SLC Indoor Championships Men's Final Results

SLC Indoor Championships Women's Final Results

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Both Verity Ockenden and Sam Stabler were the high point scorers on the women's and men's sides, respectively, and led both the Lamar track and field teams to third place finishes at the Southland Conference Indoor Championships on Tuesday at the Birmingham CrossPlex.

Ockenden finished the meet with 24 points scored after a win in the 800-meter race, runner-up in the mile run and third place in the 3000-meter event. Stabler corralled 22.5 five points after victories in the mile, distance medley and 3000-meter runs.

The women's team finished with 106 total points, behind Stephen F. Austin's 132.50 and Sam Houston's 118. Abilene Christian had 68 points, Northwestern State 46, McNeese State 38, Incarnate Word 31, Houston Baptist 28, Southeastern Louisiana 27, New Orleans 21.50, Nicholls 18, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 16 and Central Arkansas 11.

The men's 75 points finished behind Stephen F. Austin's 117 and Sam Houston's 104. SLU had 73, ACU 70, Northwestern State 70, UCA 58, McNeese State 28, Corpus Christi 26, UNO 14, Incarnate Word 14 and HBU 14.

Combined both teams ended the meet with eight first place (six individual, two relay), five second place and five third place finishes. Three times the Cards or Lady Cards swept the medal stand (women's 5000m and 3000m, men's 3000m).

"The kids gave it everything they had, but we finished just short," said head track and field coach Trey Clark. "Our goal going in was to be first, but I feel like we really made progress and did get better."

Ockenden scored 10 of her points from the 800-meter race in which she marked in at 2:13.09. Alexandra Sokolova's time of 2:17.12 gave her a sixth place finish in the event for three points to LU's total.

"Verity doing the triple (800, mile and 3000) was unbelievable, and she looked great all meet long," said Clark. "She was phenomenal in everything we threw at her. I cannot recall anyone pulling off the triple like that."

Her second place finish in the mile was behind LU's Minttu Hukka and two spots ahead of Louise Webb. Hukka marked at 4:51.69 and set a new season and career high in the event. Ockenden's time was 4:52.20 and Webb's was 4:55.57, also a new career high.

The 3K was a tremendously successful event for the Lady Cards, who took five of the top 10 spots. Jannika John led the way with a new meet record of 9:30.98 followed by Leigh Lattimore in second place (9:46.14) and Ockenden in third on a new personal record of 9:49.42. Evelyn Chavez took fifth place on a 9:54.22 mark and Webb ran tenth on a 9:54.22 time.

The 3000-meter race on the men's side also swung toward Lamar, which swept the medal stand in the event. Stabler was the champion with an 8:18.67 mark. Alex Dunbar followed with an 8:22.45 mark and edged teammate Jan Lukas Becker who finished in 8.22.48.

Prior to winning the 3000m, Stabler took gold in the mile run on a 4:09.48 time. Stuart Ferguson finished third (4:11.15) and Tobias Riker- who set a new personal mark- finished fourth (4:16.01). Federico Gasbarri placed seventh on a 4:16.01 time.

"Sam is someone that we can always count on," said Clark. "We feel very optimistic about his chances to compete at nationals."

With several conference championships still set to be ran, Stabler sits as the nation's 10th best time in the 3000-meter run, and the top 16 advance to the NCAA Championships.

Dominique Taylor competed in the finals of the 60-meter hurdles and finished sixth on an 8.92 mark, and Chanissey Fowler completed the 60-meter dash in eighth place (7.71).

On Monday, Jannika John led the way for the ladies after a 5000-meter win and followed that with the lead leg in the distance medley relay, which also took first. The men's distance medley team of Stabler, TaMar Hicks, Ferguson and Trey Davis also won first place.

Every first place finisher was awarded first team All-Southland Conference honors, second team awards were given to second place finishers and third team honors to third place finishers.

The NCAA Championships are slated to begin on March 13 and will be hosted by Arkansas in Fayetteville. The Cardinals open their outdoor season in Lafayette, La. on March 21 at the Louisiana Classic.