March 20, 2006 - Track Cats Tally 15 Podium Finishes in Outdoor Opener; Milton Bolton Qualifies for Regionals

Cullowhee, N.C. - Three Catamounts took home individual championships with one qualifying for the NCAA Regionals as the Western Carolina track & field recorded 15 podium finishes as a team at the outdoor season-opening Charlotte 49er Classic over the weekend in Charlotte, N.C. All told, the Catamount men recorded three first place finishes and second and third four times each, while the women tallied three runner-up finishes and one third.

Senior Milton Bolton became the first Catamount this year to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor East Regionals, which will be held in Greensboro, N.C., at the end of May. The East Point, Ga., native ran fifth during the 400-meter dash preliminaries to move into the finals where he won the event with a time of 47.23, just under a second slower than the WCU school record. Bolton also helped record two additional podium finishes in both the 4x100 and 4x400-meter dashes. Teaming with sophomore Zeb Johnson, junior Mike Malone and freshman Kevin Johnson, the four sprinters passed the baton in 41.50 to place second in the 400-meter relay. Bolton, freshman Manteo Mitchell, junior James Gregory, and Zeb Johnson placed third in the 1,600-meter team event with a time of 3:12.05.

Individually, Zeb Johnson recorded a podium finish with a third place showing in the 100-meter dash, tripping the tape in 10.59 which was right on the heels of the second place finisher. Senior Lawrence Briscoe finished fourth in the 400-meter hurdles, with classmate Tyler Ferguson placing second in the triple jump with a mark of 14.86m (48-9) and fourth in the long jump with a leap of 7.06m (23-2). Sophomore Jerod Kelly finished fifth in the hammer throw with a distance of 44.26m (145-2), and teammates Matt Harlfinger and Ashten Bennett recorded back-to-back finishes in second and third in the men's decathlon.

Also recording first-place finishes for the men's team were defending SoCon javelin champion, David Bowles, and junior Dan Fassinger. Bowles edged senior teammate, Josh Lee, in the javelin event with a distance of 56.39m (185-0) over Lee's 53.61m (175-11) which placed third overall. Fassinger's overall strong performance at the meet including winning the 1,500-meter run with a time of 3:53.28 and crossing the line in second in the 800-meter event just five-one hundredths of a second in arrears (1:52.72 vs. 152.67). In each of the aforementioned events, senior Adam Puett finished fifth (1:53.40 in 800m) and fourth (3:56.61 in 1500m).

For the Catamount women, sophomore Raquel Ramseur recorded two podium finishes, running second in the 400-meter dash and teaming with classmates Brooke Saddler and Tangelia Johnson and junior Asia Davis to finish second in the 4x400-meter relay. Davis also recorded an additional second-place tally in the 400-meter hurdles, but had the quickest time during the preliminaries.

Also on the track, Johnson ran fourth in the 100-meter dash and sophomore Kerrie Savery placed third in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:15.37. Savery also ran seventh in the 1,500-meter relay with a time of 4:49.97, with senior Tiffany Mack finishing fifth in the 100-meter hurdles.

In the field and combined events, sophomore Nicole Lopez placed fourth in the discus with a mark of 37.38m (122-8) and fifth in the shot put with a distance of 13.03m (42-9.0). Another sophomore, Jessica Wilkerson, placed fourth in the women's heptathlon, followed in sixth by freshman teammate Morgan Broadnax.

The WCU track & field teams return to action this Friday and Saturday as they visit the Clemson Relays in Clemson, S.C.

March 18, 2006 - Two Terrier outdoor track & field records fall Saturday

Two women's track school records fell Saturday afternoon to highlight the Wofford outdoor track & field team's performances at the Weems Baskin Relays in Columbia, S.C.

Senior Jaya Abraham topped her previous school time in the 1,500 meters, running to a sixth-place finish in the event with a time of 5:09.52. The previous best of 5:10.62 was set by Abraham in 2003. She also competed in the 800 and placed 12th with a time of 2:32.86.

Sophomore Lauren Bosshardt blitzed past the previous 5,000 school record of 19:51.30 set by Emily Smothers in 2003. Bosshardt finished the event in 19:04.96 to register a fifth-place result.

A trio of Terriers finished eighth through 10th in the 1,500, led by Justina Oliva (8th-5:38.05). Ryn Lister (9th-5:41.87) and Sarah Messamore (10th-6:09.74) also competed in the event.

Junior Crystal Belcher was the lone Wofford participant in the field events. She tallied an 11th-place mark of 35'11-1/4" (10.95m) in the shot put and a 15th-place result of 82'3" (25.06m) in the discus.

On the men's side, William Davis notched the top finish with a sixth-place leap of 16'3-1/4" in the long jump. The 1,600 sprint medley quartet also finished sixth, recording a time of 4:12.60.

Junior Andrew Powell posted a seventh-place time of 17:12.01 in the 5,000, sophomore Trey Antley ran to a 13th-place time of 4:38.44 in the 1,500 and senior Ben Pauli finished the 800 in a 21st-place time of 2:19.43 to lead the Terrier performances in their respective events.

