March 25, 2006 - Eagles Track & Field Captures Two Titles At Auburn Invitational

Auburn, Ala. - In the first Outdoor meet of the season, the Georgia Southern Track & Field team responded with two overall event wins and 18 top-five finishes at the Auburn Springtime Invitational Saturday, (Mar. 25).

The Eagles were highlighted by junior Rashedah Arnold (College Park, Ga./Landmark Christian) and sophomore Abby Bloom (Snellville, Ga./Brookwood) taking first place in the 400 dash and 3000 steeplechase, respectively.  Arnold claimed the 400 title with a time of 57.64 and Bloom took the steeplechase in 12:02.55, placing her in the top-three in school history.  Junior teammate Jessica Kerzie (Marietta, Ga./Walton) followed Bloom at second in the steeplechase with a time of 12:18.32. 

Kerzie was just one of eight runner-up places for the Eagles on the day.  Senior Brittney Jett (High Springs, Fla./Santa Fe) accounted for two, the 800 (2:22.59) and 1500 (4:53.15), as did junior Nicole Brown (Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill) with her performances in the triple jump (40’03.25”) and javelin (126’02”).  Brown’s javelin distance also places her second all-time in school records.  Junior Lauren Jacobs (Marietta, Ga./Marietta) took second in the long jump with a leap of 19’04.25” and freshman Kristin Olson (Senoia, Ga./Starr’s Mill) recorded her first career Outdoor runner-up finish with a time of 1:05.26 in the 400 hurdles.  The 4x400 relay team of Tiffany Banks (Conyers, Ga./Heritage), London Ryles (Decatur, Ga./Druid Hills), Ashley Bush-Hardy (Fayetteville, Ga./Fayette County), and Arnold also finished second, completing the race in 4:05.26.

In all, Georgia Southern had 35 top-ten places on the day, competing in 18 total events.

The team will head back on the road next Saturday, (April 1) to take part in the annual SoCon/Big South Challenge from Cullowhee, N.C.  Events will take place all day.

March 25, 2006 - Three school records fall as Spartans compete at Raleigh Relays

GREENSBORO, NC ? Heidi Pinkerton broke her own school record in the 3000 meter steeplechase and Xavier Rutz and Jess Weber also broke school marks to highlight UNC Greensboro’s action at the 2006 Raleigh Relays this weekend.
 
Pinkerton, a senior from Millers Creek, NC, trimmed nearly five seconds off of her record with a time of 11:21.99 on Saturday. Her previous mark was a time of 11:26.87 at the 49er Classic on March 21, 2004.
 
Rutz, a sophomore from Cary, NC, broke Joe Jacobs’ record in the 5000 meters by more than a second. He crossed the line in 15:15.15, breaking Jacobs’ mark of 15:16.87 that was set in April 2004.
 
Weber, a junior from Lorton, VA, eclipsed the school mark in the 1500 meters. She crossed the line in 4:45.08, breaking her own mark of 4:47.84 set last April.
 
Jeff Williams, a junior from South Plainfield, NJ also recorded a Top 10 finish. He placed tenth in the 800 meters with a time of 1:55.18.
 
UNCG competes at the Elon Invitational next Saturday.

March 26, 2006 - Paladins Place Ten Competitors in Top Ten at Clemson Relays

Clemson, SC -- The Furman men's and women's outdoor track and field teams placed ten competitors in the top ten of their events during the second day of the Clemson Relays at the Rock Norman Outdoor Track Complex on Saturday afternoon. In addition, the Lady Paladin 4x1500 meter relay placed first, with a winning time of 19:58.00, and Whitney Jones set a new Furman record in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 15.12.

Furman placed three in the top ten of the women's 5,000 meter run. Lisa Mulvey placed third (19:02.06), Holly Stewart finished fourth (19:27.45), and Guinn Garrett placed eighth (20:16.62). Whitney Jones finished sixth in the women's 100 meter hurdles with a time of 15.12, a new Furman record.

Kristen Edgar placed fourth in the women's 400 meter hurdles with a final time of 1:04.22. The Lady Paladin 4x800 meter relay team finished second behind Western Carolina with a time of 9:28.99, less than one second off the school record.

Chibuzo Aguocha, coming off a new Furman record in the long jump on Friday, finished sixth in the triple jump with a leap of 37-7.75 feet.

On the men's side, Andrew Orr placed fifth in the men's 5,000 meter run with a time of 15:55.43, and the men's 4x1500 meter relay placed fifth with a time of 17:01.67.

Furman returns to action next weekend as the Paladins host the Furman Invitational on Saturday at Furman's Irwin Belk Complex for Track and Field/Kelsey-West Track.

