Michael Nicholls Sets UNO Mark In Men's 110 Hurdles Again With 13.95

COMPLETE RESULTS (PDF)

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana – Freshman Michael Nicholls set a school record in the men's 110-meter hurdles and was one of 10 Privateers to post season-best mark as the University of New Orleans track and field team put forth another stellar effort on Saturday at the LSU Alumni Gold in Bernie Moore Track Stadium.

Taking the track in the final meet before the upcoming Southland Conference Championship, both the men's and women's teams posted five season-best efforts apiece. Nicholls was the lone record-setter of the day, but junior Alexia Fortenberry's 13.22 in the women's 100-meter hurdles was the second-fastest time in program history – behind her 13.14 last March 10 at the 2015 SLC Championship – while fellow junior Chelise Brown's 24.68 showing in the women's 200-meter dash  was a career-best effort and the fastest since Priscilla Chapu set the UNO record in the event in the preliminaries of the 2003 Sun Belt Championship.

Also posting season-best marks for the women's team were junior Farydah Inoussa with a 24.97 in the women's 200 and a toss of 34.40 meters in the women's javelin while senior Rebecca Callaway clocked a 2:33.73 in the women's 800. On the men's side, sophomore Shehu Inuwa posted season-best times of 23.23 in the 200 and 52.89 in the 400, junior Federico Machado did so with a 4:28.14 in the 1500 as did freshman Quintarius Queen in the 200 with a 21.95. Not to be left out, freshman Jonathon Prior followed suit in the 100 with an 11.48.

Nicholls' performance in the men's 110 hurdles marked the second time he broke the 14-second mark this season as the rookie from Bridgetown, Barbados, shaved two one-hundredths of a second off his previous school record of 13.97 at the McNeese Springtime Classic back on April 9. He now holds six of the top nine marks in school history in the 110 hurdles, including each of the top four spots in the New Orleans record book. Nicholls' record-setting time was good enough to finish sixth in the LSU Alumni Gold's A Finals.

Queen led the Privateers in the men's 100 with a 10.67 to finish seventh in the B Finals and his season-best mark in the 200 was good for the No. 25 spot in the B Finals of that event. Inuwa's mark in the 400 put him 33rd in the B Finals while junior Michael Batson paced the New Orleans's quad with in the 800 with a ninth-place showing in the A Finals with a 1:50.81.

Junior Alireza Rafiei headlined UNO in the men's shot with a heave of 14.74 meters to finish 14th. Junior Edmund Pine led the squad in the 1500 with a 4:12.13 to finish 11th in the B Final and fellow junior Clayton O'Callaghan paced the New Orleans effort in the 5000 with a 16:21.76 to finish 16th overall.

Senior Callie Willcox posted the top overall women's finish with a fifth-place showing in the 3000 steeplechase at 11:41.11 and junior Emily Martinez was sixth in the women's 5000 with a time of 19:52.13. Junior Chelise Brown led the way in the women's 100 with a 12.12 to come in eighth  and 24.68 in the women's 200 to finish 13th. Also posting Top 10 finishes for the women were Fortenberry with a ninth-place effort in the 100 hurdles and Inoussa with a 10th-place showing in the javelin. Callaway's season-best effort in the 800 was good for the No. 16 spot on the day in the event.

New Orleans returns to action on Wednesday, May 4, when the Privateers head to Corpus Christi, Texas, for the Southland Conference Championship. The four-day event will conclude on May 7. Based on the times in that meet and others around the country, several Privateers will have the opportunity to participate in the NCAA Regionals, and the individual efforts there can earn a spot in the NCAA Championship.
 
UNO PERFORMANCES AT THE LSU ALUMNI GOLD
 
Men's 100
10.67 – Quintarius Queen
11.48 – Jonathon Prior
 
Men's 200
21.95 – Quintarius Queen
23.23 – Shehu Inuwa
 
Men's 400
52.89 – Shehu Inuwa
 
Men's 800
1:50.81 – Michael Batson
2:01.86 – Edmund Pine
2:13.39 – Federico Machado
2:15.98 – Michael Schwing
 
Men's 1500
4:12.13 – Edmund Pine
4:26.41 – Michael Schwing
4:28.14 – Federico Machado
 
Men's 5000
16:21.76 – Clayton O'Callaghan
17:06.92 – Mark Golay
 
Men's 110 Hurdles
13.95 – Michael Nicholls
 
Men's Shot Put
14.74m – Alireza Rafiei
 
Women's 100
8 – 12.12 – Chelise Brown
 
Women's 200
24.68 – Chelise Brown
24.97 – Farydah Inoussa
 
Women's 800
2:33.73 – Rebecca Callaway
 
Women's 5000
19:52.13 – Emily Martinez
 
Women's 100 Hurdles
13.22 – Alexia Fortenberry
14.58 – Farydah Inoussa
 
Women's 3000 Steeplechase
5 – 11:41.11 – Callie Willcox
 
Women's Javelin
10 – 34.40m – Farydah Inoussa