Wofford will next compete at the Clemson Relays next weekend in Clemson, S.C.

March 19, 2006 - Appalachian Men Conclude Competition at Weem Baskins Sprint Relays

COLUMBIA, S.C. ? Sophomores Ricky Harris (Durham, N.C.) and Joel Gaddy (Charlotte, N.C.) finished first and third, respectively, in the long jump to lead the Appalachian State University men’s outdoor track and field team at the USC Weem Baskins Sprint Relays hosted by the University of South Carolina on the campus of USC.

Harris recorded a mark of 22-2.50 in the long jump. Gaddy’s leap of 21-03.50 placed him in third in the event.

In the 110m hurdles, freshman Charles Derrickson (Spring Lake, N.C.) finished fourth with a time of 14.62. He was followed by classmate Daniel Neal (Fayetteville, N.C.) in fifth (15.18) and senior Dustin Wright in sixth (15.55). Sophomore Adam Williams (Greensboro, N.C.) placed ninth in the event with a time of 18.21.

In relay action, the Mountaineers captured second in the 4x200m relay and fourth in the 4x400m race. The ASU ?A’ team also placed fourth in the 4x100m relay and third in the 1600m sprint medley.

Four Mountaineers grabbed spots in the top-10 in the pole vault, led by sophomore Barron Shell in seventh with a mark of 15-01.00. Sophomore Justin Hunnicutt (Wilmington, N.C.) and junior Joe Irvin (Morganton, N.C.) tied for eighth (13-07.25), while senior Scott Rhyne (Catawba, N.C.) came in 10th with a mark of 13-01.50.

Junior Wes Kiser (Burlington, N.C.) had a solid day for ASU, finishing fourth in the shot put with a toss of 45-07.75 and seventh in the discus with a mark of 138-04. Sophomore Grant Haun (Charlotte, N.C.) came in right behind Kiser in fifth in the shot put with a throw of 43-07.25. Haun added a sixth-place finish in the discus with a mark of 142-03.

The Mountaineers return to action, Friday and Saturday, March 24-25, at the Raleigh Relays hosted by NC State at Paul Derr Track.

March 18, 2006 - Bulldogs Conclude Weems Baskin Relays with Solid Performances, Men Win 1600m Spring Medley Relay

Columbia, S.C. - The Citadel concluded the Weems Baskin Relays with solid performances across the board as the Bulldogs geared up for the Raleigh Relays next weekend. Megan Jenkins placed fourth in the 1500m while Stephanie McNeill finished third in the shot put. On the men's side, The Citadel won the 1600m sprint medley while Shaquill Smith finished third in the high jump.

Jenkins finished just 0.43 seconds behind Kelly Bristol, the third-place finisher in the 1500m as Jenkins ran 4:57.75 with Sarah Strickland right behind her, placing fifth with a time of 5:05.07. Erin Ritter finished seventh in the same race, running a 5:13.60. In the 5000m, Laura Hewston finished eighth (19:36.80) while Amanda Rawl placed 11th (19:44.59).

The Citadel finished sixth in the 4x200m relay with a time of 1:48.10, a race that is almost specific to the Weems Baskin Relays. The women followed that with an eighth place finish in the 4x400m relay, running a 4:12.93.

Stephanie McNeill continued to lead the Bulldog throwers, finishing third in the shot put with a throw of 44' 1.25". Tasha Sanders followed her with a 10th place finish, tossing the shot 36' 2.25". McNeill also finished 11th in the discus with a throw of 114' 11", finishing one spot behind Monique Edwards who finished 10th with a mark of 121' 5".

On the men's side, the 1600m sprint medley relay team took home the gold with a time of 3:29.53, edging Illinois by 0.33 seconds. The men's 4x400m relay team also had a strong showing, finishing fifth with a time of 3:20.86.

Charles Kutz finished fourth in the 1500m with a time of 4:06.99 while Will Wilson placed sixth, running a 4:07.89. Meanwhile in the 5000m, Steven Craig finished fourth with a time of 16:40.07. In the 400m hurdles, Jamel Brown had a strong showing, running a time of 56.42, less than 0.30 seconds after former-South Carolina standout Fred Townsend.

Another Bulldog fell just inches short of a NCAA Regional qualifying mark as Shaquill Smith placed third in the high jump with a mark of 6' 6.75", only four inches shy of the regional mark.

The Citadel heads to Raleigh, N.C., next weekend for the Raleigh Relays, hosted by N.C. State. The latest in The Citadel track and field, as well as full results for every meet, can be found at the official home of Bulldog Athletics at www.CitadelSports.com.

March 18, 2006 - Men's Track Opens Outdoor Season At 49er Classic With Strong Showing

CHARLOTTE, N.C. ? The Davidson men's track team opened their outdoor season at the Charlotte 49er Classic on Friday and Saturday, Mar. 17-18, and had a nice overall showing in the 16-event Classic.

