OXFORD, Miss. / JACKSON, Miss. – The University of West Alabama men's and women's track & field teams turned in a productive weekend as the Tigers split squads between the Ole Miss Classic (March 20–21) and the Belhaven Invitational (March 21), combining for multiple top finishes, personal bests, and strong all-around performances.
Ole Miss Classic Highlights
At Ole Miss, the Tigers were led by standout performances on the track and in the field.
Freshman standout J'Da Williams continued her impressive season with a second-place finish in the women's 100-meter dash, crossing the line in 11.34. She earlier added a fourth-place finish in the 200 meters with a time of 24.20. Teammate Adria Burrell also placed seventh in the 100 meters (11.89) and eighth in the 200 meters (24.58), while Jocelyn Randle secured sixth in the 200 meters (24.40).
On the men's side, Jalen Green delivered a strong showing in the 110-meter hurdles, finishing fourth with a time of 14.65. In the sprints, Braxton Williams led the Tigers in the 100 meters (10.79), while also recording a personal best in the 200 meters (22.02). Tyrese Pitts (22.14, PB) and Landon Laphand (22.17) followed closely behind in the 200.
Pitts also posted a personal best in the 400 meters, finishing seventh in 49.18, while Laphand placed 12th (49.63). On the women's side, Kilaya Lucien turned in a personal-best performance of 57.34 to place fifth in the 400 meters.
In distance events, Gary Mata placed 13th in the 1500 meters (4:00.51) before returning to earn a fourth-place finish in the 3000 meters with a time of 9:01.20. Mathis Breton added a ninth-place finish in the same event (9:10.51), while Rita Walker placed seventh in the women's 3000 meters (11:09.17).
In the field, Dedric Hicks continued his consistency with a third-place finish in the men's shot put (16.56m). In the men's javelin, Jaxson Lovelace (52.65m) and Sammie Jordan (48.57m) finished ninth and 10th, respectively.
The Tigers also saw success in the relays, with the women's 4x400-meter relay team of Kilaya Lucien, Jamaya Dancy, Hayley Cook-Graham, and Jocelyn Randle finishing fifth with a season-best time of 3:55.71.
Belhaven Invitational Highlights
At Belhaven, the Tigers added several more top finishes across the board.
D'Kota Hudson led the women's sprinters with a third-place finish in the 100 meters (12.47), while Kiona McCallisterclaimed a third-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:11.21.
In the field events, Autumn Sansing delivered one of the top performances of the day, earning a runner-up finish in the women's javelin throw with a mark of 34.40 meters. Avery Peterson added a second-place finish in the men's shot put(13.81m) and placed seventh in the discus throw (37.57m).
In the jumps, Jaxson Lovelace placed fourth in the men's high jump with a clearance of 1.80 meters, while Bailey Keeffinished seventh in the women's high jump (1.40m) and ninth in the long jump (4.84m).
On the track, Mercy Lomuria placed fourth in the women's 800 meters (2:25.15), while Ray Englebert led the men in the event with a 12th-place finish (2:01.10). In the 1500 meters, Jonathan Phillips (7th, 4:05.72) and Lorenzo Pelusi (12th, 4:10.95) paced the men, while Abigail Vega (7th, 5:12.08) led a group of Tiger women.
Up Next
With a weekend full of strong performances, personal bests, and podium finishes, the Tigers continue to build momentum as they head to St. Louis, Missouri for the UWASH Carnival on March 26th.
