NACOGDOCHES, Texas — The reigning Southland Conference queen of the women’s long jump added another jewel to her crown, as Northwestern State’s Samari Finney posted a massive season-best jump in her fifth attempt to take home her third consecutive gold on Thursday on the first day of competition at the Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Finney, a senior, posted a 20-4 mark on her fifth attempt to overtake Stephen F. Austin’s Basia Mitchell and add another title to her gold in the indoor championships this season and the outdoor conference meet last year.
“It feels exhilarating to know I had this opportunity to win it three times,” Finney said. “It is so surreal because I never expected my career to cap off like this since I am a senior. I just gave it all I had.”
Cherie Neal also earned points for the Lady Demons, placing eighth in the women’s long jump, recording a season-best 18-8.5.
An NSU newcomer earned a medal in her first outdoor SLC Championships.
Freshman Margaret Mannering didn’t show her nerves and brought home the silver in the women’s hammer throw with a near-personal best toss of 182-6.
She was ahead until the third throw from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Breyunna Dowell, who recorded a massive throw of 193-11, which is the best mark in the Southland this season.
“It was great,” Mannering said. “I had a rough indoor season, but I had a better outdoor one. I was second or third coming in and I wanted my medal, so I knew what I had to do.”
“Overall, it was a great day,” head coach Mike Heimerman said. “I am super proud of Samari. It’s been a grinding season for her, but she did very well as the reigning indoor champ and reigning outdoor champion to win it again this year.
“Margaret, as a true freshman, coming here to battle and get second place with some stiff competition and she had a couple big fouls too. It’s just a very bright future for her so I am very happy.”
After four of the seven events in the women’s heptathlon, Thea Ring (3144 points) is in third place, buoyed by a personal-best time of 24.40 in the 200-meter dash to win the event.
She finished in the top six in three of the four events and in the top four twice.
Cherie Neal (2943) is currently in seventh, highlighted by a personal-best 25.26 in the 200 to round out the first day for her. Neal finished in the top eight in three events.
Some sprint preliminaries were conducted Thursday and NSU entries fared well in advancing to Saturday finals.
“There were some great performances by the sprinters,” Heimerman said. “You’re stepping up and making finals and that’s what it’s all about so we can score points. There were a lot of great things done today by the men and women to set us up really well for finals in those events on Saturday.”
The second day of competition today begins at 9:30 a.m. with the men’s decathlon 110-meter hurdles. The open events start with the men’s long jump at 12:30 and the running events go at 5 p.m. with the women’s 100-meter hurdles.