KINGSVILLE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce track & field swept all three positions on the podium for the men's high jump at the Lone Star Conference Championships at Javelina Stadium on Friday as the Lion men sit in first place with a score of 64 points after two days.
 
Ushan Perera (Mahabage, Sri Lanka) repeated as the champion in the high jump, with Justin Lewis (Lynn, Mass.) placing second and Dakari Hill (Orlando, Fla.) placing third. Earlier in the day, Moaz Ibrahim (Cairo, Egypt) emerged victorious in the men's discus, recording the best mark in the country this season. In the final event of the day, Nicodemus Rotich (Eldoret, Kenya) finished third in the 3,000 meter steeplechase with a season-best time.
 
The Lion men, behind 24 points in the high jump, sit in the lead with 64 points through seven of the 21 events. West Texas A&M is right behind the Lions with 63 points. The Lion women have totaled 14 points and are in sixth place heading into the final day.
 
"Another good day for us," said coach George Pincock. "I am really happy with how our team battled through the hot, humid, and windy conditions and took care of business."
 
"Highlight of the day has to be the sweep in the high jump with Ushan, Justin, and Dakari. In the discus, we had season bests from Moaz, Ryan, and Garrett Dixon, who just missed the scoring position."
 
"We also had season bests on the women's side in the field and a lot of them made the finals as well. Hopefully we bounce back tomorrow and compete hard. We are in the exact position we want to be in going into the final day of the meet."
 
MEN
Perera cleared 7 feet 2.5 inches (2.20m) to win a conference championship for the fourth time and the outdoor title for the second straight year. He attempted 7-4.5 twice, but chose not to continue after clinching the gold medal. Lewis cleared 6 feet 11 inches (2.11m) to finish second and Hill cleared 9 feet 9.75 inches (2.08m).
 
Ibrahim threw his season best mark of 190 feet 6 inches (58.07m) to win the discus by nearly five meters. His mark on Friday also moves him to No. 1 in NCAA Division II this season. Ryan Amador (Jonesboro, Ark.) secured points for the Lions, by placing fifth with a mark of 158 feet 11 inches (48.44m).
 
Rotich clocked in a season best time of 9:25.35 in the 3,000 meter steeplechase to finish third. Nicholas Deutsch (Frisco) placed fourth, with a time of 9:49.28. Chris Navarrete (Laredo – Lyndon B. Johnson) timed to 10:15.92 to place eighth and secure the one crucial point that separates the Lions and the Buffs currently.
 
In preliminary action on Friday, Timon Kemboi (Eldoret, Kenya) and Rotich qualified for the 800 meter run finals. Delan Edwin (Castries, Saint Lucia) set the modern-era school record of 10.22 seconds in the 100 meter dash, while J.T. Smith (Klein Oak) also qualified for the finals.
 
Maxime Woirin (Lyon, France) and Axel Paolucci (Lyon, France) punched their tickets in the 400 meter hurdles finals.
 
WOMEN
Maia Maury (Noisy-Le-Grand, France) and Jessie Payne (Grapeland) clinched points for the Lions in the high jump. Maury cleared 5 feet 3.75 inches (1.62m) and Payne placed fifth with a season best mark of 5 feet 2.5 inches (1.59m).
 
 On the track, Mariana Shostak (Lviv, Ukraine) had the fastest time in the 400 meter run prelims of 54.59 seconds to qualify for finals. Sofia Khenfar (Lyon, France) clinched a spot in the 100 meter dash finals.
 
Minna Svaerd (Karlstad, Sweden), Naomi Ndukwe (Perserville, France), and Maury had three of the four fastest times in the 400 meter hurdles to head to the finals.
 
SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE
The final day of the conference championships begin with the men's javelin at 11 a.m. There are 14 finals events on both sides on Saturday. The final track event of the meet is the men's 4x400 meter relay and it is scheduled to begin at 8:15 p.m.