Track & Field Shines At 2018 South Alabama Invitational

Friday, April 6

Mobile, AL

4:30 PM (CT)

Samford University

South Alabama Invite

Results

Track & Field Shines At 2018 South Alabama Invitational

4.7.18 | Track and Field

The Bulldogs’ Johnston, Oates and Tait all claim titles in the meet

Results

MOBILE, Ala. -- The Samford University track and field teams turned in a multitude of outstanding performances this weekend as the Bulldogs competed against eight regional squads in the 2018 South Alabama Invitational held at the Jaguar Track.

In addition to Samford and the homestanding South Alabama Jaguars, the field for this weekend's meet also included either individuals or full squads from Dillard, Jacksonville State, Mobile, Southern University at New Orleans, West Alabama, West Florida and William Carey.

Samford's Emmanuel Tait stole the show Friday as the Bulldogs' sophomore sprinter earned first-place finishes in both the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter competition. In the 100, Tait posted a blazing time of 10.20 to defeat Mateo Edward (10.30), while breezing past South Alabama's Keith Davis with a tally of 20.90 in the 200-meter event to claim the title.

Tait's 20.90 in the 200-meter competition bested Davis' time of 21.13 for the top spot.

In the men's pole vault competition, Samford finished with four Bulldogs in the top seven positions. Senior All-American Tray Oates won the event with a height of 5.50 meters, while Hugh Duggan placed fourth and teammates Gavin Gautreau and Hunter Schlatter finished fifth and seventh, respectively.

The Bulldogs' winning continued Friday as sophomore standout Maggie Johnston hurled a competition-best distance of 47.58 meters in the women's discus. Johnston topped South Alabama's Jessie Droogsma in the event, who finished second with a mark of 44.76 meters.

Also in the discus, Samford's Camille Caldwell earned sixth place with a throw of 39.19 meters.

The Bulldogs' Erin Hines, Jack McHugh and Marquis Barnes all registered second-place finishes Friday. Hines placed second in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.51, while McHugh turned in a time of 14.63 as Samford dominated the 110-meter hurdles competition.

Not only did McHugh earned second place in the event, but the Bulldogs' Schlatter, Thomas Ozburn, Jonathan Waarvik and Austin Eck finished fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth, respectively, in the competition.

Barnes, who starred for Samford in the 2018 indoor season, continued his success here in the outdoor campaign by placing second in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 53.84. The Bulldogs' senior nearly nipped Southern's Jamar McNaughton for the first-place position in the event. McNaughton registered a time of 53.38 on Friday.

Additionally, Samford's Jordan Oballe tallied a fifth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles by posting a time of 56.08.

The Bulldogs' Rachel Dixon placed third in the 400-meters (58.81), while Matt Cahoon earned a pair of third-place performances in both the discus (47.85m) and javelin (52.25m).

The Samford University track and field teams will next be in action April 13-14, as the Bulldogs travel to Auburn for the 2018 Auburn Invite to be held Friday and Saturday at the Hutsell-Rosen Track Complex on the campus of Auburn University.

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Results