New Orleans Track & Field Opens Indoor Campaign at LSU’s Purple Tiger Invitational

RESULTS

BATON ROUGE, La. - A plethora of new faces took to competition for the first time as collegiate athletes as the New Orleans track & field program kicked off its 2020 indoor campaign with LSU's Purple Tiger Invitational at the Carl Maddox Field House on Friday.

THE BASICS
RESULTS: No Team Scoring
MEET: LSU Tiger Purple Invitational
LOCATION: Carl Maddox Field House - Baton Rouge, La.

NOTABLES
- The men's 400m dash highlighted the docket for New Orleans as Harrison Coleman won the event with a time of 50.93 while Malcolm Simmons placed third right behind him at 52.38. Both athletes won their respective heats with Coleman winning the opening heat and Simmons taking first in the third.
- Junior Aaron Worrell tied his personal record in the men's high jump with a 2.00m (6-6.75) performance. The mark propelled him to a second place finish in the event overall.
- Danielle Lorenz took second overall in the women's shot put with a best heave of 14.58m (47-10.0).
- Aaron Worrell and Michael Strong both performed well in the men's long jump as Worrell finished fourth with a best leap of 7.11m (23-4.0) and Strong was right behind in fifth at 7.01m (23-0.0). The only athletes to beat them were LSU's JuVaughn Harrison (who was named to The Bowerman Watch List, collegiate track & field's highest honor), Rayvon Grey (whose performance ranked 40th in the nation) and unattached Tristian James (a standout for Oregon).
- Freshman thrower Matthew Christy took fifth in the men's shot put (12.80m/42-0.0) and tenth in the weight throw (12.92m/42-4.75) in his first collegiate meet. Vojislav Gvero joined him in the weight throw, where he placed fifth overall (16.05m/52-8.0).
- Matthew Clarke advanced to the semi-finals of the men's 60m dash with a qualifying time of 6.96. He then tied his personal best with a 6.94 showing to finish 14th overall. 
- Anna Martin led the charge for the Privateers in the women's 3000 as she took eighth overall with a 11:34.38 showing.
- The men's 4x400 team of Julian Jaime, Alec Snell, Kemar Cumberbatch and Guillermo Rodriguez ended the evening with a fifth-place finish with a time of 3:37.53.
- Not including the relay races, New Orleans had a combination of 21 events finished by student-athletes making their collegiate debuts.

COACHES CORNER WITH BRIAN JOHNSON
"I thought we did pretty well considering that we are really young and most of our athletes are experiencing indoors for the first time," director of track & field Brian Johnson said. "The good thing is we have two weeks to reboot and be ready for Birmingham." 

UP NEXT
The Privateers will build off their opening meet and will be off from competition for two weeks before returning with the McNeese Indoor Invite on Friday, Jan. 31. 


NEW ORLEANS COMPETING ATHLETES

FIELD EVENTS

Men's Weight Throw
5. Vojislav Gvero - 16.05m (52-8.0)
10. Matthew Christy - 12.92m (42-4.75)

Women's Weight Throw
12. Addison Fraker - 13.69m (44-11.0)
NP. Karena Grigenas - FOUL 

Men's Shot Put: 
5. Matthew Christy - 12.80m (42-0.0)
DNS. Vojislav Gvero - N/A

Women's Long Jump
DNS. Jordann Moss - N/A

Men's Long Jump
4. Aaron Worrell - 7.11m (23-4.0)
5. Michael Strong - 7.01m (23-0.0)

Women's Shot Put
2. Danielle Lorenz - 14.58m (47-10.0)
10. Addison Fraker - 11.56m (37-11.25)

Men's High Jump
2. Aaron Worrell -  2.00m (6-6.75)

RUNNING EVENTS

Women's 60m Prelims
14. Ja'Lyric Giles - 7.95
25. Briana Bell - 8.07
33. Aisha Johnson - 8.18
36. Jordann Moss - 8.18
DNS. Alexis Taylor - N/A

Men's 60m Prelims
6. Matthew Clarke - 6.96q
15. Michael Strong - 7.15
23. Julian Jaime - 7.23
25. Shandon Lang - 7.25
30. Alex Hawkins - 7.35
DNS. Tyroy Lanus - N/A

Women's 600m
12. Heidi Menier - 1:46.45
14. Phoebe Poche - 1:47.19
19. Jantrell Drakes - 1:55.17
DNS. Allie Louis - N/A

Men's 600m
9. Alec Snell - 1:25.58
15. Guillermo Rodriguez - 1:30.97

Men's 60m Semifinals
14. Matthew Clarke - 6.94
20. Kemar Cumberbatch - 7.03

Men's Mile
14. Kristian Oatman - 4:38.24
17. Cade Litolff - 4:41.83

Women's 400
14. Shamarah Shannon - 1:01.70
17. Alexis Taylor - 1:02.60
21. Terricka Bias - 1:03.64
DQ. Nyheila Ellis - N/A
DNS. Sa'Mya Holloman-Lewis -  N/A

Men's 400
1. Harrison Coleman - 50.93
3. Malcolm Simmons - 52.38
DNS. Tyroy Lanus - N/A

Women's 3000
8. Anna Martin - 11:34.38
11. Brianna Lucas - 12:06.78
13. Michelle Folk - 12:16.68

Men's 3000
13. Alex Soileau - 9:31.36
16. Cameron Carpenter - 9:48.49

Women's 4x400
14. A Team (Bell, Shannon, Bias, Johnson) - 4:19.42
15. B Team (Ellis, Moss, Taylor, Giles) - 4:25.36
DNF. C Team - N/A

Men's 4x400
5. B Team (Jaime, Snell, Cumberbatch, Rodriguez) - 3:37.53 
DQ. A Team - N/A
DNS. C Team - N/A