NOTEBOOK: McNeese drops in polls; Grambling punter, Tulane DB earn honors

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama —  It was a record-breaking day for McNeese Cowgirl junior multi-event athlete Grace McKenzie as her pentathlon score of 4,211 broke her own school record while setting a new Southland Conference mark and an Irish National Indoor Record.

The Cork, Ireland native also set a school record in the high jump at 5-feet, 8 ½-inches for first place in the event.

The previous Southland Conference record was 4,055 points held by UTSA’s Ryanne Dupree and set in 2006 while the Irish record of 4,174 was set just 11 days ago by Kate O’Connor. McKenzie broke the McNeese record for the first time at last year’s Southland Conference Indoor Championships with a gold medal-winning point total of 4,030.

In addition to her records, McKenzie set a new personal mark in the shot put with a third place finish of 37-7.75. She finished first in the 60-meter hurdles (8.69) and the 800-meters (2:13.51) and was second in the long jump (19-0.75).

Jordan Gray of Kennesaw State scored 4,218 points to edge out McKenzie by seven points for first place overall.

Also, McNeese’s Jordyn Barrett finished in 12th place with 2,682 points. Barrett set a new PR in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.93.

On the men’s side, Terren Gills and Marcellus Boykins ended day one of the heptathlon and the first four events in seventh and eighth place respectively.

Gills will go into Friday’s final three events with 2,563 points. He set a new personal record with a third place finish in the shot put at 40-10.25. Boykins, with 2,534 points, placed seventh in the high jump with a PR mark of 6-0.50.

Also on Friday, the rest of the squad will begin competition in the two-day, Samford Invitational.