NATCHITOCHES—There's no place like home.

Competing in its only home meet of the season, the Northwestern State track and field teams performed like it is familiar with the environment, as the Demons and Lady Demons combined to win 19 events at the Leon Johnson NSU Invitational on Saturday at the Walter P. Ledet Track and Field Complex.

It started with Eliska Zahradnickova winning the women's discus and finished with a victory by Elijah Rowe in the men's 200-meter dash.

In between, NSU recorded wins by Tarajh Hudson (men's discus), Samari Finney (women's long jump), Roy Morris (men's long jump), Randy Kelly (men's high jump), Margaret Mannering (women's hammer), Teodora Samac (women's javelin), Shakera Williams (women's shot put), Marquis Butler (men's triple jump), both the men's and women's 4x100 relays, Rushana Dwyer (women's 200 and 400), Will Achee (men's 400), Juvonna Cornette (women's 100), Keontae Gaines (men's100), Lalaina Wood (women's 1500) and Clinton Laguerre (men's 400 hurdles).

The 17 individual events were won by 16 different athletes, as only Dwyer won more than one event.

"I think we had a good day on the track and in the field," head coach Mike Heimerman said. "Overall, I am very happy. The throwers really shined today, and we were probably good in every event."

Zahradnickova began the strong day with her big personal best in the women's discus, tossing a 172-6, which not only won the event, but is also the top mark in the Southland Conference.

She led three of the top four, as Shakera Kirk (163-10) finished third and freshman Shantangelo Williams (162-5) came in fourth.

Zahradnickova, one of the 33 seniors honored during the meet for Senior Day, started a monster day from the throwers.

That continued with Hudson in the men's discus. Hudson threw a season-best 181-1, which moved him into the top 10 for the NCAA East qualifying and the top mark in the conference.

"That definitely felt good," Hudson said. "That was my furthest mark in a couple years, so that feels good and it feels good to be on top of the conference. I hope I can keep building on this because and keep getting better because it is a very competitive conference."

If Hudson wasn't leading the league in the event, his teammate would be.

Seth Smith had his best career throw, tossing a personal-best 176-2 to place second in the event and second in the Southland.

"It feels good to go out and get a PR," Smith said. "I still wanted to go out and get above 55 meters, but 53-7 is a good start to the season. Hopefully I'll be able to go out and accomplish that next week at Florida.

"This start gives me a lot of confidence, especially coming off last season in which I didn't think I did too well, so hopefully come conference time I will be in my best shape."

In the women's shot put, Shakera Williams tossed a personal-best 47-8 to win the event, while Zahradnickova finished second with a throw of 46-5.75.

On the men's side, while Donroy Brown didn't win the event, he tied a personal best with a throw of 57-7. Reigning SLC Male Field Athlete of the Week La'Darion Dudley threw a 55-9.25 to place fourth.

The Lady Demons went 1-2 in the women's hammer throw, led by Margaret Mannering, who tossed a 181-10

"It felt like everything was working from the beginning," Mannering said. "I was missing the finish on a lot of throws and on the last one, I was like 'let's try and go for it' because it's a home meet and the atmosphere was really good. Everybody was cheering on each other, so I was just like 'let's go for it' and it turned out pretty good and I am pretty excited for what's to come."

Abner Johnson (167-4) finished second in the men's hammer.

Going against two of the best javelin throwers in the past few years in the Southland, Samac upped her level of play significantly, tossing a personal best in the women's javelin of 157-1, beating out not only one of the best in the conference in teammate Anisha Gibbons, but also four-time gold medalist in the SLC in the javelin, former McNeese thrower Blanche Beard.

Samac beat her previous best of 150-4.

Beard came in second and Gibbons finished in third with a toss of 152-9.

"Teodora did very well," Heimerman said. "We weren't quite there, but she had a really good day. She knew she was missing a little something on each throw, but she still threw a PR and a PR is a PR. It was really fun to watch her and Anisha battle it out. She got Anisha this week after Anisha got her last week, so Teodora has bragging rights for the week."

Emily Miller (118-5) and Thea Ring (105-8) both also threw a personal best.

In the men's javelin, Demons legend Cody Fillinich came back and threw in a meet for the first time in 17 years and it is like he never left. The 2025 N-Club Hall of Fame inductee tossed a 217-0 to win the event by a wide margin.

As good as the throws were, the jumps weren't too shabby either, led by a personal best from Kelly.

In the 2025 Leon Johnson NSU Invitational, he recorded a personal best by clearing 7-0.5, the first time he cleared seven feet.

At the 2026 meet, he was at it again, clearing 7-0.75, a new personal best for the South Carolina native.

"It feels great," Kelly said. "Last year at this meet, I jumped 2.14 and now this year, I jumped 2.15 meters, so it was great to be able to add onto my personal best. I am just blessed to be able to go out and do it again as a senior."

Kelly also had a nice day in the men's long jump, recording a jump of 23-7, only behind teammate, Morris, who recorded a jump of 24-8.5 for his second long jump win in the Leon Johnson NSU Invitational in as many seasons.

While Morris is the king of the men's long jump team, Finney is the queen on the women's side, winning the women's long jump with a leap of 19-11. Victoria Byrd (18-5.25) placed fourth and freshman Ciera Cammon (18-0.25) tied a personal best.

Cammon also had a personal best in the women's triple jump with a 36-5 to finish sixth. Leah Brown had a personal best in the triple jump with a leap of 39-1.

Brown also had a personal best in the women's high jump, clearing 5-3.75 to finish second.

In the men's triple jump, freshman Marquis Butler posted a jump of 48-7.5 to win and Aly Jo Warren (11-7.75) placed second in the women's pole vault.

To start the running events, both the women's (46.48) and men's (39.61) 'A' teams won the event.

Dwyer does Dwyer things, winning the 400 with a 53.76 and the 200 with a 28.86.

In the 400, the Lady Demons went 1-2-3, as Dwyer was proceeded by Margaret Conteh (53.90) and Finney (56.03).

On the men's side in the 400, Achee (46.95) led a Demons group that went 1-2-3-4.

He was followed by Charlie Bartholomew (46.96), Desmond Duncan (47.76) and Kason Jones (47.94).

Elijah Rowe led the way in the men's 200 with personal-best 20.97, followed by Eddy Vu (21.14) and Antoine Evans (21.15).

In the 100-meter dash, Cornette (11.63) won on the women's side, while Kalen Beavers (10.35) finished second, continuing his strong season.

Running her first 400-meter hurdles, Ring (1:02.37) won the event on the women's side and Clinton Laguerre (55.47) won it on the men's side.

Silet Gray (1:02.40) came in second in the women's 400 hurdles, a personal best.

In the distance, Lalaina Wood ran a personal-best 5:02.52 in the 1500.

Next up is a trip to Gainesville for the Pepsi Florida Relays, a two-day event starting Friday.

The 33 seniors were honored late in the meet, and Heimerman has a deep appreciation for them, regardless of how many years they've been in the program.

"There have been some seniors who have been here one year and some for four years," Heimerman said. "The thing I can say about all of them is that they've all given me everything they have. They have bought into everything that me or the assistant coaches have told them. I just want to say thank you to them for coming here and buying into what we have to sell and given us everything they have every day."