By Jonathon Zenk, Northwestern State Assistant Director of Communications; featured photo courtesy of the Southland Conference
HOUSTON—Is two consecutive Southland Conference outdoor championships and five out of six indoor/outdoor championships a dynasty?
The Northwestern State women’s track and field team dominated the field en route to rolling to the second straight indoor championship after not winning it at all up until that point.
“Each group is special each year,” head coach Mike Heimerman said. “This group bought into everything. There are a lot girls who this is their third, fourth or even fifth championship, which is great, They are all a little different and very special. This one, they worked for it and took directions from day one and didn’t take their foot off the gas. It was phenomenal.”
Despite the team having the win in the bag, the women’s 4×400 relay race was a microcosm of the entire meet. The Lady Demons were in a fight early, but Samari Finney took control of the race in the third leg and Maygan Shaw took it home, defeating the field by more than six seconds, as the Northwestern State rolled to 180.5 points, winning the meet by 63, the largest point difference between Nos. 1 and 2 since 2019 when Stephen F. Austin won by 72 points.
The 4×400 relay was one of five gold medals won by the Lady Demons on the final day of competition, four of which involved Shaw, who leaves Natchitoches as one of the most decorated athletes to ever don a Lady Demons uniform.
The senior from Pineville not only was a member of the 4×400 relay team, she also won gold as a member of the 4×100 relay and won individual races in the 200 and 400.
In the 400-meter dash, she and Finney each found the podium, placing first and third, respectively. Shaw was in a dogfight for the title, but ultimately pulled away with an SLC meet-record 52.10, edging out Southeastern Louisiana’s Onyah Onyinye Favour (52.54) for the gold, while Finney ran a 54.05 to capture the bronze.
Margaret Conteh (56.04) and Tranasia Jones (57.19) placed fifth and seventh in the finals, respectively, to earn points for the Lady Demons.
Shaw also collected the gold in the 200, edging out UTRGV’s Jizzale Davis (23.70) with a 23.47. Finney also earned the bronze in the 200 as well (23.98), eeking out a podium spot over SLU’s Marvellous Asemota.
To start the running events, Shaw, along with Finney, Dynia Lewis and Sileena Farrell, won the 4×100 with a 44.88, edging out Stephen F. Austin (45.11).
The other gold on Saturday came from Jaslyn Smith, who not only won gold, but a spot in regionals with a final jump 42-0.5 in the triple jump.
“It was so exciting,” Smith said. “I even cried, and I don’t ever cry. It was a lot to take in. I have so much support from my team and my family, encouraging me to keep my head up high. It is just happy moment in a really happy day.”
While she didn’t win the gold, Shakera Kirk brought home the silver in the women’s discus, leading three Lady Demons who earned points. She was joined by Tahisha Thompson (156-08) in sixth and Shanice Hutson (153-04) in eighth.
Silet Gray (400 hurdles), Farrell (100-meter dash) and Raven-Symone Jarrett (100 hurdles) also found the podium for the Northwestern State women.
Gray (1:01.80) and Farrell (11.58) each grabbed silvers as the lone Lady Demon running in the events.
“There were so many people who stepped up and that is what it takes to win,” Heimerman said. “These girls did just that. Between Coach (Adam) Pennington and myself talking to them in the meetings on what they needed to do, they executed it almost perfectly.”
Jarrett (13.81) collected the bronze in the 100 hurdles with a 13.81. Lewis finished sixth in the finals with a time of 14.25.
On the men’s side, both relays as well as Dishaun Lamb (110 hurdles), William Achee (400-meter dash) and Tavis Wilson (100-meter dash) made the podium.
Each relay lost close battles for the gold. In the 4×100, the Demons clocked a 39.53, only bested by East Texas A&M’s SLC meet record time of 39.36.
ETAMU again edged out the Demons in the 4×400, running a 3:06.86 to Northwestern State’s 3:07.01.
Lamb clocked a 14.14 to earn the silver, while Achee came from way back in the pack to fight to earn the silver with a time of 46.91. Desmond Duncan ran a 48.61 to finish in eighth.
Wilson collected the bronze in the 100 with a time of 10.39.
Elijah Rowe placed eighth in the 200, clocking a 21.41.
Over on the field, Randy Kelly finished fourth in the high jump (6-8.25), while Justin Craft placed eighth in the discus (154-05).