Photo courtesy of McNeese Athletics

By Matthew Bonnette

Senior Associate AD/Athletic Communications

McNeese wins three medals on first day of SLC Indoors; men’s DMR breaks school record

The McNeese Cowboys distance medley relay team highlighted day one of the 2026 Southland Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships with a school record, silver medal winning time of 9:55.63 here Wednesday.

The team of Gregory Martin, Samuel Serrano Borrego, Nicholas Moron, and Omer El-Fadl was one of three medals won on the day for McNeese.

Freshman Lawson Fritsch became the first freshman in school history to win a medal in the event in the indoor season when he placed third for a bronze medal after clearing 16-02.72. He actually tied with UIW’s Jonah Ulbright who finished second but lost on the tiebreaker after Ulbright cleared the height on his first try while Fritsch cleared it on his second attempt.

On the women’s side, Jaslyn Russell finished second in the weight throw event with a mark of 58-06.

In the qualifying rounds, Martin advanced to the mile run finals after he finished fourth in the prelims with a time of 4:16.82 while Jeny Barcenas qualified in the women’s mile run after the rank a 4:53.22 and finishing fifth in the prelims.

The women’s DMR team picked up points with a fourth place finish and a time of 11:57.15. The team was made up of Uxue Castro-Martin, Fancy Jelagat, Keelei Dorsey, and Jeny Barcenas.

Stephen F. Austin tops both the men’s and women’s team standings after the first day. The Cowboys are tied for sixth with HCU with 14 points while the Cowgirls are in eighth place with 13 points.

The meet will conclude on Thursday.

Golden Moment: Jaslyn Russell Makes School History in Shot Put

McNeese’s Jaslyn Russell made school history on Thursday during the final day of the 2026 Southland Conference Indoor 

Championships when she became the first Cowgirl ever to win a gold medal and be crowed the conference champion in the women’s shot put event.

Russell, who won a silver medal in the weight throw on Wednesday, threw 49-11.75, beating out the league’s No. 1 ranked thrower in A&M-Corpus Christi’s Natalia Rankin-Chitar by a half an inch. Russell completed the two-day meet accounting for 18 of the Cowgirls’ 31 total points which placed them eighth in the team standings.

Jeny Barcenas placed fifth in the mile run to score five points for McNeese. Barcenas set a new personal record with a time of 4:48.74.

On the men’s side, the Cowboys saw two athletes reach the medal stand. Omer El-Fadl finished third in the 3000-meter run, posting a personal record time of 8:16.06 in the process. Ryan McCarthy finished seventh in the event to give the Cowboys two more points, clocking a PR time of 8:20.66.

Amire Ledet saved the best triple jump of his career for the championships where
he finished third to win a bronze medal after leaping 49-9.75.

Others to post personal records on the day include: Edyn Hill (3000m, 10:56.81), Adriana Chavarria (pentathlon, 2844 points), Kennah Bent (pentathlon, 2839 points), and Sarah Davidson (pentathlon, 2625 points).

UTRGV won the women’s team title while Stephen F. Austin captured the men’s championship.