MONTGOMERY, Ala.| Alabama State will hit the road this weekend for their final regular season meet of the season at the War Eagle Invitational, hosted by Auburn beginning Friday afternoon.
Alabama State will send several student-athletes into competition looking to improve their standing in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) heading into the championships, and looking to move up in the national rankings as the postseason nears for track and field.
Caesar Kemp, who will be in the first event of the meet Friday, is currently atop the conference in a pair of events (shot put and discus) and looks to improve in the hammer throw. He is currently fifth in the conference in that category with a mark of 43.86 meters (143-11). Meanwhile,
Chaaka Trahan currently sits fourth in the pole vault in the conference at 3.65 meters (11-11.75).
Jamie Brown leads the conference in the long jump and triple jump this season, recording a distance of 7.73 meters (24-05.05) in the long jump and 14.93 meters (48-11.75) in the triple jump. The long jump mark by Brown is currently the 19th-best mark in the country. Meanwhile,
Marcus Cade is third in the long jump with a distance of 7.30 meters (23.-11.05) and ninth in the triple jump.
On the women's side in throws,
Kristen Thompson and
Bridgette Williams look to improve on their marks this season in the final weekend. Thompson is currently fifth in the discus (45.89 meters) and sixth in the shot put (13.35 meters), while Williams is sixth in the hammer throw (36.85 meters) and javelin (46.53 meters).
Meanwhile, on the track, several Hornets are at the top of the rankings in the conference – while some are in contention for the best times in the nation. On the men's side, a pair of Hornets –
David East (third) and
Norris Spike (fifth) – are in the top five in the 100-meters; while Spraggins has the top spot in the 200-meters with a time of 20.88 seconds.
Lezoghia Member-Menah is third in the 400-meters with a time of 47.49 seconds, while
Andrew Jackson (third) and
Kevin Smith (fifth) are in the top five in the 80-meters.
Joshua Coffelt leads the conference in the 1500-meters with a time of 4:00.40, while Smith has the fourth-best time in the conference at 4:04.74. Coffelt is also in the top five in the 5000-meters, running the third-fastest time at 15:27.66.
On the women's side,
Charminiqu Hackney leads the conference in, both, the 100-meters and 200-meters and is currently in the top five in the nation in both. She is fifth in the nation in the 100-meters with a time of 11.20 seconds, while she is fifth in the 200-meters with a time of 22.95 seconds for the Lady Hornets. Alabama State holds the top three spots in the conference in the 100-meters and 200-meters thus far this season.
Nia Jack (second) and
Ulani Toussaint (third) hold those spots for Alabama State.
Toussaint is third on the conference in the 400-meters with a time of 55.39 seconds, while
Arion Span leads the SWAC in the 800-meters (2:10.48) and 1500-meters (4:37.71).
Vinnelle Grant is second in the 800-meters (2:13.77), while
Hannah Mezidor is second in the 1500-meters (4:50.39).
Shamaria Lovett leads the conference in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.25 seconds, which is the 26th-fastest time in the country. She is also at the top of the conference in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 59.99 seconds, just ahead of teammate
Kyana Evans with a time of 1:01.01.
The meet begins Friday afternoon with the men's hammer throw at 2 pm, and will roll through the day with the last event on Friday night – the men's invitational 5000-meters - beginning at 8:05 pm. The meet will continue on Saturday with the women's pole vault at 11:30 am, and roll through the day with the last event – the men's 4x400-meter relay – beginning at 4:25 pm.
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