MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Louisiana Tech's track and field teams had a light day on Saturday for the second day of the Conference USA Outdoor Championships at the Dean A. Hayes Track & Soccer Stadium on the campus of Middle Tennessee.
 
The women's team picked up their first six points, and the two squads qualified two for the finals on Sunday out of five total events.
 
Junior transfer Kaitlyn Washington got the women on the board in the first event of the day for the Bulldogs. On her third attempt at the shot put, Washington set a new personal best of 13.81m (45-3.75) to qualify for the finals in the seventh spot. Going into her final throw, she had dropped to ninth but stepped up and launched another personal best of 13.94m (45-9) to move back into eighth and put the Bulldogs on the board.
 
LA Tech had to wait two and a half hours for their next event, the women's high jump. A'reil Williams, the reigning outdoor CUSA gold medalist, looked to defend her title. The sophomore came up short but picked up five points with a fourth-place finish at 1.72m (5-7.75).
 
The Bulldogs had to wait another two hours for the men's 400m hurdles. After that, LA Tech finished the day with the women's and men's 200m.
 
In the 400m hurdles, Laeden Tucker cruised into the finals with a time of 53.77.
 
Coming into the championships, Tyhra Charles ranked sixth with a 23.72 in the 200m. She would run the second fastest time on the day with a 23.46. The New personal best would win the second heat to give her the Q.
 
UP NEXT
The Conference USA Outdoor Championships will conclude on Sunday, with the field events beginning at 11 a.m. and the running events starting at 6 p.m.
 
Other Bulldog Marks
Women's High Jump
Jiana Stewartburgess – 1.62m (5-3.75)
Women's 200m
Shayann Demeritte – 24.46
Praise Ofoku – 24.78
Havyn Puckett – 25.99
Men's 200m
Valentino Rudolph – 21.03
Devin Walton – 21.13
Tim Rummelhagen – 21.16
Abdulraof Oriade Rashid – 21.37

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