STEPHENVILLE – Both the men's and women's track and field squads from Abilene Christian University claimed narrow leads in the race for the team championships after the second of three days of the Lone Star Conference meet here at Memorial Stadium.
The men's team, shooting for its 18th consecutive title, claimed four victories and lead runner-up Angelo State, 79-69, in the eight-team competition.
The women's team, attempting to unseat two-time defending champion Angelo State, had five winners Saturday and hold an eight-point lead, 73-65, over the Rambelles among nine teams in the meet.
The final day begins Sunday at 11 a.m. for field events and 5:30 p.m. for running events.
The Wildcats swept the multi-events, hammer throw and triple jump in Saturday's finals for coach Roosevelt Lofton.
For the men,
Parker Petty, sophomore from White Deer, won the decathlon with 6,236 points,
Ramon Sparks, senior from Kansas City, Mo., Raytown South, won his third straight triple jump title with a wind-aided 50-8.75, and
Tyler Fleet, junior from Tyler Lee, captured his third hammer throw crown with 190-0. Also, discus throw favorite
Nick Jones, junior from Amarillo Tascosa, won for the second time in the shot put with 57-5.5.
Petty, who placed third in this meet last year, won only one event – the long jump (21-1.25) on the first day – but he scored a 182-point victory over runner-up Hewitt Holmes of Angelo State.
Abilene Christian newcomer Matthew Stark, sophomore from Cooper High School in Abilene who transferred from Colorado School of Mines, won two events (110 hurdles in 16.23 and 1,500 meters in a record 4:41.47) to score 5,992 points for third place.
Another Wildcat, Caleb Gregory, the first day leader, finished fourth with 5,923 points to give Abilene Christian 24 points in the decathlon.
Petty is the third Wildcat to win the LSC decathlon in its eight years following Chris Pounds in 2007 and Andy Henson in 2009.
The five women's victories came from
Cassie Brooks, sophomore from Mesquite Horn, in the hepathlon (4,696 points),
Chloe Susset, junior from Clery Vexin, France, in the 3,000 steeplechase (11:36.70), Alyse Goldsmith, sophomore from Katy Cinco Ranch (transfer from Oklahoma State), in the 10,000 (38:53.82),
Jessica Sloss, senior from Amarillo High, in the hammer throw (168-5) and Amanda Ouedraogo, sophomore from Hauts de Seine, France, in the triple jump (wind-aided 42-5.5).
Sloss and Susset were repeat winners in their events.
Brooks was a wire-to-wire leader in the heptathlon after winning the first three events Friday – 100 hurdles in 14.39, high jump in 5-3 and shot put in 37-3.
Her teammate,
Michelle Ratliff, was runner-up with 4,526 points after winning the final event of each day – the 200 in 25.56 on Friday and the 800 in 2:22.63 on Saturday – to give Abilene Christian 18 points in the heptathlon.
Brooks' win gives the Wildcats four of the eight LSC heptathlon titles.
Jessica Withrow won in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Qualifying rounds were held in six running events Saturday – both hurdles, 100, 200, 400 and 800.
The ACU men's team, ranked first in NCAA Division II and the 2011 national indoor champion, produced
two event leaders.
Kevin Johnson had the fastest time in the 110 hurdles trials with 14.46 – to help the Wildcats recover from the loss of pre-meet favorite and two-time champion
Andrew McDowell (hamstring injury).
The other leader was distance ace
Amos Sang with 1:52.76. He won four LSC events last year to earn LSC male outstanding runner honors before taking the 2010 NCAA Division II outdoor 5k and 10k titles.
The Wildcats had four of the eight finalists in the 200 (
Desmond Jackson, Paris Robertson,
Jordan Geary and Desmond Brown) along with Johnson in the 400 hurdles, Jackson and Robertson in the 100, Geary in the 400 and
Michael Rasor in the 110 hurdles.
Anais Belledant of ACU was the women's 800 leader in 2:19.73, and the Wildcat women also qualified Brooks in the 100 hurdles and
Sydney Smith in the 100 and 200.
Jackson is defending champion in the 100 and 200.
