NACOGDOCHES, Texas—The queen of the women's long jump added another jewel to her crown, as Samari Finney posted a massive season best jump in her fifth attempt to take home her third consecutive gold on Thursday on the first day of competition at the Southland Conference Championships.

Finney, a senior from Detroit, posted a season-best jump of 20-4 in her fifth attempt to overtake Stephen F. Austin's Basia Mitchell for her third consecutive gold medal in the long jump, also winning the gold in the indoor championships this season and the outdoor conference meet last year.

"It feels exhilarating to know I had this opportunity to win it three times," Finney said. "It is so surreal because I never expected my career to cap off like this since I am a senior. I just gave it all I had."

Cherie Neal also earned points for the Lady Demons, placing eighth in the women's long jump, recording a season-best 18-8.5.

From a senior to a freshman, a newcomer earned a medal in her first outdoor SLC Championships.

Competing in her first outdoor conference meet, Margaret Mannering didn't show her nerves and brought home the silver in the women's hammer throw with a near-personal best toss of 182-6.

She was ahead until the third throw from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's Breyunna Dowell, who recorded a massive throw of 193-11, which is the best mark in the Southland this season.

"It was great," Mannering said. "I had a rough indoor season, but I had a better outdoor one. I was second or third coming in and I wanted my medal, so I knew what I had to do."

Tahisha Thompson (157-7) nearly scored a point for the Lady Demons, finishing ninth, while Ana Manousaridis' 154-11 was good for 11^th place.

"Overall, it was a great day," head coach Mike Heimerman said. "I am super proud of Samari. It's been a grinding season for her, but she did very well as the reigning indoor champ and reigning outdoor champion to win it again this year.

"Margaret, as a true freshman, coming here to battle and get second place with some stiff competition and she had a couple big fouls too. It's just a very bright future for her so I am very happy."

On the men's side, Tarajh Hudson (164-6) and Abner Johnson (160-8) finished back-to-back in 13^th and 14^th in the hammer.

After four of the seven events in the women's heptathlon, Thea Ring (3144 points) is in third place, buoyed by a personal-best time of 24.40 in the 200-meter dash to win the event.

She finished in the top six in three of the four events and in the top four twice.

Cherie Neal (2943) is currently in seventh, highlighted by a personal-best 25.26 in the 200 to round out the first day for her. Neal finished in the top eight in three events.

On the men's side, Bruce Boon is in eighth place with 3291 points after five of the 10 events on day one.

Over in the women's pole vault, Aly Jo Warren earned points for the Lady Demons with a clearance of 12-0.5 to finish tied for seventh.

Silet Gray kicked off the running events in style, clocking a 1:00.12 to win the 400-meter hurdles and punch her ticket to Saturday's finals in the event.

Joining her is Ring, who capped off a strong day with a 1:01.08 to finish fifth to punch her ticket to finals as well.

To round out the prelims in the running events, both the women and men put three athletes into the finals in the 200-meter dash.

On the women's side, Margaret Conteh (23.49) and Rushana Dwyer (23.52) both posted personal bests to finish second and third, respectively. Joining them in the finals is Juvonna Cornette (24.00), who held off UTRGV's Treasure Vallerie in not only her heat, but it also turned it out to be a spot for finals.

While she missed out on finals, sophomore Jayla Mason ran a personal-best 24.70.

Three more also made it for the men, led by Will Achee's 21.00 to place fifth. He is joined in the finals by teammates Elijah Rowe (21.03) and Kalen Beavers (21.05), who placed seventh and eighth, respectively.
Keontae Gaines' 21.06 just missed the finals to finish in ninth and not too far behind him were Desmond Duncan (21.17) in 11^th and Eddy Vu (21.29) in 13^th.

Kason Jones (21.47) ran a season best to finish in 15^th.

"There were some great performances by the sprinters," Heimerman said. "You're stepping up and making finals and that's what it's all about is trying to make finals right now so we can score points. There were a lot of great things done today by the men and women to set us up really well for finals in those events on Saturday."

Next up for NSU is the second day, which begins at 9:30 a.m. on Friday with the men's decathlon 110-meter hurdles. The open events start with the men's long jump at 12:30 and the running events at 5 p.m. with the women's 100-meter hurdles.