LAFAYETTE, La. (3/26/16) – Arkansas State track and field student-athletes competed in their second outdoor meet of the season and left the Louisiana Classics with 10 first-place finishers and a total of 27 top-five finishes.

The two-day meet was held at the Cajuns Track & Soccer Complex, site of the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championship May 13-15. A-State competed against host Louisiana (ULL), Alcorn State, Dillard, Grambling, Jackson State, Little Rock, New Orleans, McNeese State, South Alabama, Southeastern Louisiana, Southern, Texas College, ULM and Xavier-Louisiana.

“We had a pretty good weekend,” said head coach Jim Patchell. We had several personal-bests and we were better than last week. We competed well and the effort was there, so I'm pleased with where we are this early in the outdoor season.”

After winning the pentathlon at the Sun Belt Conference championships, Samone Thompson took part in the heptathlon this weekend. She piled up 5,003 points over the seven events taking first place in 100-meter hurdles (14.09) and second place finishes in 200-meter dash (25.39), high jump (1.65m/5-05.00), long jump (5.31m/17-05.25) and 800-meter run (2:21.28). She was seventh in shot put (9.76m/32-00.25) and eighth in javelin throw (27.32m/89-07.00). With the 5,003 points, Thompson ranks fourth in program history.

Itamar Levi, in his second meet with the Red Wolves after transferring from Oklahoma State, won the shot put and finished second in the discus throw Saturday. Levi claimed top honors in the shot put with a toss of 17.74m (58-02.50). In the discus throw, Levi posted a mark of 54.60m (179-02), the sixth-best throw in program history.

Erin Farmer broke her own school record in the shot put, claiming top honors with a mark of 15.75m (51-08.25). She also posted a fifth-place finish in the hammer throw (50.53m/165-09). Calea Carr took the top spot on the podium in the women's discus throw, posting a mark of 50.01m (164-01). Carr added a second place finish in the hammer throw with a launch of 51.46m (168-10), the fourth-best throw in program history.

On the track, sophomore's Kristina Knott and Jaylen Bacon picked up where they left off indoors. Knott clocked a time of 11.64 seconds to win the 100-meter dash and took top honors in the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.80 seconds. Bacon took first in the 100-meter dash with a sprint of 10.31 seconds and was fourth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.31 seconds.

Roelf Pienaar jumped for the first time this outdoor season and took top honors in the triple jump. He posted a personal-best of 15.75m (51-08.25), a mark that moves him up to seventh on the program's top-10 ledger. Jonah Wiley claimed top honors in the men's long jump, leaping 7.05m (23-01.75). In the women's long jump, Shemiah Brooks was third with a mark of 5.57m (18-03.25).

Wil Norris posted a time of 9:11.42 in the 3000-meter steeplechase and maintains hold of the seventh spot in the top-10 rankings of the event. Erin Nunan posted a pair of top-10 finishes in distance events. She was eighth in the 1,500-meter run (5:05.58) and 10th in the 800-meter run (2:24.12)

The Red Wolves had three women finish in the top-10 of the 100-meter hurdles. Emenderlyn Iwuji placed second (13.89) while Shemiah Brooks was on her heels with a time of 13.92 seconds. Trevene Cowan was sixth with a time of 14.39 seconds to round out the top finishers for A-State. Cowan also ran in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing fourth with a time of 1:03.68. Jada Pollard joined Cowan in the top-10 of the 400-meter hurdles, finishing eighth with a time of 1:05.37.

Ivery Guyton finished second in the high jump, but was the top collegiate finisher. She cleared 1.70m (5-07.00) to finish runner-up overall while Darragh May was fourth with mark of 1.65m (5-05.00). Tiaan Steenkamp posted a third place finish in the men's high jump, clearing 2.00m (6-06.75).

A-State had three vaulters finish inside the top-10, led by Sam Bell's third place finish. Bell vaulted 5.00m (16-04.75) to finish third and Cameron Stalnaker joined him in the top five with a vault of 4.75m (15-07.00). Michael Carr finished seventh, clearing 4.60m (15-01.00). In the women's vault, Alexandra Pevtsova (3.80m/12-05.50) and Megan Wright (3.65m/11-11.75) finished sixth and seventh, respectively, to add to the top-10 finishes for A-State.

Erika Christian finished third in the 400-meter dash posting a time of 56.26 seconds. In the men's 400-meter dash, Travius Chambers was fifth clocking a time of 48.16 seconds. Jamil Peeples, the Sun Belt Conference indoor champion in 60-meter hurdles, finished fourth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 54.16 seconds. Clarence Simpkins placed sixth (54.40), to give A-State two inside the top-10 in the 400-meter hurdles.

Rounding out the 27 top-10 finishes were; Cristian Ravar-Ladislau sixth in hammer throw (58.45m/191-09), David Phillips eighth in high jump (1.90m/6-02.75), Erika Christian eighth in 200-meter dash and Juan Pimentel in shot put (14.94m/49-00.25).

A-State student-athletes will scatter across the country for four different meets next week. The Red Wolves will be represented at the Florida Relays hosted by Florida (March 30-April 2), the Texas Relays hosted by Texas (March 30-April 2), the Bobcat Classic hosted by Texas State (March 31-April 2) and the Joey Haynes Invitational hosted by SEMO (April 1-2).