Final meet results

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Junior sprinter Natashia Jackson was dominant once again at the Southland Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, leading Northwestern State's Lady Demons to the runner-up slot Monday, matching their best-ever finish in the league.
 
Jackson repeated as the women's high point scorer at the conference indoor meet, accounting for 24 of NSU's 85 points. Stephen F. Austin piled up 141 points to claim its ninth women's team title, while the Lady Demons were runner-ups for the second straight year.
 
Jackson won the 200 meter dash in 24.02, then capped a busy day with a dynamic, come-from-behind anchor leg on the gold medal 4x400 relay team, erasing a 10-meter gap and taking the lead hitting the straightaway. Jackson followed Courtney Willis, Diana Granados, and Kimani Evans as NSU posted a time of 3:43.60.
 
Jackson and Willis became back-to-back indoor champions in the relay, as NSU shaved 0.29 off last year's mark. The Lady Demons have won the Southland indoor 4x400 five years in a row.
 
Earlier, Jackson also claimed third in both the 60 (7.54, a new personal record) and the 400 (54.89) to compile a half-point more than she scored in 2018 and earn the meet's Female Most Valuable Performer honor.
 
"There are no words to describe Speedy (Jackson) because they wouldn't do her justice. She is a machine and wants to win everything," said head coach Mike Heimerman. "She is one of the best sprinters to ever come through NSU and she still has a year and a half of eligibility remaining."
 
Another of the more accomplished competitors in school history, two-time outdoor All-American Micah Larkins, collected his first Southland indoor gold medal Monday, zipping past a very competitive group of 60 meter finalists in 6.68. The senior also placed fifth in the 200 finals at 21.59 to give the Demons a total of 14 points.
 
Larkins contributed the largest individual portion of NSU's 63 points, good for fifth in the 12-team men's standings. Sam Houston easily captured its fourth consecutive team crown with 104 points, followed by Southeastern Louisiana (85), Abilene Christian (77), Lamar (74) and NSU.
 
The men's 60 provided the biggest scoring haul, 19 points, for either NSU team by securing four of the eight final spots in Sunday's preliminary rounds. Joining Larkins in the scoring were Florida State transfer Eddie Clarke (6.80, NSU PR) in fifth-place, outdoor relay All-American Kie'Ave Harry (6.86) in sixth, and Javin Arrington (6.87) in seventh.
 
Repeating as a silver medalist at the indoor championships, senior Tremayne Flagler established himself as NSU's best ever in the 60 meter hurdles, setting a school record at 7.83. His time ranks third in the conference record book. Sam Houston State's Fabian McCall set a new conference record of 7.75.      
 
Junior Jasmyn Steels snagged silver for the second straight day. In the triple jump, she again faced Incarnate Word senior Sarea Alexander, the same athlete who defeated her in Sunday's thrilling long jump battle. Steels' indoor personal record jump of 40-11 ½ Monday couldn't overtake Alexander (42-7), the prohibitive favorite and defending champion.
 
"Jasmyn is a gamer. She had two silver medals and nearly scored in the high jump," said Heimerman. "She will be fun to watch in two weeks (in the long jump) at nationals."  
 
Steels wasn't the only Lady Demon making noise in the triple jump. The NSU women scored 17 points in the event.
 
Freshman Lauren Clarke posted a 40-9 to claim third place and add six points to the Lady Demons' total. The Houston native also tied for fifth in the high jump, tying her personal-best of 5-5 ¾.
 
UTSA transfer Ariel Watson capped the Lady Demons' triple jump scoring, adding three points by her sixth-place 39-8, a new personal record.
 
Senior Ceaser Stephens picked up a silver on the men's side of the triple jump. Stephens' 50-7 ½ best Monday trailed only the winning mark of 50-11 by Lamar's Tylen Guidry. Junior Quindarrius Thompson took fifth at 49-8 ½, with the Demons collecting a dozen points in the event. 
 
The Lady Demons also recorded 12 points in the 60. Along with Jackson in third, junior Kimani Evans claimed fifth (7.60) and sophomore Deja Moore was seventh (7.64).
 
Moore contributed seven total points to the Lady Demons' total, posting a fourth-place finish in the 200 (24.52) later Monday.
 
In addition to both winning with the 4x400 women's relay team, Granados added another two points for the Lady Demons, finishing seventh in the 400 with a 56.84. Willis added one with her eighth-place mark of 57.46 in the same event.
 
For the Demons, freshman Marco Arevalo scored one point with a shot put of 52-1 ¾ in an eighth-place effort. 
 
Heimerman was proud of how both NSU squads competed.
 
"It was a great day. Both groups had awesome performances," he said. "We just need to fill a couple of holes in some events and we can close the gap on first place.
 
"I am very proud of this group of coaches and athletes," said Heimerman. "They are each other's biggest supporters. It will definitely be a fun outdoor season."
 
The nation's top 15 performers return to the Birmingham CrossPlex on Mar. 9-10 for the NCAA National Championship Meet. Steels ranks 12^th in the country at long jump pending results in other conference meets and last chance competitions.
 
NSU opens the 2019 outdoor season March 9 at the McNeese Cowboy Relay/Bob Hayes Challenge in Lake Charles.