March 25, 2006 - Numerous Top Ten Finishes Leads Davidson Men and Women's Track Teams

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. & CLEMSON, S.C. ? The Davidson men's and women's track teams had a very strong weekend by at least placing one or more runners in the top Ten in 12 different events at both the Wake Forest Open and the Clemson Relays, Friday and Saturday, Mar. 24-25.

The men split their squad and sent some to the Wake Forest Open and the rest to the Clemson Relays on the campus of Clemson University with each group having equally impressive results. At the Wake Open, sophomore Ryan Hubbard (Charlotte, N.C.) highlighted the Wildcat field with a fifth place showing in the long jump with a jump of 6.47 meters (21' 2.75"). He also raced to an 11th place finish in the 200 meter dash with a team-best time of 22.52.

Also picking up another top ten finish at the Open was junior co-captain David Ritchie (Austin, Texas), who ran to a fourth place finish in the 400 meter hurdles with a season-best time of 54.8 seconds. The 4x400 medley relay team crossed the finish line with a fifth place showing, earning a time of 3:27.67.

The rest of the Wildcat men's track team competed at the Clemson Relays and helped set yet another school record. The 4x1500 meter medley relay team of junior Douglas Noreen (Apex, N.C.), sophomore Sam Morris (Seattle, Wash.), and freshmen Lance Harden (Apex, N.C.) and Thad Sieracki (Davis, Calif.) set a new school record with a time of 16:39.06, good for third place overall.

Senior Austin Mercadante (Winter Park, Fla.) also earned a top ten finish at the Clemson Relays by racing to a time of 10:08.39 in the 3000 meter steeplechase, good for sixth place.

On the women's side, the Wildcats were very well represented in the top ten in six different events at the Wake Forest Open. First off, in the 100 meter dash sophomore Katurri Phillips (Roswell, Ga.) and freshman Kimberley Colley (Washington, D.C.) raced to fifth and sixth place finishes in the 100 meter dash with times of 12.75 and 12.79, respectively.

Phillips then broke her own school record in the 200 meter dash with a new personal-best time of 25.94 for a third place finish. Fellow teammate Colley again came in right behind Phillips with a time of 26.26, good for fourth place. Junior Jessica Chasen (Richmond, Va.) gave Davidson three runners in top-10 in the event with a 10th place finish on a time of 27.03.

Chasen followed her strong showing up in the 200 meter dash with an even better finish in the 400 meter dash when she crossed the finish line in third place with a time of 59.7 seconds.

Sophomore Colleen McKown (Penrose, N.C.) and Hilary Leister (Bexley, Ohio) joined the top-10 list when they finished second and third, respectively, in the 800 meter dash with times of 2:19.90 for McKown and 2:21.20 for Leister.

Senior Allie Martin (Orlando, Fla.) helped lead three other runners to top ten finishes in the 3000 meters when she raced to a team-best time of 10:19.61, good for third place. The freshmen trio of Caroline Sanker (Rocky River) (4th, 10:27.78), Emily King (Honolulu, Hawaii) (5th, 10:40. 35), and Lucy Rogers (Raleigh, N.C.) (8th, 11:04.01) all finished right behind Martin in the 3000 meter event.

Martin finished her afternoon off at the Wake Forest Open with a fifth place finish in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:51.67.

Both squads for Davidson will return to the track and field surface on Apr. 1 when they head to the Charlotte Invitational in Charlotte, N.C.

March 25, 2006 - Butler Falls Just Short of NCAA Qualifying Mark as Bulldogs Close Out Raleigh Relays

Raleigh, N.C. - Marcus Butler fell just five seconds short of a NCAA Regional Qualifying mark in the 800m Saturday as The Citadel's track and field teams closed out the Raleigh Relays with impressive performances across the board. The Bulldogs will take the next two weeks to continue training before the Cadets head to the Clemson Invitational on April 8.

Marcus Butler's 1:55.71 placed him 12th in the 800m as he fell just five seconds shy of a NCAA Qualifying mark. In other action on the men's side, Rick Austin kept busy Saturday as he finished 19th in the hammer (141' 6") and 18th in the javelin (152' 2").

On the women's side, Monique Edwards looked solid with a 17th-place finish in the hammer with a throw of 148' 4" while Stephanie McNeill continued through her progressions with a mark of 142' 5", placing her 24th.

Laura Phelan recorded a 108' 9" mark in the javelin, finishing 19th. In women's track events, freshmen Megan Jenkins and Sarah Strickland continued to push each other to new limits as the two finished within two spots of each other in the 1500m. Jenkins ran a 4:52.51 while Strickland closely followed with a time of 4:54.23. In the men's 1500m, Charles Kutz ran a 4:05.58, finishing 31st.

