MOULTRIE — The LSU men’s 4×400 relay team successfully defended its title in the 113th Penn Relays last Saturday with a time of 3 minutes, 7.34 seconds. The team included Siraj Williams, Isa Phillips and Marvin Stevenson and was anchored by Colquitt County freshman Jamal Hayes.

The Penn Relays, held at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, drew a crowd of 49,363 for Sunday’s events.

The LSU track teams will compete again on May 10-13 in the SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Sam Bailey Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Of this and that:

n Former Packer Will Southwell has raised his batting average to .359 as Georgia Southern prepared for a three-game series at home against Davidson that began Friday night.

The red-shirt sophomore has a double and 12 runs batted in. In the Eagles last game, a 16-9 win over Wofford on Sunday, Southwell went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

The first baseman also has handled 80 chances in the field without making an error.

Teammate Aaron Eubanks, also a former Packer, is 2-2 with a 3.50 overall and has a team-best 2.78 ERA in Southern Conference games.

n Colquitt County’s Burt Spence turned in a time of 4:19 at the Country Music Marathon held last Saturday in Nashville, Tenn. It was the second marathon for Spence, who turned in a time of 4:19.

His time was up some from his first marathon, which was run on a much flatter course in Jacksonville, Fla.

“Nashville was pretty hilly,” Spence said.

Spence trains by running three or four days a week, swimming and biking and also plays soccer in the Colquitt County league.

Spence says he has entered the lottery for the New York Marathon and would like to continue to run two marathons a year.

n Former Colquitt County All-Region basketball player Ashley Stafford has been named the Columbus State team’s Freshman of the Year.

n Former outstanding Colquitt County High running back Brian Knighton will graduate from Fort Valley State University at 9:30 this morning as part of the Class of 2007. He had an outstanding career carrying the football for the Wildcats.

n Two Region 1-AAAAA boys soccer teams have advanced to the Elite Eight. Houston County will play host to Harrison, with the winner advancing to meet the Walton-Newnan winner. Warner Robins will travel to Chattahoochee with the winner meeting the Camden County-North Cobb winner.

Warner Robins and Houston remain alive in the Class AAAAA girls soccer tournament as well.

The Demonettes are playing host to Lassiter with the winner to meet the Parkview-Newnan winner.

The Houston girls are playing Brookwood with winner getting the Union Grove-Grayson winner.