LAFAYETTE — It was a sensational indoor season for Kalen Beavers and his performance Saturday shows he will be one of the best sprinters in the Southland Conference outdoors.
Beavers, competing near his Carencro home, had two of the 12 event victories to lead Northwestern State in its outdoor track and field season opener, the two-day Louisiana Classics on the campus of Louisiana-Lafayette.
“Kalen had another great day, as did a lot of other people,” head coach Mike Heimerman said. “I was very pleased with how everyone competed with where we are in training. All four relays ran well, as did Sileena (Farrell). I mean, so many people ran well and throwers threw well and jumpers did well, I could go down the rosters and point each of them, but the story would be too long.
“It was a very impressive start to the outdoor season. I am very proud how everyone competed with the workloads that have been put on them since indoor conference. I am very pleased.”
Northwestern gets its only home competition next Saturday in the Leon Johnson NSU Invitational at the Walter P. Ledet Track Complex.
With 12 gold medal performances in Lafayette, it seems the Demons and Lady Demons are ready to put on a show for the home folks.
Winners at the Louisiana Classic included xx Lady Demons event victories and xx by the Demons. In the 4×400 relay, both the men (3:09.50) and women (3:40.41) won comfortably, after they held off others to take the 4×100 races.
The Northwestern women got individual first-place performances Saturday by Farell in the 100 meter dash (11.47), Margaret Conteh in the 200 (23.92) and Dynia Lewis in the 100 hurdles (13.76)
The Demons’ individual wins Saturday came from Roy Morris in the long jump (23-11.75) and La’Darion Dudley (58-4.50) in the shot put.
Friday in a short schedule, NSU got winning performances from discus throwers Tarajh Hudson (173-4, men’s division) and Shakera Kirk (158-6) in the men’s and women’s discus, and newcomer Anisha Gibbons (155-8) in the women’s javelin.
In the men’s 100-meter dash, Beavers ran a personal best 10.20 to win the event before posting another personal best while taking the 200, clocking a 20.72.
“I feel great,” Beavers said. “Today obviously didn’t start off how we wanted with our 4×100 relay getting messed up. After that, I knew it was time to set the tone. It feels good being able to start the season off on a high note.”
TENNIS: Northwestern saw its unbeaten start to Southland Conference women’s tennis play come to an end Saturday afternoon, falling 4–3 to McNeese at the Nancy Hank Tennis Center.
The Lady Demons (8–5, 4–1) ran into a red-hot host team with the Cowgirls (13–1, 3–0) clinching the match by taking the doubles and the first three singles matches for an insurmountable 4-0 lead before Northwestern swept the three matches still being contested.
NSU goes to Southeastern today, then comes home for a pivotal match in the conference race as Stephen F. Austin visits the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex Saturday. SFA and Northwestern were two of the three tri-champions in the Southland last year. SFA visits McNeese today hoping to hand the Cowgirls their first loss in league play this spring.