The Citadel heads to the Clemson Invitational on April 8. 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 25, 2006 - Bulldogs Finish Eighth in the Sprint Medley Relay as Raleigh Relays Get Underway

Raleigh, N.C. - The Citadel's Stephanie McNeill has punched her ticket to the NCAA Regional Championships as she threw the shot put a school record 47' 9" at the Raleigh Relays Friday. McNeill becomes the first female athlete in the school's history to become an NCAA Regional Qualifier. Meanwhile, The Citadel men finished eighth in the sprint medley relay, beating Boston College by less than half a second.

McNeill's toss gave her a fourth-place finish in the shot put, falling just an inch and a half short of third-place, which was held by Ohio's Jaclyn Lugaila. McNeill's mark beat out North Carolina's Jocelyn White by more than a foot.

In the discus competition, Monique Edwards finished 33rd with a throw of 115' 10". Jody Whittle ran a 12.56 in the 100m dash prelims, placing 23rd.

On the men's side, The Citadel finished eighth in the Sprint Medley Relay with a time of 3:31.00 as the Bulldogs finished eighth in the race, beating out Boston College by almost less than half a second.

The Citadel returns to action Saturday morning at the Raleigh Relays. 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 25, 2006 - Burnett Captures Shot Put Title at Clemson Relays

CLEMSON, S.C. ? Senior Beverly Burnett (Graham, N.C.) took home a victory in the shot put as the Mountaineers concluded competition at the Clemson Relays at Rock Norman Track.

Burnett recorded her second-consecutive NCAA regional qualifying mark with a throw of 50-02.50 in the shot put. In the discus throw, sophomores Brittani Williams (Charlotte, N.C.) and Lily Tallent (Cherryville, N.C.) placed in the top-eight as Williams finished fourth with a mark of 149-02 and Tallent came in sixth with a throw of 141-02.

Senior Caren Mah (Gilbert, Ariz.) placed fifth in the pole vault with a mark of 10-06.00.

In the jumps, freshman Jessica Mayela (Charlotte, N.C.) placed sixth in the long jump with a leap of 17-11.00, while sophomore Vonteena Knotts (Charlotte, N.C.) placed seventh in the triple jump with a mark of 37-02.25.

For complete results from the Clemson Invitational, click here

The Mountaineers return to action Saturday, April 1 at the Winthrop Invitational in Rock Hill, S.C.

March 25, 2006 - School Records Fall as CofC Finishes Raleigh Relays

RALEIGH, N.C. - The College of Charleston Track and Field team set three new school records in the 10,000 meter run, the 400 meter hurdles, and the 4x1500 meter relay at the Raleigh Relays hosted by North Carolina State on Friday and Saturday.

Ashley Arnold's time of 38:38.99 in the 10,000m beat the former record held by Becky Witkop by 48 seconds.  Clare Goodwin set a new school record in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:09.95 in the event.

"Ashley Arnold had a good night, she set a new school record and walked away with more confidence in her racing strategy," said head coach Amy Schuckert.  "Clare Goodwin is gaining technical experience and will only continue to improve the more she competes."

The 4x1500 meter relay team of Jennifer Dooley, Wells Trompeter, Kim Kingston, and Katie Hedley time of 20:46 was also a new CofC record beating the old record by six-tenths of a second.

Trompeter also had a strong performance in the 1,500 m finishing with a time of 4:49.83.  Dominique Boone continues to perform well in the triple jump as she set a mark of 35-10.00 in the event.

The Cougars will look to improve on an already successful outdoor season as they travel to Rock Hill, S.C. to take part in the Winthrop Invitational on April 1st. 

March 25, 2006  - Western Track & Field Sets 10 Seasonal Bests at Clemson Relays; Post Nine Podium Finishes

Cullowhee, N.C. - Both the men and women's track & field teams at Western Carolina turned in five seasonal-best performances apiece in various events, giving the Catamounts 10 top times on the weekend at the Clemson Relays in Clemson, S.C. Western's squads combined for eight podium finishes at the meet including a pair of first-place tallies.

The Western Carolina men scored extremely well in the three relay events in which they entered. Defending Southern Conference men's track athlete of the week, senior Milton Bolton, teamed with freshman Manteo Mitchell, and sophomores Mike Malone and Zeb Johnson to pass the baton in 3:14.04 to win their first title of the outdoor season in the 4x400-meter relay. Bolton also teamed with Zeb Johnson, Kevin Johnson, and sophomore Mike Malone to place third in the men's 4x100-meter relay behind teams from Clemson and Georgia. Kevin Johnson was joined by junior James Gregory, senior Charleton Grant and sophomore Duke Craig to finish third in the men's 4x200-meter relay, running the 800-meter race in 1:31.01.

Individually, Zeb Johnson finished in third place in the men's 100-meter dash, clocking the third quickest time of the outdoor season at 10.84 to finish in front of Mitchell in fifth at 11.00. Senior Lawrence Briscoe improved upon his own top time by clearing the 110-meter hurdles in 14.40 to place fifth and finished seventh in the 400-meter hurdles with a time 55.05, just off his quickest time of the season set last week.

