LAKE CHARLES -- After walking across the stage to pick up her Northwestern State diploma Friday morning, Lady Demon senior Janae Allen weathered a storm delay and spun her way to fifth place in the women's hammer throw at McNeese State on the rain-delayed opening day of the 2013 Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
 
NSU teammate Rechelle Bessard took seventh to give the Lady Demons six points in the meet's first event. The 10,000 meter run was also contested Friday night. More field events and many running heats will be conducted Saturday with the championships culminating Sunday.
 
Allen threw 169-2, 12 feet behind the winning 181-5 by Adrienne Quillin of Sam Houston. Bessard posted a 164-7 best mark.
 
Allen ranks among the top contenders to claim the shot put and discus crowns over the weekend.
 
A four-hour delay in competition due to heavy thunderstorms gave Allen some breathing room on her exciting day. She received her NSU diploma at the morning commencement exercises about 11 a.m., with a big group of family and former teammates looking on. She quickly jumped in her car and made the two-hour-plus drive to Lake Charles for a competition slated to start at 3 o'clock.
 
NSU had no other competitors in action Friday in the 10,000-meter run or the men's hammer. Senior Brittany Rodgers barely missed scoring in the heptathlon, with her 2,125 total under 300 points shy of eighth and just 400 away from sixth.
 
Competition begins at eight o'clock on Saturday with the multi-events. Field events are set for a 1 p.m. start and preliminaries for the running events will begin at three o'clock.
 
The remaining field events and finals for the running events will take place on Sunday along with the awards ceremony.