SHSU's track and field ends season at NCAA semis

Six Sam Houston State University track and field members competed in the NCAA Division I Semifinals 4x400 relay and the triple jump, Wednesday through Saturday.

According to gobearkats.com the five members of the 4X400 relay team were: Trey Jones, Brian Helaire, Jesse Martinez, D. J. Hayes and Matthew Viverette (alternate).  They earned their spot in the Semifinals with a school record performance of 3:06.51 in the West Preliminary.

Charles White, who qualified with a record jump of 51’ at the West Preliminary round, was sent for the triple jump.

The relay team posted a time of 3:07.10, which put them in 20th place, only the top eight moved on. They are the first 4X400 relay team from SHSU to make it to the Semifinals.

The Bearkats finished ahead of Houston, Texas Southern, Notre Dame and Texas Tech in Thursday night’s race. Other teams moving into the finals were LSU, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Florida, George Mason, Arkansas and Southern California, according to gobearkats.com

White placed 17th in the triple jump with 49’ 11.24” on his first jump, 43’ 10” on his second and 51’ and one quarter inch on his third jump.

The last time the team made it to the preliminaries was 2010. Chris Gilchrist came within six inches of qualifying for the finals.

The SHSU Track and Field’s cumulative scores did not qualify them to move on to the next round.

Florida won the Division I track and field championships.