MONROE, La. – The ULM Track and Field team opens the 2023 indoor season Friday at the LSU Purple Tiger. Field events begin at 11 a.m. with track events starting at 2 p.m.
"As always, we're excited to begin our competitive season," ULM head track and field coach
J.D. Malone said. "Last year, we broke 15 school records. That will be hard to match. The staff has worked very hard to fill in some gaps on our team, and we feel good about where we are."
Several standouts return for the women's and men's squads.
Reigning Sun Belt Conference Women's Outdoor Track Freshman of the Year,
Eunice Ilunga Mbuyi, returns in the jumps. The sophomore from Olivet, France, was the SBC outdoor champion in the long jump (20-2 1/2) and triple jump (42-3 1/2) in her rookie season. She won five triple jump titles and three long jump titles in the outdoor season and two triple jump crowns in the indoor season.
Brittney Roberson returns in the sprints after she was part of the Third-Team All-SBC 4x400-meter relay team in the outdoor season. The senior from Bossier City, Louisiana, competed in the 60 meters, 400, 4x400 relay and distance medley relay during the indoor season last year, setting a personal best in the 60 in 7.99 at the LSU Bayou Bengal on Feb. 4.
Olaia Becerril Alvarez returns in the sprints and long jump as well. The junior from Vigo, Spain, competed in both the 60 and the long jump during last year's indoor season, setting a personal best in the 60 in 7.85 seconds at the SBC Indoor Championships. She set a personal best in the long jump in the outdoor season at 19-7 to finish sixth at the Mississippi State Maroon and White Invitational.
Stella Konstantinidou is back after missing most of the 2022 season with an injury. The junior from Greece competed in five meets in the outdoor season, competing in only the 200 and 400. She has also competed in the 600, 4x100 relay and 4x400 relay in previous seasons. She was part of the record-setting women's 4x400 relay in 2021 that finished in 3:42.39 at the 2021 SBC Outdoor Championships. She was eighth in the 400 in 56.93 at the SBC Indoor Championships in 2021.
Savanna Lawson returns in the multi events. The sophomore from Albuquerque, New Mexico, was 10th in the pentathlon with 2,990 points at the SBC Indoor Championships and seventh in the heptathlon with a personal-best 4,444 points at the SBC Outdoor Championships last year.
For the men,
Jakob Fudge was Third-Team All-SBC in the weight throw last season with a personal-best heave of 59-2 at the SBC Indoor Championships. The senior from St. Francisville, Louisiana, also was Third-Team All-SBC in the outdoor season in the hammer throw with a toss of 191-8 at the SBC Outdoor Championships.
Ali Eren Unlu also returns after earning All-SBC honors last season. The sophomore from Istanbul, Turkey, was Third-Team All-SBC in the outdoor season in the high jump, placing third at the SBC Outdoor Championships by clearing a personal-best height of 7-0 1/4. He also was Third-Team All-Conference in the indoor season, placing third at the SBC Indoor Championships by clearing 6-11.
Devin Bilbo is expected to compete in the hurdles after competing in the 60-meter hurdles, 60, 200 and 4x400 relay in last year's indoor season. The sophomore from Bossier City set a personal-best in the 60 hurdles in 8.23 at the Samford Bulldog Open. During the outdoor season, he added the 110-meter hurdles, finishing ninth in a personal-best time of 14.50 at the SBC Outdoor Championships. He won the Warhawk Classic in the 110 hurdles last season in 14.45 (wind-aided).
Darshon Turk returns in the hurdles after missing time due to injury last year. He was fourth at the SBC Indoor Championships in the 60 hurdles in 8.04, a personal-best time. He also set a personal best in the 110 hurdles in the outdoor season in 14.86.
Juwan Blignaut returns as a middle-distance runner after taking fourth in the mile in 4:12.41 at the SBC Indoor Championships last year. The sophomore from Brits, North West, South Africa, also took fourth as part of ULM's DMR team in 10:09.67 and fifth in the 4x400 relay in 3:20.77 at the SBC Indoor Championships.
Jhavonte Perry is back in the sprints after setting a personal best in the 60 in 6.87 to finish ninth at last year's SBC Indoor Championships. The senior from Clinton, Louisiana, also set personal bests in the 100 (10.40) and 200 (21.06) in the 2022 outdoor season. He was also part of the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.
"We feel like some of our better athletes are going to break through to more of the national level this spring, such as Eunice Mbuyi,
Kimone Campbell, Ali Unlu,
Jakob Fudge and
Callan Saldutto," Malone said. "Like many programs, we did get hit with a couple of transfers and that never helps, but it is what it is. With the added teams, the Sun Belt just keeps getting tougher. The SBC is a really good track and field conference. Our athletes have worked very hard all fall and I have no doubt that they will represent ULM very well this spring."
Malone says newcomers to watch include freshmen
Ainsley Hamsher and
Cameron Mount in the pole vault,
Claudine Raud-Gumiel in the multis,
Paula Vaquera Cervantes in distance events, Briana Taylor in sprints and transfer Jordan Hollis in the sprints.
A link to live results of the LSU Purple Tiger is available on the track and field schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.
