Track And Field Tunes Up Before Conference Championships

Coach Dana Boone hopes she has not seen the best of the Texas State track and field team with the Sun Belt Indoor Conference Championships next week.

“The pieces are coming together,” Boone said. “We’ll just keep going back and working for this last week and a half and get back at it. The plan is—at conference is where all the magic will come together. Everything that you’ve been working on all season comes together.”

The Houston Invitational was the Bobcats’ final meet to prepare for the indoor championships.

Darian Brown, senior thrower, broke his own school records in the men’s shot put and weight throw. Brown threw 19.53 meters in men’s shot put and is second in the Sun Belt Conference. He scored 20.85 meters in the men’s weight throw and increased his lead on first place in the conference. 

Brown is in the top 10 in the country for shot put and 24th in weight throw.

“I think the highlight was Darian Brown destroying his own personal record and school record in the shot put,” Boone said. “It was a good day for the Bobcats as we go into conference. I think we feel confident and prepared. We’ll just keep going to work.”

Marika Brown (sophomore sprinter), Macahla Wesley (sophomore sprinter) and Alexus Hebert, (senior sprinter) tied personal bests in the women’s 60-meter.

De’Marcus Porter, freshman sprinter, placed first in the men’s 60-meter event after recording a personal best in the 200-meter last week. He is seventh in the Sun Belt Conference.

Anicka Newel, senior pole-vaulter, tied her season best with 4.00 meters, keeping her in first place in the Sun Belt.

Sydni Willis, freshman hurdler, ran in the women’s 400-meter and won with a time of 56.62 seconds. The finish positioned her first place in the conference.

The Bobcats lead in 12 of 34 events after the Houston Invitational.

Boone, however, wants the team to improve its performance.

“All the way across the board, everyone can get better,” Boone said. “I’m serious when I say I want to see it all the way across the board—everybody give me the best they’ve got.” 

Jose Campos is a sports reporter for the University Star where this story originally published. It is reprinted here through a news partnership between the University Star and Corridor News.