BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | The Louisiana Tech men's and women's Track & Field team began Day 1 of the 2023 Conference USA Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Ala. It started the event by grabbing the first podium of the day, with senior Johannon Murray taking third place in the women's pentathlon. 
 
The Tyler, Texas native posted third-place finishes in three events in the shot put (11.33m), 60m H (9.01), and high jump (1.57m), and a registered top-five finishes in the long jump (5.34m) and 800m (2:32:96).

First podium of the weekend goes to Jo!!!

🥉in the Women's Pentathlon pic.twitter.com/7GIVmUNdGA

— LA Tech T&F and XC (@LATechTFXC) February 18, 2023

 
Teammate Leah Ellis posted a PR and resisted the best mark in the heptathlon long jump with a 5.70m, while Jiana Stewartburgess grabbed the second-best jump in the heptathlon high jump with a leap of 1.63m. In the men's Heptathlon, Aidan Holland posted a personal best in the shot put with a throw of 9.68m.
 
In the field events, LA Tech's men posted two top-five finishes, with Mateo Smith registering a PR in the long jump with a leap of 7.34m, and Nemoy Cockett threw 18.78m in the men's shot put, while the women's registered two PRs in the women's long jump with DaLoria Boone's 5.74m and Tia Reder's 5.55m. 

On the track in the 60m prelims, Ulanda Lewis set a PR with a 7.47 to qualify for tomorrow's final in the women's 60m, while Rodney Heath Jr. ran the fastest qualifying time with a 6.67 to move on to the men's final. 
 
In the men's 60m H, Urijah Williams qualified for tomorrow's final with a run of 8.46. On the women's side, Kayla Watson qualified with the second-best time of 8.58, and Nike Praetzel earned a PR of 8.89. 
 
In the women's 400m, Faith Tarver registered a personal best (56.55) to qualify for the final, and on the men's side, Laeden Tucker (49.95) and Micah Pernetter (51.45) each posted PRs. Tucker finished seventh in qualifying to move on to the 400m final.
 
UP NEXT
Louisiana Tech men's & women's Track & Field teams will continue Day 2 of the 2023 Conference USA Indoor Championships tomorrow in Birmingham, Ala. The event can be seen on CUSA.tv. 
 
Day 2 will begin with the conclusion of the men's heptathlon at 9:30 a.m., followed by the men's and women's miles (1 p.m.), sprinting finals events which will include the 60m H (1:30 p.m.), 400m (1:45 p.m.), 60m (2:05), 800m (2:20), and 200m (2:40), followed by the men's and women's 3K (2:50 p.m. and 3:20) p.m.), and conclude with the 4x400 relays (3:50 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.).
 
On the track, men's shot put and triple jump will begin at 11 a.m. alongside the women's high jump, followed by the women's shot put and women's triple jump at 2 p.m. 
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in Louisiana Tech Track & Field/Cross Country, follow them on Twitter (@LATechTFXC), Instagram (@LATechTFXC), and Facebook (Louisiana Tech Track & Field/Cross Country).
 
Below is a complete list of LA Tech athlete results: 
 
Pentathlon 60m H | Women's
Johannon Murray (3^rd) | 9.01
Leah Ellis (8^th) | 9.21
Jiana Stewartburgess (11^th) | 9.48
 
Pentathlon 800m | Women's
Johannon Murray (5^th) | 2:32:96
Jiana Stewartburgess (12^th) | 2:43:90
Leah Ellis (13^th) | 3:19:06 
 
Pentathlon High Jump | Women's
Jiana Stewartburgess (2^nd) | 1.63m (5' 4.25'')
Johannon Murray (3^rd) | 1.57m (5' 1.75")
Leah Ellis | 1.42m (4' 7.75")
 
Pentathlon Long Jump | Women's
Leah Ellis (1^st) | 5.70m (18' 8.5'') PR
Johannon Murray (5^th) | 5.34m (17' 6.25)
Jiana Stewartburgess (13^th) 5.08m (16' 8.0'') PR
 
