Photo Gallery: NCAA Outdoor Championships Day 4

Game Notes

Live Meet Results

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – LSU sophomore Xavier Carter entered the NCAA Outdoor Championships with what was positioned as a daunting, if not impossible, task – pulling off an unprecedented 100/400 double. However, as an undefeated outdoor season unfolded for the Palm Bay, Fla., native one began to expect the unexpected when he stepped on the track. Once again, Carter did not disappoint as he became the first athlete in the 85-year history of the national championships to win both event events Saturday afternoon at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex.

The now 10-time All-American not only won, but did so in impressive fashion, establishing a new school record and posting a pair of personal bests in the process.

Carter’s run began with the 100 meters, an event in which he entered the meet with just the sixth fastest time among the field. Out of the blocks strong, Carter dropped back slightly in the first 10 meters. Picking up the pace through the next 50 he turned on the jets in the final 40 meters to blow by the competition and cross the line in blazing 10.09 speed.

“To me, that was the most impressive thing Xavier Carter did today,” said LSU head coach Dennis Shaver on Carter’s 100-meter victory.

Carter’s time, .09 seconds faster than Florida State’s Walter Dix (10.18), shattered his own school record of 10.12 set in April.

Following the 100-meter victory Carter had just 40 minutes to prep for his next test, the 400 meters. Again, Carter ran a solid race. He held his ground through 300 meters, letting the competition go out fast and even edge him slightly on the final turn. But as the last 100 hit Carter kicked it up a notch and flew by field for a final 44.53 effort, a mark that stands as a new personal best and the second fastest time in school history.

“I told him, ‘You are not going to be ahead at 200 meters and probably not at 300 meters’,” said Shaver on Carter’s race strategy. “But I knew if he could just stay close he’d be able to take them, and he did.”

Carter’s win capped an undefeated season in the event and also gave him a sweep of this year’s NCAA 400 crowns as he also won the indoor title in March.

With the two individual titles behind him, Carter along with Reggie Dardar, Kelly Willie and Melville Rogers turned their attention to another prize, gold in the 4x400-meter relay.

Undefeated and ranked No. 1 heading into the meet, the Tigers’ were in the driver’s seat. All four legs ran splits of 45.60 or better as the foursome earned LSU its second straight NCAA title in the event, finishing in 3:01.58.

The relay victory, coupled with Carter’s two individual titles and Friday’s win in the 4x100 relay, once again put him among the sport’s elite as he tied Jesse Owens’ 70-year old record for the most NCAA titles earned in a single meet. Owens also won four, doing so in both 1935 and 1936.

“It’s not going to hit me for a few weeks,” said Carter on tying Owens’ record. “It’s an honor to even have my name mentioned in the same sentence as Jesse Owens. He’s a legend.”

“The things Xavier was able to achieve here were really spectacular,” Shaver added.

Not to be overlooked on the day was senior Kelly Willie. The 19-time All-American closed out his career as the Tigers’ school record holder in career NCAA titles, finishing up his run with seven after picking up victories in both the 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay this weekend.

“That’s something that hasn’t really set in,” said Willie on the new school record. “It’s a blessing to surpass Walter Davis and so many others that have been great competitors here. I am glad I was able to leave my mark at LSU.”

“I am real proud of Kelly,” said Shaver when asked to comment on Willie’s career. “He has always been a great team guy. He has scored a lot of points at these NCAA meets for us. We are going to miss him a lot. He is not the type of guy you can just go out and replace.”

Willie’s achievements on the day were not limited to just the 4x400-meter relay as he also picked a second-place finish in the 200 meters. Crossing the line in 20.48 seconds he was bettered only by FSU’s Dix who finished in 20.30.

One final Tiger picking up points for the team was junior Isa Phillips. He tallied three towards the team total for his sixth-place finish in the 400-hurdles (49.56).

