BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Lamar University's track and field teams were ready to begin the first day of the Southland Conference Indoor Championships looking for some conference titles and qualifications for final events to set the tone for everyone else. What they got was that and more as LU earned three conference titles and multiple school records broken in several events.

Right away, LU would get their first conference champion in the person of Parl Eelma. The Tallinn, Estonia resident would not only claim the pentathlon title, but she also did so in dominating fashion with 4018 points. This not bested her competition by 208 points, but also set the new school record thanks to four top three finishes in the five events.

She would set new marks in second place finishes in both the 60m hurdles (8.65 seconds), which is the third fastest time in school history, and in the high jump (1.71m-5'7.25"), which tied her personal best and made it the second highest mark in school history. Following a sixth place finish in the shot-put (10.29m-33'9.25"), she claimed first in the long jump leaping 5.92m (19'5.25"), which tied her personal best and became the fourth best mark in program history. At the 800m, she needed a second place finish of 2:22.18, best her previous mark from nearly two years ago in the SLC Outdoor Championships.

Eelma's historic day wasn't over as she claimed second in the regular women's long jump posting 5.82m (19'1.25"). She then qualify for the finals of the regular 60m hurdles by placing fourth with 8.72 seconds.

The second conference champion for LU was Kenson Tate who leapt to 7.53m (24'8.50"). This was also a new personal best for himself breaking his previous mark by .16 meters. It was also .24m further than the second place competitor.

Yasmin Austridge would have two first place finishes on the day and one conference title shared with Faith Outing, Nia Clatworthy, and Jillian Howard as together, they would win the Distance Medley Relay event with 11:42.23 seconds. Prior to that, Austridge won first place overall in the women's 800m prelims and qualified for the finals tomorrow with a time of 2:15.67 seconds.

Kayli Johnson would qualify for the finals of the 60m hurdles by winning her heat and taking first overall with a time of 8.60 seconds. This marks the second best time in program history.

Sydne Porter qualified for the finals of both the women's 60m and the 200m. She finished the 60m prelims with a time of 7.66 for eighth place, edging out teammate Brianna Howard, ninth by one-tenth of a second. But Brianna Howard's time was seventh all-time in program history in the event while Jakenzie Thymes also ran a personal best when her time of 7.75 cracked the top 10 in program history.

Porter added a fourth place finish to the 200m prelims clocking in at 24.47, which is the third best mark in school history. While Brianna Howard missed out on qualifying, her time of 24.84 was the seventh-best mark in program history.

Another school record and personal best was broken in the women's weight throw by Glennis Woolridge. Her toss of 15.87m (52'0.75") not only got her eighth overall, but it was also a new personal best as well as the school record for the event.

But wait, there were more school records to fall as Chloe Rodriguez ran third in the women's 400m destroying the school record with her personal best 54.90 seconds. Outing ran fourth in the same event and also smashed her personal best running 55.45 seconds, moving her to the third fastest time in the event. These two will run in the finals of the 400m tomorrow.

The women's 5000m event would have two top finishes as both Clatworthy (17:15.38) and Jillian Howard (17:28.35) would finish second and fifth respectively. Their times were also the sixth and eighth best in program history.

On the men's side, Eli Peveto got LU on the scoreboard when he placed eighth in the men's 5000m with a time of 14:50.34. Miles Jones had the sixth best high jump total in program history when his jump of 2.07m (6'9.5") got him fourth place.

Other qualifiers for the men who will race tomorrow include Cameron Chin, who won his heat with a 48.34 time that placed him fifth in the 400m prelims and Jaylon Roberts, who also qualified for the 400m finals by winning his heat with a season best 48.53 and taking sixth overall.

17 events will be scored in total for the team title and so far, six have been tallied. As far as LU's scores go, the men's team are currently in sixth place overall with 19 points while the women's team (41 points) sit in second and trail first place UIW by 14 points.

The second and final day of this meet will begin tomorrow as LU's finals qualifiers (Austridge, Chin, Eelma, Outing, Porter, Roberts, and Rodriguez) will run in their events and more in hopes to bring more accolades for the program.


