GAINESVILLE, Fla.— Coming off a strong performance at the Leon Johnson NSU Invitational, the Northwestern State track and field teams are headed to face top competition.
The teams compete at the University of Florida for the Pepsi Florida Relays at the Percy Beard Track at James G. Pressly Stadium, a two-day event that begins today.
The field events start at 10 a.m. with the women’s hammer and the track events start at 1:30 p.m. with the women’s 4×100 prelims today.
NSU competitors will line up alongside some of the best athletes in the nation.
“It will be fun,” head coach Mike Heimerman said. “This will be one of the biggest relay meets of the year around the nation and our school has never competed at it, to my knowledge. We’re very excited to go and mix it up with some of the best talent on the East coast and have some fun.”
Last time out, NSU won 19 events by 16 different players, as well as a pair of relays at the home meet, the Leon Johnson NSU Invitational.
The throwers, in particular, had a strong meet at home, as four athletes lead the Southland Conference in their respective events after setting marks this past meet.
Leading the Lady Demons was Eliska Zahradnickova, who tossed a 172-6 in the women’s discus, which not only won the event, but is also the top mark in the Southland Conference this outdoor season, more than eight feet better than second place.
That performance earned Southland Conference Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors. She was joined by record-setting sprinter Rushana Dwyer, who won SLC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week.
At the home meet, Dwyer led the sprinters by winning both the 200 and 400-meter dashes.
In the 400, she finished with a conference-leading time of 53.76, leading a Lady Demon sweep in the event.
Over in the 200, she clocked a 28.86. which was the top mark in the league this past week and second-best time in the Southland this outdoor season.
TENNIS: Northwestern’s weekend home matches against UIW and Lamar have been postponed due to anticipated inclement weather, prompting adjustments to the Lady Demons’ upcoming schedule.
The matches, originally set for Saturday against UIW and Monday against Lamar, will now be played later in the week.
NSU is now hosting UIW on Monday at 11 a.m., while the matchup with Lamar has been rescheduled for Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex. The contest against Lamar is also serving as Senior Day for the Demons, celebrating Sofi Garcia, Zoi Spyrou and Lolita Hukasian.
Northwestern enters the final stretch of the regular season with a 6–1 mark in Southland Conference play, second in the conference behind McNeese.
