May 6, 2007
Complete Results.html
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The UT Arlington men's track team claimed their first conference crown since 1997 on the final race of the night as sophomore transfer Eddie Beckwith passed three runners on the final lap of the 4x400-meter relay to win the event and give the Mavericks a one-point win for the team championship at the 2007 Southland Conference Outdoor track and Field Championship here Sunday night.
It a was a night of drama for the Mavs as they scored 100 points on the final day to rally past four teams and win the team title for the eighth time in school history. The eight titles is the second most in conference history behind Lamar with 10.
"The final hour of this meet was one of the most exciting times in a meet I've ever experienced," said a jubilant head coach John Sauerhage. "We have the spread the credit around. We had so many individuals give everything they had. It shows that every point was important. We had to have some stellar performances today and everyone met or was near or expectation.
"It took a great effort to beat a team like UTSA. Aaron Fox has done a tremendous job with his program and they have had a great year."
UT Arlington trailed UTSA 118 to 121 heading into the final event of the day. A win by the Mavericks and a third-place worse finish by UTSA was needed for the Mavs to leapfrog past the Roadrunners. Beckwith took the stick trailing UTSA, Texas State and Stephen F. Austin, but he turned on the jets down the stretch and timed a 45.4 leg to win the race with a region-qualifying time of 3:09.81. Texas State held off UTSA for second place by .27 seconds and drop the `Runners to third giving UT Arlington a four-point swing and the team championship.
The Mavericks won SLC individual championships in just two events , but each individual chipped away with top eight finishes to rally the Mavs from a 36-point deficit entering the final day.
Jared Connaughton won the 200 meter championship with a time of 20.76, Jon McDowell took the 110-meter hurdles title with a personal-best time of 13.79.
The Mavericks took both relay titles - the 4x100-meter in 40.14 and the 4x400-meter. Connaughton, Byron Majors, Coby Morrison and Adam Newton ran the 4x100-meter relay while Connaughton, Majors, Curtis Hoyle Jr. and Beckwith the 1,600.
Morrison earned all-SLC honors in three events on Sunday. He took second place in the 400-meter hurdles and the 100 meters with a 10.44.
Pole vaulter Wade Hayes earned all-conference honors with a third-place finish with a height of 16-06.75.
Andrew Duncan III finished second in the triple jump with a 48-06.00 to earn all-SLC honors.
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