Jahmaal Lewis, Desmond Aryee), West Texas A&M
A-21 Verrell McBride, Oklahoma Christian
A-28 Butare Rugenerwa, West Texas A&M
Men’s Field
M-17 No nominees
M-24 Decio Andrade, Angelo State
M-31 Deoux Deysel, Angelo State
Ushan Perera, Texas A&M-Commerce
Dhanushka Sandaruwan, West Texas A&M
A-7 Josh Boateng, Texas A&M-Commerce
Trpimir Siroki, Angelo State
A-14 Cade Halliburton, West Texas A&M
A-21 Johnathon Harper, Texas A&M-Kingsville
A-28 Decio Andrade, Angelo State (2)
Women’s Track
M-17 Summer Grubbs, UT Tyler
M-24 DeOndra Green, West Texas A&M
M-31 Minna Svaerd, Texas A&M-Commerce
A-7 DeOndra Green, West Texas A&M (2)
A-14 Florance Uwajeneza, West Texas A&M
A-21 Kelsey Castillo, Oklahoma Christian
A-28 Shiean Walters, Angelo State
Women’s Field
M-17 Mya Tovar, UT Tyler
M-24 Zada Swoopes, West Texas A&M
M-31 Zada Swoopes, West Texas A&M (2)
A-7 Taylor Nelloms, West Texas A&M
A-14 Zada Swoopes, West Texas A&M (3)
A-21 Sara Ramos, Angelo State
A-28 Zada Swoopes, West Texas A&M (4)
SELECTED NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
James Majenge, Cameron, put up another provisional time at the Pittsburg State Tune-Up on Saturday, running a time of 3:49.47 to finish third in the 1500-meter race. He now owns the top times in the Lone Star Conference in both the 1500 and the 5000-meter events this season.
Tristan Meadors, UT Tyler, finished third in the 110 meter hurdles at the Oliver Jackson Twilight meet last week, shaving 32-hundreds of a second off his school record time in the event. Meadors ran a 14.31 in the event, resetting the UT Tyler school record that he established earlier this spring. He defeated three Division I opponents and multiple Lone Star Conference foes in the race.
Dylan Burrows, Oklahoma Christian, posted a NCAA Division II provisional qualifying time while finishing third in the 800 meters in the prestigious Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa. Burrows’ career-best time of 1:51.37 on the famed blue track at Drake Stadium ranked as the fourth-best in the LSC this season at 800 meters and 22nd in Division II.
William Calvert, Angelo State, hit a provisional mark in the 400m hurdles in the Oliver Jackson Twilight meet on Wednesday as he placed second with a time of 53.23. Calvert is currently ranked second in the conference and tied for 20th in the nation in the 400m hurdles. Calvert was also a part of the 4x400m relay team that placed first in the meet with a time of 3:17.90
Cade Halliburton, West Texas A&M, now owns four of the top six hammer throw marks in program history following his fifth-place finish at the Oliver Jackson Twilight. The senior had a toss of 179-6 (54.7m), which is the sixth-best mark in program history.
Ellie Hovre, St. Edward's, took the momentum and ran with it in the steeplechase at the J Fred Duckett Twilight Meet, leading the majority of the race against Division I competition. Hovre was edged out at the line to finish in second place, posting a time of 11:00.20, less than one second off the winning time.
Natasha Carcano, UT Tyler, won the women's 10,000-meter run at the 2021 Joe Gillespie Invitational with a school record time of 40:30.57. That mark bested the previous school record for the UT Tyler track program set in 2012 by 1:15 and was a personal improvement for Carcano of over two minutes from her previous best mark two seasons ago. Carcano won the race by 30 seconds to lead the way for six personal-best finishes for the team at the event.
Valda Kabia, West Texas A&M, had a busy week as she competed in two meets over four days. After running the fourth and final leg on the 4x100-meter relay that finished second at the Oliver Jackson Twilight in 45.79, she finished in the 400-meters (55.94) at the Texas Tech Open for another runner-up finish. That is the second-fastest time in the LSC this season.
Mya Tovar, UT Tyler, extended her school record mark in the javelin by over four feet at the Oliver Jackson Twilight Meet with a throw of 123-1 (37.53 m). She finished fifth out of 19 entries in the event with that school record toss.
Daisy Osakue, Angelo State, hit two provisional marks in the Oliver Jackson Twilight meet as she placed fifth in the shot put with a throw of 48-3.5 (14.72m), and second in the discus throw with a throw of 183-4 (55.89m). Osakue currently leads the LSC and nation in the discus and is second in the conference and 14th in Division II in the shot put.