Pentathlon Shot Put | Women's
Johannon Murray (3^rd) | 11.33m (37' 2.25'')
Leah Ellis (9^th) | 9.61m (31' 6.50'')
Jiana Stewartburgess (12^th) | 8.66m (28' 5.0'')
 
Heptathlon 60m | Men's
Aidan Holland (7^th) | 7.74
 
Heptathlon 60m H | Men's 
Aidan Holland | 
 
Heptathlon 1000m H | Men's 
Aidan Holland
 
Heptathlon High Jump | Men's 
Aidan Holland (7^th) | 1.57m (5' 1.75'')
 
Heptathlon Long Jump | Men's 
Aidan Holland (8^th) | 5.6 7m (18' 7.25)
 
Heptathlon Pole Vault| Men's 
Aidan Holland
 
Heptathlon Shot Put| Men's 
Aidan Holland (8^th) | 9.68m (31' 9.25") PR
 
60m Prelims | Women's
Ulanda Lewis (4^th) | 7.47 PR Q
DaLoria Boone (21^st) | 8.10
 
60m Prelims | Men's
Rodney Heath Jr. (1^st) | 6.67 Q
Mateo Smith (14^th) | 6.84
Marshall Ellis (15^th) | 6.88
Karo Oghomi (19^th) | 6.98
Devin Walton (23^rd) | 7.16
Gerard Sapena | DNS
 
60m H Prelims | Women's 
Kayla Watson (2^nd) | 8.58 Q
Nike Praetzel (9^th) | 8.89 PR
Leah Ellis (13^th) | 9.22
 
60m H Prelims | Men's
Urijah Williams (7^th) 8.46 Q
 
200m Prelims | Men's
Marshall Ellis (15^th) | 21.96
Devin Walton | DNS
 
400m Prelims | Women's 
Faith Tarver (7^th) | 56.55 PR Q
Nariah Parks (18^th) | 58.91
Chanel Honeywell (21^st) | 1:00.87
 
400m Prelims | Men's
Laeden Tucker (7^th) | 48.95 PR Q
Micah Pernetter (18^th) | 51.45 PR
 
800m Prelims | Women's 
Victoria Datta (15^th) | 2:20.58
 
800m Prelims | Men's 
Trent Terminie (20^th) | 2:14.57
 
Mile Prelims | Men's 
Logan Bailey (16^th) | 4:47:69
 
3000m | Women's
Rebecca Quebedeaux
Lexa Thompson
 
3000m | Men's 
Hayes Gill
 
5000m | Men's 
Jacob Paulk | DNS
 
High Jump | Women's 
Jiana Sterwartburgess
 
Long Jump | Women's 
DaLoria Boone (7^th) | 5.74m (18' 10.0'') PR
Tia Reder (13^th) | 5.55m (18' 2.50'') PR
Leah Ellis (22^nd) | 5.23m (17' 2.00'')
Pleasant Harris (26^th) | 3.45m (11' 4.00'')

Long Jump | Men's 
Mateo Smith (5^th) | 7.34m (24' 1.0'') PR
Javion Canna (12^th) | 6.33m (20' 9.25'')
 
Pole Vault | Men's 
Hunter Clayton | NH
 
Shot Put | Women's
Natalie Moten
Shania Parkinson
 
Triple Jump | Women's 
Tia Reder
 
Triple Jump | Men's 
Mateo Smith
 
Weight Throw | Women's 
Shania Parkinson
Elizabeth Sebera
 
Weight Throw | Men's
Nemoy Cockett (5^th) | 18.78m (61' 7.5'')
 
4x400m | Women's
 
4x400m | Men's
 
Distance Medley | Women's  
LA Tech | Rebecca Quebedeaux, Nariah Parks, Victoria Datta, Lexa Thompson (11^th) | 13:42.20
 
Distance Medley | Men's 
LA Tech | Logan Bailey, Micah Pernetter, Trent Terminie, Hayes Gill (8^th) | 11:29.36