Louisiana Tech University’s men’s and women’s track and field teams will host the Jim Mize Invitational at the Jim Mize Track and Field Complex in Ruston on April 17. The event is scheduled to begin with field events at 9:00 a.m. Central Time, followed by track events starting at noon.
The upcoming meet comes after Louisiana Tech’s recent performance at the Pepsi Florida Relays in Gainesville, Florida during the first week of April. At that competition, the women’s team excelled in both the 400-meter race and the 4×400-meter relay. Osaretin Joy Usenbor, Jamara Patterson, Tyhra Charles, and Nia Wiley secured first place in the relay with a time of 3:30.13—marking it as the second fastest outdoor time in program history and currently ranking as the eleventh fastest time nationally.
Individually, Jamara Patterson finished third in the women’s 400 meters with a time of 51.74 seconds. This was her second best run of the season and stands as Louisiana Tech’s second fastest outdoor mark for that event. Patterson now holds four out of five top times for Louisiana Tech women’s outdoor 400 meters.
According to updated rankings from U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association released Tuesday afternoon, two Bulldog teams have gained national recognition this season. The men’s 100-meter team—Karo Oghomi, Madonna Favour, Abdulraof Rashid, and Carl Murray IV—is ranked fourteenth nationally and leads all Conference USA teams. Meanwhile, Louisiana Tech’s women’s 400-meter relay squad is ranked eighth nationally; individually Patterson is tenth overall while their team leads Conference USA.
Supporters are encouraged to help advance LA Tech Athletics through various initiatives including LTAC membership or contributions to programs like Aillet Society or CHAMP fund aimed at supporting student-athletes through NIL opportunities.
