NATCHITOCHES After making moves in the national rankings in their events following outstanding winning marks last Saturday, Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns standout Albert Fournette and Northwestern State's Kenyah McDaniel have been chosen as Outstanding Performers for the 2014 Leon Johnson NSU Invitational track and field meet.
 
Fournette, a graduate student from New Orleans, threw a season-best 63-4 to win the men's shot put, posting a mark that bettered his previous best by almost five inches and improved his NCAA qualifying stock as he firmed up a grip on the No. 14 ranking nationally. The individual title for Fournette was his sixth (in six meets) during the outdoor season with his winning throw ranking first in the Sun Belt Conference and eighth overall on the East Outdoor Qualifying list.
 
McDaniel, a sophomore from Tomball, Texas, bettered her previous best by 14 inches while soaring 20-5 in the women's long jump. She also posted a personal best with an 11.91 in the 100 meter dash, finishing second, and was third for NSU in the 200 at 24.63, near her personal record. McDaniel also ran the lead leg on the second-place 4x100 meter relay team (46.23).
 
The top 48 in both the East and West regions advance to preliminary competition qualifying the top 24 for the national meet in June.
 
Coaches and administrators reviewed meet results to choose the male and female Outstanding Performer awards for the meet. The NSU Invitational dates back to at least the late 1970s and was renamed in 2011 to honor the since-retired legendary track and field coach at Northwestern, Leon Johnson, a UL graduate and former cross country and track athlete. Johnson, who earned his Master's degree from UL in 1971, served as an official for the high jump at Saturday's meet.
 
The Louisiana men's and women's teams will prepare for the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championships in San Marcos, Texas, on May 9-11.