School records, numerous personal bests among track team’s start to outdoor season

School records and a number of personal bests were among the highlights for the Nicholls men’s and women’s track teams at the Louisiana Classics meet that concluded Saturday in Lafayette to open the 2024 outdoor season.

The Nicholls A team of Jordan Jackson, Nisaiah Bennett, Kahlil Lewis, and Amari Godette set a new school record in the men’s 4 x 100-meter relay in a time of 41.87 to finish seventh among 10 teams in the event.

Jinta Braas set personal records in all four events she participated in during the event.

The Nicholls freshman set personal marks in the women’s 100-meter hurdles, the javelin, long jump, and 200 meters.

Her time of 16:05 in the hurdles along her to place 21st among 26 participants. She was 25th in a field of 38 in the javelin (28.42), 10th of 29 in the long jump (5.40), and 32nd of 37 in the 200 meters (26.87).

“She PRd in the 200 at the end of the day, which in the (heptathlon), that’s the end of Day 1, so that’s a really good sign that she did three events before it and then set her PR,” said Stefanie Slekis, coach of both the men’s and women’s teams at Nicholls. “That’s really good for how she hopefully will do on Day 1 at the (Southland Conference) Championship.”

Braas has competed in the pentathlon for Nicholls in the past and will participate in the heptathlon later in the outdoor season.

“When you’re doing a hep, the first day is four events and the second day is three events,” Slekis said. “In a regular season meet, the 200 is one of the last events. So (Braas) still set a PR in the 200 after she’d already done three other open events that day. That’s a really great indicator for how she might do in the hep on Day 1 that she ran the 200 theoretically tired. She’s at the meet all day and she still set a PR. So that was exciting.

“She PRd in all four things she did, and I think that’s a great indicator for her pentathlon in general, but also she ran the 200 at the end of the day, which is how it will be on Day 1 at the championship.”

Nia Maye set new personal bests in the women’s 100 meters and 200 meters, while also climbing the all-time charts at Nicholls.

Her time of 12.12 in the 100 meters allowed her to finish 12th among 41 runners and to move up to No. 7 on the all-time list for Nicholls. Maye’s time of 24.81 in the 200 was good for 11th place among 37 participants and fifth on the all-time list at Nicholls.

In the women’s 1500 meters, Maria Nikolaou and Kassidy Besson set personal records. Nikolaou finished fifth among 26 runners with a time of 4:47.65, while Besson placed seventh in a time of 4:50.28.

Dayna Satterfield, a freshman, placed 15th in the women’s 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15:00, which places her fifth on the all-time list at Nicholls.

The women’s 4 x 800-meter relay team of Nikolaou, Isabelle Seijlhouwer, Besson, and Issy Rivault set the No. 8 all-time mark at Nicholls with a time of 9:54.14.

Among the men, Godette finished tied his personal best and was fourth among 50 runners in the men’s 100 meters in a time of 10.54. He finished 14th in the men’s 200 in a time of 21.56.

Chris Tucker placed fifth among 34 participants in the men’s long jump with an effort of 6.98 meters.

“That wasn’t a PR, but it was way better than he jumped in the long jump indoor,” Slekis said of Tucker’s effort. “We were happy with his day just because indoor he was in a little bit of a funk in the long jump. He’s right up there close to seven meters. He’s jumped over seven meters before in the long jump but getting close and it was a great opener for him in the long jump.”

Behind Godette’s effort in the men’s 200, Bennett and Crawford also set personal records. Bennett had a time of 22.08, and Crawford 22.78.

Kamren Washington had a personal best in the men’s 400 with a time of 51.48 to place 22nd among 39 runners.

A total of four Nicholls runners in the men’s 800 meters set personal records.

Nick Coonan-Bailey was 15th among 34 runners (2:00.62), Kyshon Webster was 22nd (2:02.14), Wesley O’Neal was 24th (2:02.46), and Patrick Alleman was 34th (2:09.06).

“I think a big part of it was also the weather. This meet, it’s normally cold and windy and rainy, and we end up with beautiful weather. I think that helps a lot,” Slekis said of the early outdoor success.

The Nicholls track teams will be back in action Saturday at the LSU Keyth Talley Invitational in Baton Rouge.