February 14, 2006 - Western Carolina Track & Field Post Six Podium Performances, Three First-place Finishes
Cullowhee, N.C. - Led by a trio of first-place finishes, Western Carolina recorded six podium finishes at the Tiger Invitational over the weekend in Clemson, S.C., in the final tune-up before the Southern Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships.
The Catamount men had two, first-place runs as defending SoCon Indoor Track Athlete of the Week, sophomore Zeb Johnson, and senior Adam Puett took top honors in the men's 400-meter dash and 3,000-meter run. Johnson ran a 49.32 to win the event, while Puett just edged junior teammate, Dan Fassinger, with a time of 8:31.09 versus Fassinger's 8:31.14, both of which were seasonal bests. Milton Bolton rounded out the men's podium finshes, running second in the 200-meter dash, crossing the line in 22.06. Manteo Mitchell placed seventh in the same event.
Also recording top 10 finishes for Western's men were Field Miller (9th in the 5,000-meter run) and Rashad Herndon (6th in long jump), while Daniel Joseph, Tyler Ferguson, and Rod Palmer placed fourth, sixth, and ninth, respectively, in the men's triple jump. Senior Lawrence Briscoe recorded two, fifth-place finishes in the 60-meter hurdles (8.23) and high jump, clearing 1.92m (6-3.50). Chris Page placed eighth in the shot put, with teammate Jerod Kelly placing fifth in the same event and sixth in the weight throw. In relay action, Duke Craig, Charleton Grant, Jamar Frazier, and Dylan Hermelee teamed to run fourth in the men's 4x400-meter relay.
On the women's side, sophomore Raquel Ramseur tripped the tape first in the 200-meter dash, procurring the season's best time in the event at 24.75. Also recording a podium finish for Western was junior Brittany Whitaker, who finished third in the women's high jump, just missing her seasons best by clearing 1.63m (5-4.25).
Additional Western Carolina top 10 finishes included sophomore Kerrie Savery running seventh in the mile run, turning in her best performance of the indoor season with a 5:15.67. Nicole Lopez placed seventh in the women's shot put (12.75m, 41-10), and the team of Brooke Saddler, Aneesha Lane, Brittany Whitaker, and Anne Bailey ran ninth in the 4x400-meter relay.
Western will take a week off before returning to action Feb. 24-25 at the SoCon Championships, also being held at Clemson's indoor facility.
February 11, 2006 -
Van Nortwick, Sturgis Lead Mountaineer Men at Clemson Invitational
CLEMSON, S.C. ? Sophomore Mark Sturgis recorded three top-10 finishes and senior Adam Van Nortwick placed first in the mile to lead the Appalachian State University men’s indoor track and field team at the Clemson Invitational Feb. 10-11.
Sturgis’ best finish came in the triple jump where he placed second with a leap of 49-3.75. He added an eighth place finish in the long jump (22-3.75) and ninth place in the 200m dash (22.53).
Van Nortwick ran a time of 4:12.82 in the mile and was followed by teammate and fellow senior, Nathan Hernandez-Adams in second with a time of 4:16.71.
Twelve other Mountaineers finished in the top-10, led by freshman Josh Cox’s fourth-place jump of 6-5.50 in the high jump. Junior Dan Smith followed behind with a mark of 6-3.50 in the event. Freshman Charles Derrickson finished fourth in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.05, followed by classmate Daniel Neal in eighth (8.37).
Junior Brian Deal (fifth, 8:35.44) and sophomore Ryan O’Keefe (seventh, 8:48.41) finished in the top-10 in the 3,000m run, while sophomore Greg McCain (eighth, 50.57) and freshman Johnny Svoboda (10th, 50.74) placed in the tops of the 400m dash.
Junior Charles White added a sixth place finish in the 60m dash (6.96), while sophomore Joel Gaddy and senior Chris Cutter joined Sturgis in the top-10 of the triple jump with Gaddy in seventh (46-3.25) and Cutter in eighth (43-6.50).
Sophomore Grant Haun finished ninth in the weight throw with a toss of 51-8.25.
The Mountaineers return to action next weekend as they host the Appalachian Open Feb. 17 and head to the Virginia Tech Invitational Feb. 18.
February 12, 2006 - Bulldogs Climb Career Charts at Tiger Invitational
Clemson, S.C. - Junior Quintin Wright and freshman Wesley Merriweather qualified for the finals in the 60 meters at the Clemson Tiger Invitational over the weekend.
Wright's time of 7.02 was the fifth fastest 60 meter time in school history, followed closely by Wesley's time of 7.03. Merriweather's mark tied the sixth best time set by Jeffrey Witherspoon. Both ran 7.09 in the finals, tying for ninth place.
The distance medley relay team of Charles Kutz, Thomas Pressley, Marcus Butler and Will Wilson captured The Citadel's sixth best relay time with a 10:26.20, finishing in second place. Kutz then came back Saturday and placed fifth in the mile with the ninth best time in Citadel history in 4:26.87.
Wilson also scored in the mile finishing eighth with a time of 4:29.16. Senior Marcus Butler finished third in the 800 meters with a time of 1:56.99, just six hundredths of a second off his personal best time.
