UTA MEN GET EDGED OUT BY HALF A POINT IN THE FINAL EVENT AND FALLS INTO SECOND PLACE

May 10, 2009

Nacogdoches, Texas - The UTA men and women's track teams finish in the top three overall in the final day of competition at the 2009 Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The men's team failed to win its ninth team championship Sunday afternoon as Southeastern Louisiana University edged out the Mavs in the men's 4X400 relay final.

Southeastern Louisiana ran the fastest time of the day turning in a 3:06.79 and picking up 10 team points. UTA ran the second quickest time turning in a 3:07.37 and picked up only eight points in the event. The two points Southeastern Louisiana won in the event made the difference in the team's overall score as Southeastern Louisiana won the 2009 Southland Conference Championship with 140 and UTA laid claim to second place with 139.50 points.

The women's team turned in an impressive third day of competition and finished in third place overall. This is the highest the team has finished since 2003. UTA scored 125 points for the meet and made up a lot of distance to get to third by day's end.

Sophomore Cordero Gray played a big part in the men's second place finish on Sunday and netted the top point scorer of the meet with 22.5 points. Gray had a busy day competing in four events including a first place effort in the 4X100 relay final and he ran the second leg of the decisive 4X400 relay that UTA finished second place in.

The Kennedale High School product ran a season best 10.35 in the 100 meter final and grabbed first place in the event. He picked up ten points to the Mavs and narrowly beat teammate Jarid Vaughan, who was second in the event at 10.39 seconds. The men walked away with 22 points in the event.

Canadian-born sprinter Jarid Vaughan had a great individual day of competitions to go along the success of both relay teams he ran on. It was Vaughan's turn this time to beat out Gray in the 200 meter final. Vaughan won the event in 20.77 and beat Gray by two-tenths of a second as he finished in second place with a time of 20.79. UTA scored 22 points in this event, which tied the most for a single event all day.

The 4X100-relay team, made up of Gray, Vaughan, Takeshi Fujiwara and Byron Majors, showed the rest of the conference one of the fastest times in the nation Sunday running a 39.75. This is the 14th fastest time nationwide this season and is the team's first title since the spring of 2007.

Three time pole vault conference champion Wade Hayes (one outdoor and two indoor) added another title to his resume winning the final with a vault of 5.05 meters. He was the only competitor to clear five meters and his mark qualifies him for the NCAA Midwest Regional Meet to be held in Norman, Oklahoma later this month.

Distance extraordinaire Idilio Campos scored a goal medal for UTA in the men's 800 meter final in come from behind fashion. Campos passed four runners on the home stretch and finished at 1:50.59. Teammate Darren Rous was close behind finishing with the bronze medal at 1:51.32.

The UTA women's relay team brought out the brooms on Sunday as they swept the two relay finals. In the sprint relay, Antonia Hopkins ran the anchor leg and closed out the race for the Lady Mavs in 45.19. This was the best time of the season for the team. The distance relay was no different for the Mavs as Clarissa Toomer, Jasmine Walls, Markeisha Dudley and Antonia Hopkins took the gold medal in 3:42.07. This was also a season best time for the team. UTA missed qualifying for regionals by seven tenths of a second.

Jasmine Walls, who was an integral part of the relay teams, snatched a pair of gold medals in the women's 100 and 200 meters. Walls ran her best time of the season in the 100 taking first place in 11.51. She was joined in the top five by teammates LaDoreal Thompson and Clarissa Toomer who finished second and fifth, respectively. In the 200, Walls sprinted her way to the top spot in 23.57 and scored ten points for the team.

Antonia Hopkins finished behind Walls in the 200 claming third place, but Hopkins was not satisfied with only a bronze individual medal. The sprinter ran a speedy time in the women's 400 meter final taking first in the event and got her a gold medal. The Lubbock, Texas native ran a 54.49 and finished the day with three gold medals and one bronze medal.

In the field, multi-sport athlete Eld-hah Kaswatuka scored eight points for UTA in the triple jump final. Kaswatuka finished second in the event leaping 12.23 meters. Kaswatuka also plays volleyball for UT-Arlington.

Samantha Nash and Lauren Marks finished third and fourth in the pole vault final with both jumping the 3.40-meter mark, respectively. Nash cleared the height in her first attempt and Mark did it in her second attempt.

In the 1500 meter final, Caroline Erlingson and Christina Mose finished third and fourth, respectively, as a total of 13 points where scored for the team in the event. Erlingson ran the final in 4:41.01 and Mose was a little over three seconds behind running a 4:44.61.

Complete results of the 2009 Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships are available at southland.org.