Southland Conference track

  Texas A&M University-Commerce’s Lions will test their speed and strength outdoors for the first time against other teams from the Southland Conference.

  The Lions are hosts for the Southland Conference Track and Field Championship that are set to begin on Thursday at Memorial Stadium and will continue through Saturday. The throwing events will be conducted at the Cain Family Complex.

  Other teams that will compete against the Lions are from Texas universities Houston Christian, Lamar, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Incarnate Word plus from Louisiana universities McNeese, New Orleans, Nicholls and Northwestern State.

  A&M-Commerce previously competed in track and field in NCAA Division II and in the Lone Star Conference. The Lions have since moved up to NCAA Division I and are now competing in the Southland.

  The Lion men finished third in the Southland indoor championships this past winter while the  Lion women were seventh.

  Two-time national champion J.T. Smith will lead the Lions. Smith won the NCAA Division II 100-meter dash last season and also the U.S. indoor national championship in the 60 meters this winter.

  Smith leads the Southland Conference in the 100 with a wind-aided 9.95. Teammate Delan Edwin ranks second at 10.06.

  Edwin ranks first in the Southland in the 200 at 20.14 and Smith is second with a 20.28.

  Naomi Ndukwe of A&M-Commerce ranks first in the women’s 400 hurdles (59.92).

  Nikita Strogalev of A&M-Commerce leads the Southland in the men’s pole vault at 16-2 1/2.

  Amaka Ezukanma leads the women’s triple jump at 41-5 1/4.

  Hailey Wanoreck of A&M-Commerce leads in the women’s discus (190-1).

  Tamara Susa of A&M-Commerce leads in the women’s javelin (157-8).

              Southland Conference 

     Outdoor Track and Field Championship

            Texas A&M-Commerce

              Memorial Stadium

          Cain Family Complex

       Thursday’s schedule

       COMBINED EVENTS

  Noon start — Men: 100, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400

  12:30 p.m. start — Women: 100 hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200

         FIELD EVENTS

  Noon — Women’s hammer throw

  3 p.m. — Men’s hammer throw, women’s pole vault

  6 p.m. — Men’s pole vault, women’s javelin

         RUNNING EVENTS

  7:15 p.m — Women’s 1500 prelims

  7:25 p.m. — Men’s 1500 prelims

  7:40 p.m. — Women’s 200 prelims

  7:55 p.m. — Men’s 200 prelims

  8:10 p.m. — Women’s 400 hurdles prelims

  8:25 p.m. — Men’s 400 hurdles prelims

  8:40 pm — Women’s 10,000 finals

  9:20 p.m. — Men’s 10,000 finals

            Friday’s schedule 

         COMBINED EVENTS

  11 a.m. start — Men’s 110 hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, 1500

  11:30 a.m. start — Women’s long jump, javelin, 800

            FIELD EVENTS

  3 p.m. — Men’s shot put, women’s long jump

  6 p.m. — Women’s shot put, men’s long jump

              RUNNING EVENTS

  6:45 p.m — Women’s 100 hurdles prelims

  7 p.m. — Men’s 110 hurdles prelims

  7:15 p.m. — Women’s 400 prelims

  7:45 p.m. — Men’s 400 prelims

  8 p.m. — Women’s 100 prelims

  8:15 p.m. — Men’s 100 prelims

  8:30 p.m. — Women’s 800 prelims

  8:45 p.m. — Men’s 800 prelims

  9 p.m. — Women’s 3000 steeplechase

  9:20 p.m. — Men’s 3000 steeplechase

           Saturday’s schedule

           FIELD EVENTS

  Noon — Women’s discus

  3 p.m. — Men’s high jump, women’s triple jump, men’s discus

  6 p.m. — Men’s triple jump, women’s high jump, men’s javelin

            RUNNING EVENTS

  5:35 p.m. — Women’s 4x100 relay

  5:45 p.m. — Men’s 4x100 relay

  5:55 p.m. — Women’s 1500

  6:05 pm. — Men’s 1500

  6:15 p.m. — Women’s 100 hurdles

  6:25 p.m. — Men’s 110 hurdles

  6:35 p.m. — Women’s 400

  6:45 p.m. — Men’s 400

  6:55 p.m. — Women’s 100

  7:05 p.m. — Men’s 100

  7:15 p.m. — Women’s 800

  7:25 p.m. — Men’s 800

  7:35 p.m. — Women’s 400 hurdles

  7:45 p.m.  — Women’s 200 

  8:05 p.m. — Men’s 200

  8:15 p.m. — Women’s 5000

  8:35 p.m. — Women’s 500

  9 p.m. — Women’s 4x400 relay

  9:15 p.m. — Men’s 4x400 relay