Laird Leads Strong LSU Team Performance With Electrifying 200

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Just two weeks out from a second-place finish in the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships 200-meter final, LSU senior Terrance Laird is showing that he can be a major player this spring in the men's 200. 

Laird accelerated away from the field in the final 75 meters and hit the finish line in a world-leading time of 19.81 seconds Saturday at the 93rd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin. 

PHOTOS by Bert Richardson

Laird moved into the top 30 on the all-time world list and slashed his outdoor PR, which was 20.41.

He moves to No. 3 in collegiate history and No. 2 in LSU history. 

LSU also flashed speed and precision in the women's 100-meter hurdles. Senior Tonea Marshall ran 12.75 seconds to win the race and freshman teammate Alia Armstrong was second in 12.85. 

Again, in the men's 110-meter hurdles, the Tigers won again. NCAA Indoor champion Damion Thomas ran 13.22 for the victory and teammate Eric Edwards Jr. was third in 13.56, just behind freshman Brithton Senior (13.54), making his first appearance in the event for South Dakota. 

LSU got yet another win in the women's 800 meters, where Katy-Ann McDonald ran 2:06.84. In the invitational section, Allie Wilson of the Atlanta Track Club won it with 2:02.56.

In the women's 400-meter hurdles, LSU went 1-2-4-6 with Jurnee Woodward taking the win in 56.64.

Arkansas won the Sanya Richards-Ross women's 4x400 relay title in 3:26.93. 

North Carolina A&T, the NCAA Indoor 4x400 champions, added another milestone title by claiming the Cleburn Price Jr. 4x400 in a world-leading 3:00.23, beating LSU (3:01.00) and Texas (3:01.28).

Arkansas' Tiana Wilson won the women's 100 meters in a personal best wind-legal 11.12 seconds. LSU freshman Thelma Davies was second in 11.21 and North Carolina A&T's Cambrea Sturgis was third in 11.23. Sturgis came back later to win the college women's 200 in 22.87.

Kiara Parker of Asics won the women's invitational 100 in 11.20.

In the men's invitational 100, Nike's Ronnie Baker sped to 9.94, ahead of Bryce Robinson (10.20). Jackson Webb from Oklahoma won the college men's final in 10.22. 

Shamier Little of adidas won the invitational women's 400 meters in 50.19, which smashed her lifetime best (50.40 from 2017). Jenna Prandini of Puma was second in 22.43.

Gabrielle Thomas of New Balance ran a lifetime wind-legal best 22.17 to win the invitational women's 200. 

Houston's men earned a bit of payback against LSU in the men's 4x100 relay, one of the most exciting events of any Texas Relays. 

The Cougars, with a lineup of Nicolas Alexander, Travis Collins, Edward Sumler IV and Shaun Maswanganyi, defeated LSU 38.49 to 38.70. Texas A&M was third in 38.79. 

Two years ago, it was LSU over Houston in an electric final, 38.41 to 38.45. 

In a stacked women's final, LSU ran 42.87 and beat Texas (43.07) and Texas A&M (43.87). 

Bryce Deadmon of Texas A&M won the invitational men's 400 in 44.62 seconds. 

Adam Swanson from Eastern Illinois won the men's 800 meters in 1:47.66.

Sandi Morris got her outdoor season off to a good start with a winning clearance at 15-9 (4.80m) to win the women's pole vault. She took three attempts at 16-1.75 (4.92m).

Scott Houston won the men's pole vault with a clearance at 18-4.50 (5.60m). 

NCAA Indoor runner-up Deborah Acquah of Texas A&M won the women's triple jump with 45-5.75 (13.86m).

Payden Montana of Oklahoma went more than two feet beyond her previous best to win an exciting women's shot put competition with 56-9.50 (17.31m). Elena Bruckner of Texas was second with 56-4.75 (17.19m).

Rachel McCoy's second attempt clearance at 6-2 (1.88m) held up to beat LSU's Abigail O'Donoghue, who needed three attempts to make the same height. They both went out at 6-3.25 (1.91m).

Ushan Perera of TAMU-Commerce, a freshman, won the men's high jump with a third-attempt clearance at 7-5.75 (2.28m).

Georgi Nachev from Missouri won the men's triple jump and was the only athlete to go past 53 feet. He did it twice and had a best jump of 53-5.50 (16.29m).