A&M-Commerce track and field teams return from invitational

WACO, Texas --Texas A&M-Commerce wrapped up competition at the Michael Johnson/Dr. Pepper Invitational, and it was the Lions' distance runners that stole the show. Robert Reed captured first in the 1500 meter run with Brandon Womack taking runner-up honors in the 800 meters, highlighting the afternoon in which six different Lions posted top-10 finishes.

Reed posted a time of 3:58.75 in the 1500 meter, beating out 22 other runners including 15 Division I competitors. Reed held off Texas A&M's Stephen Curry, beating out the Aggie by two-tenths of a second.

Womack came within a whisker of becoming the second Lion to take home first-place honors on the afternoon, posting a time of 1:56.30 to come in second just two one-hundredths of a second behind the first-place finisher. Womack placed second in a field of 32 competitors, registering his second-fastest time of the season.

Craig Shelton also had an impressive outing for A&M-Commerce, finishing second in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 15.42, to become the third Lion to finish in the top-two on the track at Waco. He beat out teammate Demetrius Holmes, who also notched a top-10 finish for A&M-Commerce with a time of 16.25. Reggie McCarther was the other Lion sprinter to finish in the top-10, placing ninth out of 37 competitors in the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.65.

In the jumps, Bobby Strebeck had the top performance for A&M-Commerce, finishing fifth in the high jump with a leap of 2.05 meters. That result ties his season-high set at both the Incarnate Word and Bobby Lane Invitationals earlier this season.

A&M-Commerce has one more event left in the regular season, heading to Denton for the North Texas Twilight next Saturday, April 30. Following that event, the Lions will prepare to compete in the Lone Star Conference Championships, which will be held May 5-8 in Stephenville.

Women's Track and Field:

WACO, Texas --Competing against some of the top teams in the area, including a handful of Big XII schools, Texas A&M-Commerce had four competitors notch top-10 finishes at the Michael Johnson/Dr. Pepper Invitational. Starasia Childs led the way for A&M-Commerce, notching a pair of top-10 finishes in the triple jump and 100 meter hurdles.

Childs led off the day with a sixth-place finish in the triple jump, posting a mark of 12.15 meters, her second-longest jump of the season. Childs then went out and placed ninth out of 27 competitors in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 14.93, which was also her second-best performance of the season.

In the throws, La'Shara Jefferson matched Childs with a sixth-place finish in the discus, marking a toss of 48.20 meters - her longest of the season. Kate Donovan was the fourth Lion to notch a top-10 finish on the day, placing fifth in the 3000 meter steeplechase with a time of 12:33.90. Sunny Henderson just missed joining the group, placing 12th in the javelin at 35.07 meters.

A&M-Commerce has one more event left in the regular season, heading to Denton for the North Texas Twilight next Saturday, April 30. Following that event, the Lions will prepare to compete in the Lone Star Conference Championships, which will be held May 5-8 in Stephenville.