Friday, March 6
Mobile, AL
All Day
Mercer University
at
Jaguar Open
Photo by: Larry Dancy
Mercer Track and Field to Begin Season at Jaguar Open
3/5/2020 8:53:00 AM | Track & Field
The event will last just one day and begin at 3 p.m. eastern
MACON, Ga. – Head coach Roosevelt Lofton will lead the Mercer women's track and field squad to their first outdoor meet of the 2020 season when they head to South Alabama for the Jaguar Open.
The event, which is scheduled for just one day, will take place tomorrow beginning at 3 p.m. eastern time. The women's hammer throw will kick off the event , while the running events will begin at 6 p.m. with the women's 100-meter hurdles competitors taking to the track.
10 teams will compete alongside Mercer including the host Jaguars, Alabama A&M, Albany State, Alcorn State, Jacksonville State, Lane College, Mobile, Talladega College, Stillman College and Troy.
MEET OUTLOOK
Date: Friday, March 6
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Location:Â Jaguar Track | Mobile, Ala.
Live Scoring:Â Port City Timing
Twitter Updates:Â @MercerXCTF
In his first year at the helm, Lofton knew that goals – both from an individual and team perspective – needed to be established early in his tenure.
"We started setting goals when I first got here," Lofton noted. "Our team goal is to increase the points we score at the Southern Conference meet. We're also striving to help the ladies win more individual SoCon championships."
The veteran head coach has coached more than 92 NCAA All-Americans and understands that there must be a blend of both individual goals and team goals in track and field.
"Track and field is a unique sport in the fact that it is an individual sport because the only time you count points is at the conference or NCAA championships," the first-year Mercer Bear noted. "The entire season is based on individual performance, but at conference, it's a lot more about points scored and the team."
Lofton inherits a team with both veteran leadership and new faces. The team features only one senior – Nidhi Shashidhara – who has competed in the 800-meter, 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter runs during her time at Mercer.
The team features nine juniors, including Cherrish Wright, Tessola Duncan and Lauryn Dancy – all of whom teamed upwith now sophomore Kennedi Weston-Shields – to win the 4x400-meter relay at the 2019 Southern Conference Championships. Â
Wright and Duncan also find themselves in Mercer's record books for their performances in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash at the 2019 conference championships
Of Wright, Lofton stated, "We're hoping that Cherrish can win two of the three individual events that she competed in at last season's conference championships. We want her to do well in her main event, the hurdles, help us in the relay and score big in the 100 and 200-meter runs."
Additionally, junior Marion Meadows was also part of a gold medal winning squad last season, taking the gold as part of the 4x100-meter relay at the SoCon championships.
While there is leadership on the team in the form of one senior and nine juniors, Lofton and assistant coaches Josh Hayman, Leesa Morales and former student-athlete turned coach Myranda Ham, have six freshmen and four sophomores on the team.
Of the 10 individuals, half hail from the state of Georgia, including freshmen Tara Davis (Fayetteville), Markiema Lancaster (Johns Creek) and Chidimma Uwaomah (Woodstock), as well as sophomores Ashley McMahon (Fayetteville) and Kennedi Weston-Shields (Atlanta).
With nine freshmen taking to the track for the first time in the Black and Orange, Lofton expressed that the fall training sessions are pivotal for getting the newcomers acclimated to collegiate track and field but nothing is better than experiencing a collegiate meet for the first time.
"You can talk to the freshman all preseason, and they'll get a taste of what it's like at the college level," Lofton said. "They won't really experience it until they first step on the track at a collegiate meet and see what they're up against. The training level is tougher, and the season is much longer than a high school season. The fall is the best time to prepare the freshmen, and as the season goes on, we make sure they're in competitive meets and their performance continues to improve."
With their sights set on the Jaguar Open, the Bears will kick off the outdoor season tomorrow in Mobile, Ala.
Â
The event, which is scheduled for just one day, will take place tomorrow beginning at 3 p.m. eastern time. The women's hammer throw will kick off the event , while the running events will begin at 6 p.m. with the women's 100-meter hurdles competitors taking to the track.
10 teams will compete alongside Mercer including the host Jaguars, Alabama A&M, Albany State, Alcorn State, Jacksonville State, Lane College, Mobile, Talladega College, Stillman College and Troy.
MEET OUTLOOK
Date: Friday, March 6
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Location:Â Jaguar Track | Mobile, Ala.
Live Scoring:Â Port City Timing
Twitter Updates:Â @MercerXCTF
In his first year at the helm, Lofton knew that goals – both from an individual and team perspective – needed to be established early in his tenure.
"We started setting goals when I first got here," Lofton noted. "Our team goal is to increase the points we score at the Southern Conference meet. We're also striving to help the ladies win more individual SoCon championships."
The veteran head coach has coached more than 92 NCAA All-Americans and understands that there must be a blend of both individual goals and team goals in track and field.
"Track and field is a unique sport in the fact that it is an individual sport because the only time you count points is at the conference or NCAA championships," the first-year Mercer Bear noted. "The entire season is based on individual performance, but at conference, it's a lot more about points scored and the team."
Lofton inherits a team with both veteran leadership and new faces. The team features only one senior – Nidhi Shashidhara – who has competed in the 800-meter, 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter runs during her time at Mercer.
The team features nine juniors, including Cherrish Wright, Tessola Duncan and Lauryn Dancy – all of whom teamed upwith now sophomore Kennedi Weston-Shields – to win the 4x400-meter relay at the 2019 Southern Conference Championships. Â
Wright and Duncan also find themselves in Mercer's record books for their performances in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash at the 2019 conference championships
Of Wright, Lofton stated, "We're hoping that Cherrish can win two of the three individual events that she competed in at last season's conference championships. We want her to do well in her main event, the hurdles, help us in the relay and score big in the 100 and 200-meter runs."
Additionally, junior Marion Meadows was also part of a gold medal winning squad last season, taking the gold as part of the 4x100-meter relay at the SoCon championships.
While there is leadership on the team in the form of one senior and nine juniors, Lofton and assistant coaches Josh Hayman, Leesa Morales and former student-athlete turned coach Myranda Ham, have six freshmen and four sophomores on the team.
Of the 10 individuals, half hail from the state of Georgia, including freshmen Tara Davis (Fayetteville), Markiema Lancaster (Johns Creek) and Chidimma Uwaomah (Woodstock), as well as sophomores Ashley McMahon (Fayetteville) and Kennedi Weston-Shields (Atlanta).
With nine freshmen taking to the track for the first time in the Black and Orange, Lofton expressed that the fall training sessions are pivotal for getting the newcomers acclimated to collegiate track and field but nothing is better than experiencing a collegiate meet for the first time.
"You can talk to the freshman all preseason, and they'll get a taste of what it's like at the college level," Lofton said. "They won't really experience it until they first step on the track at a collegiate meet and see what they're up against. The training level is tougher, and the season is much longer than a high school season. The fall is the best time to prepare the freshmen, and as the season goes on, we make sure they're in competitive meets and their performance continues to improve."
With their sights set on the Jaguar Open, the Bears will kick off the outdoor season tomorrow in Mobile, Ala.
Â
Players Mentioned
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
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