Trojans Set for SBC Championships

Championship Central

MIRAMAR, Fla. – The Troy University track and field team is set for the 2013 Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championships, hosted by FIU in Miramar, Fla. Several athletes enter the weekend in position to pick up points as the Trojans hope for individual and team wins on the weekend.

“We look forward to what lies ahead,” said head coach Jill Lancaster. “We got to the facility track for a great shakeout workout this morning and our team's enthusiasm is contagious.”

The meet begins on Friday with the decathlon and heptathlon, as well as the discus events, the pole vault and the 10,000-meter run. Action continues on Saturday as the multi-events wrap up and the preliminaries for several of the track events take place. Competition concludes on Sunday.

We feel our women are stronger this year and in better position than we were a year ago,” Lancaster said. “We may not have the depth, but we are definitely bringing more star power. Our men look to avenge the tight battles they were in last season.”

Nicolo Bolla will look to improve on his second place finish in the hammer throw from a season ago, as he enters the meet the top ranked thrower in the conference and fourth in the East region. He is currently the conference and school record holder in the event, after throwing for 65.78 meters at the Coach “O” Invitational two weeks ago, earning his second athlete of the week honor or the year.

Neko Freeman is the other Trojan entering the weekend as the top seed, after posting an impressive time of 10.40 seconds in the 100-meter dash earlier in the season. Overall, three Trojans are seeded in the top-5 in the 100-meter dash, with Benjamin Martin in second and Jordan Landburg in third.

Troy brings the second seed in both the men's and women's javelin to the meet this weekend. Mackenzie Howell enters with a season-best throw of 61.73 meters, while Lizzie Clough enters at 44.65 meters.

Ja-Courtney Alexander enters the meet in the top-5 in several events, including the 400-meter hurdles (second), the 400-meter dash (third) and the 200-meter dash (fourth). She will likely compete in the 400-meter dash and 400-meter hurdles, as well as both the 4x100- and 4x400-meter relays.

In the multi-events, senior Veronica Bryant is seeded second at 4,633 points, set at the Georgia Bulldog Decathlon/Heptathlon, while Samuel Johnson is seeded fourth on the men's side at 6,400 points, set at the same meet.

Larry Henry, Troy's lone winner at the SBC Championships last season, enters the competition seeded fourth in the high jump at 2.10 meters.

For more information on Troy Athletics, visit TroyTrojans.com. Fans can also find Troy on Twitter at @TroyAthletics or on Facebook at Facebook.com/TroyAthletics.

Troy University Athletics

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