BIRMINGHAM, AL – The Southern University Track and Field team took to the Track Thursday and Friday at the Birmingham Crossplex for the Southwestern Athletic Conference Indoor Championships and came away with a fourth and eighth-place finishes. Nicholas Scott, Char'Vares Wilson, and Trinity Bolden came away as SWAC Champions. Bolden's time in the 60m set a new Southern record.
 
The championships got started on Thursday but were only able to complete a few events due to inclement weather in the area.
 
The women's pentathlon got things started where Karanay Alexander was able to finish in 10^th place with 2,556. Her time in the 60m hurdles,9.53, and distance in the shot-put, 8.93m were both personal records, while her high jump at 1.37m tied her best mark.
 
The only other events completed on the first day were the men's and women's 3000m.
 
Two weeks after setting a new personal best at the Bayou Bengal, Lafayette Collins stepped it up a notch with another PR of 9:19.60 to finish just outside the top-10 in 11^th. Collins would come back on Friday to compete in the mile and would set another personal best at 4:37.45 which placed him in eighth. Collins' day was not done as he was set to compete in the 5000m. He would finish in 14^th but would set his third personal best of the day with a time of 16:44.83.
 
Alexandria McCoy and Lawrenee' Hart picked up the first points for the Lady Jaguars. McCoy finished in fifth in the weight throw with a distance of 15.78m. Hart's distance of 15.38m found her in seventh. Logan Lewis was able to finish in 10^th at 14.47m. A'ja Gore set a new personal best at 13.93m.
 
Lewis came out strong in the shot-put and on her first throw set a personal best and Crossplex record at 14.14m, previously held by Akela Jones of the University of Mississippi at 13.59m. Her record would later be broken, and Lewis would have to settle for third. Gore and McCoy would round out the scoring for the Lady Jaguars throwing 12.92m and 12.43m respectively.
 
"Logan Lewis came up big for us," said Head Coach Teremine White about Lewis facility record. "She set the bar early and made everyone else work for it."
 
The men saw their first points come in the long jump, which has been a strength all season. Devin Sowell just missed out on the podium with a personal best of 6.97m for fourth. The other Jaguar to score points in the event was Ja'Carrius Demmerritte at 6.93m which was good for seventh.
 
The men were able to pick up some more points in the Distance Medley when they finished in sixth with a time of 10:40.98.
 
The scoring did not stop there as the 60m hurdles were next. Jordan Thompson and Jarden James scored points on the men's side. Thompson had a time of 8.36, just .03 of his record, for sixth and James was at 8.41, a new best, for eighth. Jada Chevalier was able to finish in third for the women with a personal best of 8.76. Sierra Session was able to set her own best time of 9.21.
 
Chevalier would come back later in the day and compete in the pole vault for the first time in her career. The freshman would score more points and finish in sixth at a height of 2.31m.
 
"Jada did well in the 60m," said White. "We asked her to do the pole vault and she did well for it being her first time."
 
Trinity Bolden came into the championships as the favorite to take the 60m and she did not disappoint. Bolden set a new school record of 7.40 to be crown the SWAC champion. Kennedy Pedro, 7.78, A'niya Galloway, 7.83, and Malaysia Sinegal, 7.86, also set personal best in the event.
 
"Trinity (Bolden) came in and stepped up big," said White about Bolden's school record. "She has been running well all year. Her future is really bright, and she will only get better."
 
DeAnthony Nervis was the only Jaguar to compete in the 60m on the men's side. Tying his own personal time of 6.77 placed him in third. He would later come back and compete in the 200 and set another personal best of 21.41 to finish fourth.
 
Southern found their second SWAC Champion in Char'Vares Wilson. Wilson was able to outthrow Davieon Center of Jackson State by half a meter to take home the crown in the weight throw with a distance of 16.22m, beating his previous record by two meters.
 
Wilson would compete in the shot-put and brought more points for the Jaguars. With a throw of 14.15m, Wilson would wind up in seventh. Keenan Villery would set a personal best of 14.65m and finish as runner-up. Kolby Mathews would also set a personal best at 13.13m that would place him just outside scoring in ninth.
 
"Wilson wasn't projected to score," White said. "He was another one to come up big for us by winning."
 
Yahria Bass was able to set a personal best in the triple jump at 10.45m.
 
Although the Lady Jaguars did not receive any points in the 400, Trinity Kirk, 56.77, and A'nijah Williams, 57.92, both set personal best. Kirk's time placed her just outside scoring in ninth. Kason Jones finished in fourth with a personal best of 48.61 and Ta'Cardrick Alexander had his best showing with a 50.5.
 
Another favorite, Nicholas Scott took home the third title for the Jaguars in the 800 with a time of 1:52.68, two seconds ahead of second. Shani Simon finished with a personal best of 2:22.43 on the women's side.
 
"Nick Scott came in and ran his race," said White. "He was having fun out there. He is one of the best athletes in our conference."
 
Kirk, 25.02, and Sinegal, 25.57, both set personal best in the 200.
 
The final events of the meet would be the 4x400. Both the men and women would end up picking up points. The women's team of Simon, Kirk, Williams and Qymeisha Mayhew would finish fifth with a time of 3:48.78. The men's team of Jones, Scott, Nervis, and Thompson would finish as runner-up with a time of 3:16.84.
 
"The men's 4x400 ran the best of the season," White said. "They got edged at the line for second but (Nicholas) Scott was down about 15m in the second leg and closed the gap."
 
Next up for the Jaguars is the start of outdoor season. The first meet will be at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA on March 12.

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