ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Wichita State's Natalie Morerod, Lawson Montgomery, Brett Trudo and the Shockers' 4x400-meter women's relay team all picked up wins Saturday at the New Mexico Tailwind Invitational.
Morerod won the women's 100-meter hurdles and Montgomery claimed first place in the men's 110-meter hurdles, as the Shockers posted numerous strong outdoor performances at the Great Friends of UNM Track Stadium.
"This was another meet, much like last weekend, where both our teams had a lot of terrific performances and made me feel really great about our outdoor season as we get ready for the Missouri Valley Conference Championships in May," said Steve Rainbolt, director of track & field and cross country. "At New Mexico, the hurdlers had a terrific meet. Natalie had a remarkable performance in the 100-meter hurdles. She stepped up to a new level as a 100-meter hurdler, much like last week she stepped up to a new level in the 400-meter hurdles. Lawson won this week and (he and Todd McKown) continued their strong season in the 110-meter hurdles."
Morerod won the women's 100-meter hurdles in 13.69 -- a personal best time that moved her up to fourth on the Shockers' all-time top-10 list in the event. She also finished second in the 400-meter hurdles (59.56) Saturday. She set the school record last week in the 400-meter hurdles with her time of 59.12 at Arkansas.
Montgomery and McKown finished No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the men's 110-meter hurdles. Montgomery won in 13.77. McKown finished second in 13.80. Both broke the stadium record, set in 1989 by Wyoming's Thom Garrison (13.95). Their times also ranked among the top 10 in the nation this season.
The Shockers' 4x400-meter women's relay team of Kristina Taylor, Morerod, Kiara Moore and Kiara Giles won the event in 3:48.22.
Kyle Long finished second in the men's 400-meter hurdles (54.01).
The WSU men's 4x400-meter relay squad of Alex Reed, DJ Lindsay, Kyle Long and Dylan Hartnett finished second in 3:13.64.
Wichita State finished with the top three marks in the men's javelin. Brett Trudo won with a distance of 224-0. Shocker assistant coach John Hetzendorf, competing for the Shocker Track Club, threw 213-6. Jon Rizzo finished third in 211-3. Rizzo broke into the WSU top 10 with his mark.
J'Lynn Ledesma finished second in the women's high jump with a mark of 5-9 ¾ -- moving her into a tie for fourth on WSU's top-10 list.
The Shockers next host the K.T. Woodman Classic/Advanced Orthopaedic Associates Shocker Pre-State Challenge April 11-14 at Cessna Stadium. The K.T. Woodman Heptathlon/Decathlon takes place April 11-12. The high school Shocker Pentathlon Challenge takes place April 12. The Shocker Pre-State Challenge (high school) runs April 12-13. The K.T. Woodman Classic (university/college) runs April 13-14. For more information about these upcoming home events, please visit the meet central webpage.
- Wichita State -
