The 4×100-meter relay on the college track and field level can be a volatile explosive and often unpredictable event.
The LSU men have certainly learned that over the years with some big wins and a little bit of heartache along the way.
But on Friday night, in the finals of the NCAA championships at Michael A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas, the Tigers had fortune go their way.
Texas Tech won the race, but was later disqualified for passing the baton out of the first exchange zone. LSU, which thought it took second in 38.05 seconds, was declared the winner about 20 minutes later.
The team of Brandon Hicklin, Dorian Fleming, Da’Marcus Fleming and Godson Oghenebrume got the stick around cleanly and claimed the victory.
That same group set the collegiate record at 37.90 seconds on May 13 in the Southeastern Conference championships. While they didn’t run as fast Friday night, they’re not complaining.
The 10 points they got for the win temporarily gave LSU a one-point lead over Arkansas 25-24, but the Tigers didn’t have enough qualifiers for the finals to make a run at the team title as the meet continued late Friday night.
Oghenebrume and Fleming both scored points for the team with a 2-4 finish in the open 100 meters.
Oghenebrume posted a personal-best for the second time at this meet when he took second in 9.90 seconds. He ran a 9.93 in the semifinals on Wednesday night.
Oghenebrume looked like he would take the title Friday night, but Texas Tech’s Courtney Lindsey caught him right at the finish line and was clocked in 9.89 seconds.
The time for Oghenebrume moved him a little closer to the school record of 9.89 by Olympic silver medalist Richard Thompson back in 2008.
Oghenebrume had moved into second place on the school’s all-time list in the semifinals.
Fleming, who also had a PR in the semis on Wednesday night with a time of 10.01 seconds, lowered that even more when he clocked a 9.97 in the final to nab fourth.
Fleming’s time moved him into third on the school’s all-time list behind only Thompson and Oghenebrume.
The 13 points that Oghenebrume and Fleming accounted for gave LSU a total of 38 points, with Claudio Romero hoping to score more points in the men’s discus.
Coach Dennis Shaver’s women’s team will close out the four-day meet on Saturday with a 4×100 relay and four individuals going for national honors. ESPN2 will again provide live coverage starting at 8 p.m.
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