The Tigers’ 41 final-day points, added to their 10 from the previous day, earned them a second-place team finish. Florida State won the men’s title, piling on 60 points in the final day of competition to finish with 67 overall. The runner-up finish marked the second for the Tigers this year as they placed second to Arkansas at the indoor national meet.

“Florida State had a great meet,” said Shaver. “It still goes back to the same idea that you can only control what you do. We did that and so did Florida State, but Florida State had 15 good scoring opportunities and we had 11, it makes a difference.”

Also turning in a solid final day was the women’s squad that finished tied for seventh in the team standings with Miami. Both schools tallied 30 points. Auburn (57) handily won the team title and was followed by USC (38.5) and South Carolina (38) in the top three.

Most impressive on the day was the Lady Tigers run to a national title in the 4x400-meter relay. Brooklynn Morris, Meisue Francis, Cynetheia Rooks and Deonna Lawrence all ran sub-52 second splits to captured the crown in with a season-best 3:25.78, a time that ranks as the second fastest in school history.

“Usually that is a really close race,” Lawrence said on beating the competition by nearly three full seconds. “We just wanted to win, hands down.”

For Lawrence the win came on the heels of an All-America performance in the 400 meters where she finished eighth overall with a time of 52.38.

The Lady Tigers also tacked on points from Kelly Baptiste (22.78) and Brooklynn Morris (23.35)  in the 200 meters as the pair recorded a 3-8 finish in the event.

Baptiste’s race was even more impressive as it came on the heels of a disappointment in the 100 meters. While coming out of the blocks Baptiste’s left shoulder dislocated and she was unable to finish the race.

“I tried to keep going, but it (my arm) was just limp so I had to stop,” said Baptiste on the injury that has happened before.

“That was really too bad,” said Shaver on Baptiste’s 100 race. “She knows she was ready for that one.”

But despite the disappointment on the track, sophomore Andrea Linton provided a nice surprise in the field. The Spanish Town, Jamaica, native soared 44-4 ¾ in the triple jump to earn All-America status for her fifth-place finish.

“I can’t say enough about this women’s team,” said Shaver. “When you look at the improvements they have made from just a year ago it’s really something.”

The finish was a dramatic improvement on their 24th-place showing in 2005, when nearly the same team was present and they tallied just 10 points.

“This group is still young but they are really tying to be what LSU women’s teams have been in the past and I feel today they took a giant step towards that.”

LSU NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Men

100 Meters
Xavier Carter – 10.09

400 Meters
Xavier Carter – 44.53

4x400 Relay – 3:01.58
Reggie Dardar
Kelly Willie
Melville Rogers
Xavier Carter
Marvin Stevenson (prelims only)
Siraj Williams (prelims only)

Women
4x400 Relay – 3:25.78
Brooklynn Morris
Meisue Francis
Cynetheia Rooks
Deonna Lawrence
Juanita Broaddus (prelims only)

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS (Top 10 only)

Men's Team Results (Top 20 only)
1) Florida State 67
2) LSU 51
3) Texas 36
4) Arizona 34
5) Arkansas 33
6) Tennessee 32
7) Texas-El Paso 31
8) Wisconsin 30
9) Brigham Young 26
9) Southern California 26
9) North Carolina 26
12) Virginia Tech 23
12) Oregon 23
14) Nebraska 19
15) Indiana 15
16) Providence 14
16) Iona 14
16) Long Beach State 14
16) Boise State 14
20) Texas A&M 13
20) Baylor 13

Women's Team Results (Top 20 only)
1) Auburn 57
2) Southern California 38.50
3) South Carolina 38
4) Arizona State 37
4) Nebraska 37
6) Texas 36
7) LSU 30
7) Miami 30
9) Georgia 25.75
10) Texas A&M 24
11) Oregon 23
12) Stanford 20
13) Michigan 19
14) Florida State 18
14) UCLA 18
14) North Carolina 18
17) Alabama 16
18) Tennessee 15
19) Minnesota 14
20) Iowa 13

LSU Athletes in the NCAA Championships