In the first day of the 49er Classic, junior Douglas Noreen (Apex, N.C.), senior Jonathan Baker (Novelty, Ohio), and freshman Lance Harden (Apex, N.C.) each earned a showing in the top-15 of their respective events. Noreen, who raced to two school records in the mile and 800 meters during indoor track season, crossed the finish line seventh overall in the 1500 meter run with a time of 4:00.55.

Baker and Harden finished 13th and 14th, respectively, in the 5000 meter run when Baker crossed the finish line with a time of 15:19.94, followed closely behind by Harden's time of 15:20.24. Harden is coming off a very impressive indoor season, earning All-Southern Conference honors at the SoCon Championships earlier this month.

Senior Joe Taylor (Poland, Ohio) helped lead a strong showing in the field events on both the first and second day for Davidson. Taylor earned a top-10 finish for the Wildcats in the Javelin on Friday when he threw a distance of 38.65 meters (126 feet, 10 inches).

Junior Jim Walter (Solon, Ohio) and freshman Will Funderburg (Buford, Ga.) highlighted the second day in the discus and shot put events. Walter had a throw of 42.34 meters (138 feet,11 inches) in the discus, good enough for ninth place in the event. Funderburg placed 13th overall in the shot put with a throw of 12.92 meters (42 feet, 4.75 inches).

Rounding out the roster for the Wildcats was sophomore Sam Morris (Seattle, Wash.), who had a team-best time of 8:52.06 in the 3000 meter run, good for 18th place out of 58 runners, and fellow sophomore Ryan Hubbard (Charlotte, N.C.), who earned a 20th place finish in the long jump with a jump of 6.16 meters (20 feet, 2.50 inches).

Davidson returns to the action this coming weekend when it heads to both the Clemson Relays, in Clemson, S.C., and the Wake Forest Open, in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Friday and Saturday, Mar. 24-25.

March 18, 2006 - Furman Earns Two Event Victories, Two Second Places at USC Weems Baskin Sprint Relays

Columbia, SC -- The Furman outdoor track and field teams earned two event victories and two second place finishes, and set three new Furman records during Day One of the 2006 USC Weems Baskin Sprint Relays on Friday afternoon. In addition, junior David Moseley won the javelin event, and set a new Furman record with a throw of 201-1.75 feet in his first meet of the outdoor season. The previous record of 193-8 feet, held by Martin Rooney, had stood for nearly 15 years.

Furman opened Day One of competition with a victory in the women's 4x800 meter relay. The Lady Paladins time of 9:17.78 was nearly 20 seconds faster than the second-place finisher, and the time broke the school record by more than 10 seconds.

The Lady Paladins continued their strong showing as Chibuzo Aguocha lept 38-3.50 feet in the triple jump to earn second place honors. The sophomore was just shy of her school record of 38-9 feet in the event.

The men's 4x800 meter relay team earned second place, with a time of 7:52.17, another Furman record, topping the previous standard of 8:00.08.

Furman continues in the 2006 USC Weems Baskin Sprint Relay on Saturday afternoon with Day Two of the competition.

March 19, 2006 - Furman Track and Field Completes Day Two at 2006 USC Weems Baskin Sprint Relays

Columbia, SC -- Furman earned two event victories, and Page Bridges set a new Furman record in the 3000 meter steeplechase as the Paladins completed Day Two at the 2006 USC Weems Baskin Sprint Relays in Columbia on Saturday afternoon. Bridges' time of 11:22.41 was almost two seconds faster than the previous mark set by teammate Katie Poole two seasons ago.

Bridges new Furman record marks the fourth school record to fall this weekend. In Friday's action, David Moseley set a new standard in the javelin, and the men's and women's 4x800 meter relay teams each set new Furman records.

The Paladins earned event victories in the women's 800 meter run and in the men's 3000 meter steeplechase. Rebecca Mullen finished first (2:14.82) and McKenzie Sharpe (2:15.56) took second in the 800 meter as the Lady Paladins took three of the top six places.

Tyler Johnson took top honors in the men's 3000 meter steeplechase with a time of 9:23.63. Furman took three of the top five finishing spots as Joseph Tenini and FJ Goodwin placed third and fifth, respectively.

Brodges and Poole finished second and third in the women's 3000 meter steeplechase, and Furman placed five runners in the top 18 in the women's 5000 meter run.

Furman returns to action next weekend as the Paladins travel to compete in the Clemson Relays on March 24 and 25.

March 19, 2006 - Rutz breaks school mark, Jones third in triple jump as UNCG track opens outdoor season

CHARLOTTE, NC ? Charles Jones, a qualifier for the NCAA national meet in the triple jump last year, finished third in his first outdoor outing of the season and Xavier Rutz set a school record to highlight UNCG’s performances at the 49ers Classic in Charlotte this past weekend.

Jones leaped 14.84 meters to place third in the triple jump. He also leaped 6.31 meters in the long jump, which was good for 17th place.

Rutz set a school record in the 3000 meters with a time of 8:38.54, trimming three seconds off the previous record set by Joe Jacobs two years ago. Rutz finished sixth in the overall standings.

UNCG heads to the Raleigh Relays next weekend.