Cowboys Relays full results

LAKE CHARLES – Aaron Williams didn't let his twin brother grab all the glory this weekend for the Northwestern State track and field program, making an outstanding outdoor debut Saturday with one of the 10 wins by NSU competitors Saturday at the Cowboy Relays "Bob Hayes Challenge" hosted by McNeese State.

On the day after his twin brother Emmanuel finished fourth in the long jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships, Aaron Williams flew 51-4 ¼ to win the triple jump, and added a fine 23-7 ¼ mark for fourth in the long jump.

"Aaron had a phenomenal day," said NSU coach Mike Heimerman. "That triple jump mark would get him to regionals but I think he'll do much better. We shut him down after his second jump. He had a good long jump and came out of the redshirt year indoors looking sharp."

Four NSU victories Saturday came in sprint relays. Northwestern swept the men's (41.20) and women's (47.50) 4x100 meter relays. The Demons took the 4x200 (1:27.55) and the Lady Demons ran away with the 4x400 (3:54.45).

The Lady Demons won all three weight throws. Rechelle Bessard took the hammer (166-8 ¼) and was runner-up with a 145-3 ½ to teammate Shakemia Johnson (151-4 ¾) in the discus. Keona Jackson won the shot put (43-2 ½) and was third in the hammer (154-1). Kwanzaa Andrus was fourth in the shot (40-0 ¼).

Consuela Lindsay, who ran on the Lady Demons' winning relay teams, captured first in her specialty, the 400 meter hurdles, with a 1:00.53 time.

Brent Giddens gave NSU its other win, taking the 110 meter hurdles in 15.02 and also finishing fifth in the 400 hurdles (56.26).

"We had a really good day overall. The kids ran well, the jumpers did well, our women's throwers did well even though the discus and shot put were contested in the rain. We split up our sprinters among different relay teams and still won nearly every sprint relay," said Heimerman.

NSU got two more runner-up performances, both in the high jump, in the men's competition from Quinton Helaire (6-6 ¾) and by Mawi Berkhadley (5-3) for the Lady Demons.

Lady Demon horizontal jumpers provided three top five finishes. Jaynisha Berry was fourth in the long jump (18-8) while Por'sha Thomas took fourth (39-3 ¾) and Taylor Walker fifth (38-10 ½) in the triple jump.

The Lady Demons' sprint medley relay unit covered 1600 meters in 4:31.0 to capture fifth in that event.

After posting 22 top five performances in the outdoor debut at McNeese, the NSU teams compete next Saturday in Ruston at Louisiana Tech's Jim Mize Invitational.