Mutai, Ambrose bring home gold for Warhawks

Track and field’s second-place finish at the 2011 Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championships in Merfreesboro, Tenn. is the best in team history. The meet ended May 15 and at the closing ceremony, Sophomore Daniel Mutai was named Co-men’s Most Outstanding Track Performer and J.D. Malone was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year.

In a foot race to the finish line, ULM’s second place trophy represents the best effort since joining the conference in 2006.

“We legitimately had a chance to win,” Malone said.

Mutai put the Warhawks in position to win going into the final race, where the team came up short in the 1600-meter relay. Mutai finished the weekend with one title and two runner- up finishes for a team-best 26 points.

“He got down here and got some quality training and some races under his belt, and he’s a very talented athlete,” Malone said.

Junior Luther Ambrose defended his Sun Belt title in the 100-meter dash, clocking a time of 10.47 in the finals.

He beat South Alabama’s Anton Graphenreed, who finished second with a time of 10.58 sec.

Ambrose also anchored the Warhawks in the men’s 400-meter relay. The quartet finished with a season best time of 40.93 to narrowly defeat Troy for the title. Looking to add a third win to his weekend.

Ambrose competed in the 200-meter dash. He finished fifth in a time of 22.43 sec.

Sophomore Clint Broussard cleared 2.01 meters to pick up his first Sun Belt title in the high jump adding 10 team points.

Junior Josh Howard had a career-best leap of 15.41 meters to finish runner-up in the triple jump and earn eight team points for the Warhawks. Howard’s jump tied the 27th best mark in the East Region.

Junior Richard McKay had a best throw of 67.43 meters to lead the Warhawks with a third-place finish in the javelin, while senior Kyle Kent, the reigning Sun Belt champion, finished fourth with a throw of 64.43 meters.