Track & Field Posts 3 Individual Wins At Cowboy Relays

LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana – Junior Fadeke Adeola set a school record in the women's high jump while junior Alexia Fortenberry and freshman Michael Nicholls posted individual victories in the women's 100-meter hurdles and men's 110-meter hurdles, respectively, as the University of New Orleans track and field teams enjoyed a stellar day in the Cowboy Relays on Saturday at the McNeese Track & Field Complex.

Adeola's winning leap of five feet, eight and three-quarter inches meters was a Privateers record, surpassing the former mark of five feet, six and three-quarter inches by Giselle Jenkins in 1988. Fortenberry's 13.71 in the women's 100 hurdles was 0.51 seconds faster than runner up Braneshia Payton of Northwestern State's 14.22, and Nicholls 14.18 in the men's 110 hurdles was 0.57 seconds ahead of second-placed Trey Burton of Lamar's 14.76.

"We did very well,' UNO head coach Benjamin Dalton said. "As has been the case, we set a school record and had a bunch of PRs across the board. The relays did really well. It wasn't a bad opener. [Fortenberry is] starting to put some things together. She's got a little bit of work to do still, and so does Michael [Nicholls]. We really haven't started real rhythm endurance yet, so from six onward it was tough for him. It was a pretty solid day."

The New Orleans victories were three of the team's seven top-five performances on the day as the junior Michael Batson was third in the men's 1500 with a 4:04.14, the men's 4x200 relay finished third as well, and both the men's and women's 4x100 relay units were fifth.

Nicholls had a part in both the men's relay units, joining forces with freshman Quintarius Queen, rookie Marquis Rogers and junior Dario Scantlebury to clock a 1:29.82 in the 4x200 and teaming with Queen, Scantlebury and freshman Jonathon Prior to record a 42.39 in the 4x100. Like Nicholls on the men's side, Fortenberry ran leadoff for the women's 4x100 relay and joined junior Farydah Inoussa, junior Chelise Brown and freshman Alba Fernandez to post a time of 47.42.

Other top finishes for the UNO women were freshman Jordan Courtois with a seventh-place finish in the pole vault (3.20m), senior Callie Willcox with an eight-place showing in the 1500 (5:10.36), Idoussa with a ninth-place performance in the javelin (21.19m) and freshman Kohi Brignac with a 17th-place effort in the hammer (32.82m).

In men's action, junior Alireza Rafiei led UNO with a seventh-place finish in the shot put (15.29m) and a 12th-place showing in the discus (38.47m), Queen was eighth in the 100 meters (10.84) and sophomore Nick Schiro was 15th in the javelin (45.08m).

"We're still training really hard, but they are still to see results and they're starting to get really excited," Dalton added. "Going to Alabama next week is going to a big one for the team. It's a good level of competition and I think they'll be excited."

The Privateers return to action Thursday, March 17, when they open play in the John Mitchell Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa. The event is scheduled to run through Saturday, March 19. From there, UNO will take part in the Ragin' Cajun Invitational from March 25-26 before heading to Austin for the Texas Relays from March 30-April 2.