Below is a list of LU participants, their events, and their results.

MEN

Cameron Chin
- 400m Dash Prelims (5th; 48.34)

Geovany Cisneros
- DMR (8th; 10:24.87)

Cameron Chretien
- 800m Prelims (12th; 1:57.68)
- DMR (8th; 10:24.87)

Jacarrius Demmerritte
- Long Jump (20th; 6.52m-21-4.75")

Troy Dixon
- 60m Prelims (14th; 6.93)
- 200m Dash Prelims (27th; 22.95)

Hayden Eubank
- 5000m (20th; 15:47.98)

Efosa Evbuomwan
- 60m Dash Prelims (26th; 7.23)
- 200m Dash Prelims (28th; 22.96)

Trent Guidry
- High Jump (4th; 2.07m-6'9.50")

Elijah Jackson
- High Jump (7th; 1.99m-6'6.25")

Steven Jones
- 60m Dash Prelims (15th; 6.94)
- 200m Dash Prelims (26th; 22.82)

Crawford Kiser
- 5000m (14th; 15:01.38)
 
RJ Lane
- 800m Prelims (17th; 2:01.79)

Eli Peveto
- 5000m (8th; 14:50.34)

Dante Proctor Jr.
- 60m Dash Prelims (27th; 7.42)

Jonathan Rivera
- DMR (8th; 10:24.87)

Jaylon Roberts
- 400m Dash Prelims (6th; 48.53)

Aaron Saenz
- DMR (8th; 10:24.87)

Allen Tabb
- 60m Dash Prelims (28th; 7.48)
- 200m Dash Prelims (29th; 23.91)

Kenson Tate
- 60m Dash Prelims (12th; 6.91)
- 200m Dash Prelims (13th; 21.93)
- Long Jump (1st; 5.92m-19'5.25")

Alex Williams III
- Weight Throw (9th; 15.98m-52'5.25")

Patrick Wolf
- Long Jump (9th; 7.06m-23'2.00")


WOMEN

Yasmin Austridge
- 800m Prelims (1st; 2:15.67)
- DMR (1st; 11:42.53)

Klinta Blusina
- Long Jump (13th; 5.45m-17'10.75")

Nie Clatworthy
- 5000m (2nd; 17:15.38)
- DMR (1st; 11:42.53)

Hailey Cleggett
- 800m Prelims (17th; 2:36.41)

Parl Eelma
- Pentathlon
    - 60m Hurdles (2nd; 8.65)
    - 800m (2nd; 2:22.18)
    - High Jump (2nd; 1.71m-5'7.25")
    - Shot Put (6th; 10.29m-33'9.25")
    - Long Jump (1st; 5.92m-19'05.25")
- Long Jump (5.82m-19'1.25")
- 60m Hurdles Prelims (4th; 8.72)

Janell Harvell
- 400m Dash Prelims (17th; 1:00.23)

Brianna Howard
- 60m Dash Prelims (9th; 7.67)
- 200m Dash Prelims (12th; 24.84)

Jillian Howard
- 5000m (5th; 17:28.35)
- DMR (1st; 11:42.53)

Arajanee Jackson
- Long Jump (9th; 5.62m-18'5.25")

Kayli Johnson
- 60m Hurdles Prelims (1st; 8.60)
- Long Jump (16th; 5.37m-17'7.50")

Mykayla Mims
- 800m Prelims (14th; 2:23.60)

Adebola Odunlami
- 400m Dash Prelims (14th; 58.57)

Faith Outing
- 400m Dash Prelims (4th; 55.45)
- DMR (1st; 11:42.53)

Lucrezia Pavesi
- Long Jump (15th; 5.40m-17'8.75")

Sydne Porter
- 60m Dash Prelims (8th; 7.66)
- 200m Dash Prelims (4th; 24.47)

Chloe Rodriguez
- 400m Dash Prelims  (3rd; 54.90)

Jakenzie Thymes
- 60m Dash Prelims (14th; 7.75)
- 200m Dash Prelims (22nd; 22.55)

Glennis Woolridge
- Weight Throw (8th; 15.87m-52'0.75")