Wilson also ran a personal best time of 2:00.46, finishing 12th in the 800m. The 4 x 400 relay team of Jonathan Vallejo, Marcus Butler, Dan Sagmiller and John Delago finished in six place with a time of 3:24.59.
Next up, the Bulldogs will compete at the Southern Conference indoor championships at Clemson University February 24-25.
February 12, 2006 - Noreen, Hubbard Set School Records; Atias Captures 3000 Meters
CLEMSON, S.C. ? For the second weekend in a row, the Davidson men's track runners junior Douglas Noreen (Apex, N.C.) and sophomore Ryan Hubbard (Charlotte, N.C.) set new indoor school records, while sophomore Megal Atias (Maccabim-Reut, Israel) paced the women's team as both squads participated in the Clemson Tiger Invitational on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 10-11.
Noreen, who raced to a school record in the mile run last weekend at the Carolina Invitational, earned a third place showing in the 800 meter with a new school and personal best time of 1:56.02. The previous mark had been held by Greg Foreman set back in 1985 with a time of 1:56.32. Right behind Noreen was sophomore Brad Troxell (Fort Collins, Colo.) with a time of 1:57.69, good for fifth place.
Hubbard broke his school record that he set last weekend at the Carolina Invitational in the 200 meter with a new time of 22.94, five-tenths of a second off his pervious mark of 22.99.
Also finishing in the top 10 for the Wildcat men were sophomore Sam Morris (Seattle, Wash.) in the mile run (4:26.33, seventh place), and freshmen Lance Harden (Apex, N.C.) in the 3000 meter (8:49.79, eighth place) and James Garrett (Cleveland Heights, Ohio) in the 5000 meter (16:17.25, eighth place).
On the women's side, Atias raced to a first place showing in the 3000 meter run with a time of 10:16.83. Her time was thirty-one hundredths of a second off the school record set by Kathy Beach in 1992. Following Atias was senior Allie Martin (Orland, Fla.) with a time of 10:30.37 and an eighth-place finish.
Also scoring solid runs for the women's team was freshman Caroline Sanker (Rocky River, Ohio) in the mile run with a time of 5:19.99, good for 12th place, and sophomore Colleen McKown (Penrose, N.C.) in the 800 meter with an 18th place finish and a team best time of 2:24.13.
Both track teams will now prepare themselves for the Southern Conference Indoor Championships when the Wildcats travel back to Clemson, S.C. on Feb. 24-25.
February 12, 2006 - Three Runners Win at Valentine Invitational
MURFREESBORO, Tenn.--Three Chattanooga runners won events at the Valentine Invitational held at Middle Tennessee State University.
Freshman Kevin Huwe won in his second collegiate event, pacing the field in the 3000 meters with a winning time of 8:42.52. Robert Hatcher claimed the 800 meter title, finishing in 1:58.02.
Senior Shannon Wommack won her 11th consecutive indoor event, winning the one mile run with a time of 5.01.01. Sabrina Lefort finished third and Ashley Meagher finished sixth. The win was Wommack’s third of the season in three different events. She won the 5000 meters on Friday at the Iowa State Classic and the 3000 meters at the McRavy Memorial (Univ. of Kentucky).
Senior Linas Salkauskas was second in the one mile run, finishing one second behind winner Jacob Korir of Eastern Kentucky.
The track team will compete at the Tennessee Indoor Classic next weekend in a final meet before the Southern Conference Indoor Track Championships.
February 9, 2006 - Bethay leads successful Terrier track & field performance
Senior Katon Bethay's win in the shot put highlighted a strong showing by the Wofford indoor track & field team at the Valentine Open in Boone, N.C., Thursday. The Terriers captured five top-five results overall in the second meet of the season.
Bethay outdistanced the rest of the field in the event with his heave of 53'3" (16.23m). The mark was nearly six feet further than the second-place distance.
In the men's track events, Alex Love earned a third-place time of 7.84 in the 55-meter hurdles. Jason McElveen was the team's top finisher in the 55m and 200 with times of 6.93 and 23.94, respectively, for a 13th-place time in both races.
Michael Lance placed sixth in the 400 with a time of 54.53, while Trey Antley posted an 11th-place time of 5:10.19 in the mile. In the 3,000 Chris Williams tallied a team-best time of 10:42.21 on his way to a 23rd-place result.
On the women's side, the top Wofford field event finish also came in the shot put with a third-place mark of 34'2" (10.41m) by Crystal Belcher.
Lauren Bosshardt, who last week set a school record in the 5,000, registered a second-place time of 11:16.29 in the 3,000. Jaya Abraham also notched a top-five time with her fifth-place finish of 5:50.98 in the mile.
The Terriers' top times in the women's 55 and 400 came from Rachel Hyatt, as she placed 14th and eighth with times of 8.22 and 1:11.64, respectively.
Kara Bennewitz led the Wofford pack in the 200 with an 11th-place time of 31.23 and Ashley Adamson was the top Terrier in the 800 with her time of 2:48.02 to finish 10th.
Wofford will head to Clemson, S.C., for the Tiger Classic this weekend as it continues its indoor campaign.