In the field events, freshman Rashad Herndon placed sixth in the men's long jump with a leap of 6.72m (22-0.75), with senior Rod Palmer and Gaillard finishing fifth and sixth, respectively, in the triple jump. Palmer's mark of 13.58m (44-6.75) ranks second on the WCU season charts, but was his best performance of the season. In the throws, sophomore Jerod Kelly placed seventh in the shot put (14.40m, 47-3.0) and 10th in the hammer throw with a distance of 45.07m (147-10) to lead the Catamounts. On Friday, David Bowles and Josh Lee placed sixth and seventh, respectively, in the men's javelin with Lee's throw of 55.79m (183-0) marking his best of this outdoor season.

The Catamount women turned in two first-place showings, led by the 4x800-meter relay team of sophomore Kerrie Savery, junior Asia Davis, freshman Annie Bailey and sophomore Brooke Saddler. The four ran the 3,200-meters in 9:27.85. The other first-place finish for WCU came in the 4x400-meter relay as freshman Aneesha Lane, last week's SoCon women's track athlete of the week sophomore Raquel Ramseur, Davis, and sophomore Tangelia Johnson passed the baton in 3:46.24 to take top honors. Also posting a top three finish was the 4x100-meter relay team of senior Cassie Gentry, Davis, Johnson and Ramseur. The four placed third in the 4x100-meter relay with a season's best time of 46.73.

The SoCon's Indoor women's high jump champion, two-sport standout sophomore Jessika Johnson, place third at the relays, clearing 1.65m (5-5.0) to edge freshman teammate, Angela Stark, who was tied for fifth with a height of 1.60m (5-3.0). Senior Tiffany Mack placed eighth in the women's triple jump, leaping 11.30m (37-1.0). In the throwing events, sophomore Nicole Lopez finished one place in front of junior teammate, Sharhonda Bell, in the women's shot put, finishing eighth and ninth, respectively. Bell was edged by sophomore Michaela Hall in the hammer throw, again placing eighth and ninth, with Hall's distance of 38.01m (124-8). Freshman Rachel Karriker recorded her first career top 10 in the women's discus, hurling the disc 33.92m (111-3) to finish ninth.

WCU highlights from Friday afternoon were fifth place finishes by Rashanda Simmons in the women's long jump and Tara Touszen in the women's javelin with a seasonal best mark of 33.08m (108-6). Like Jessika Johnson, women's basketball player Lynsie Lamitie joined the track team this outdoor season, posting a 10th-place finish in the javelin.

Western will host the Western Invitational Track & Field Meet next Friday and Saturday at the on-campus Catamount Athletic Complex in Cullowhee. The event will begin at 5:00 pm on Friday, March 31 and run through Saturday, April 1. For more information on the Western Invitational, please click HERE.

March 25, 2006 - Wofford completes competition at Clemson Relays

CLEMSON, SC - Participation in three events for the first time in school history highlighted the Wofford outdoor track & field team's competition Saturday at the Clemson Relays in Clemson, S.C.

The women's squad competed in two relay events for the first time, the 4x800 meters and the 4x1500m. In the 4x800, the quartet of Ryn Lister, Justina Oliva, Sarah Messamore and Rachel Smithson placed seventh with a time of 11:25.33. The foursome of Jaya Abraham, Ashley Adamson, Lauren Bosshardt and Smithson posted a third-place time of 21:57.48 in the 4x1500.

The Terriers also competed in the 4x100 and distance medley relays on the women's side. In the 4x100 event, Kara Bennewitz, Kelly Broderick, Natalie Ferrara and Rachel Hyatt finished 10th with a time of 1:02.96. The DMR grouping of Abraham, Adamson, Bosshardt and Bennewitz garnered a fifth-place result of 13:56.01.

Junior Crystal Belcher also saw action in the field events, placing 12th in the shot put with a mark of 35'7-1/4" (10.85m) and 13th in the discus with a mark of 92'1" (28.08m).

On the men's side, the quartet of Chris Williams, Adam Lesko, William Davis and Andrew Powell finished ninth with a time of 10:50.31 in the inaugural run of the DMR.

Wofford's men also competed in the 4x100 with an 11th-place time of 48.80, as Alex Love, Lesko, David Chen and Davis comprised the quartet.

Lesko was the lone Terrier to earn a result in the individual track events, as he registered a 17th-place time of 11.63 in the 100.

Senior Katon Bethay rounded out the Wofford contingent with a 15th-place mark of 107'11" (32.91m) in the hammer.

Wofford will resume its outdoor campaign back in Clemson, S.C., April 15 at the Solid Orange Classic.