April 01, 2006 - Noreen, Atias Pace Wildcat Tracksters at Charlotte Invitational
CHARLOTTE, N.C. ? Davidson junior Douglas Noreen and sophomore Megal Atias led the Wildcat men and women with top performances at the Charlotte Invitational on Saturday. Noreen won the 800-meter run in a school-record time of 1:52.26, while Atias crossed the finish line fourth in the 3000 meters with a program-best mark of 10:09.22.
Claiming a runner-up finish in the 3000 meters with a time of 8:40.62 was freshman standout Lance Harden, while senior Jonathan Baker finished on his heels in third with a mark of 8:43.24. Baker also took sixth in the 1500 meters at 4:05.46.
For the Davidson women, sophomore Katurri Phillips reset her own program-best time in the 200-meter dash with a 20th-place performance of 25.61. Freshman Kim Colley came in 23rd overall in the event at 25.93, which would have been a new Wildcat standard apart from today’s time by Phillips.
Both the Wildcat men and women are scheduled to compete at next weekend’s Duke Invitational in Durham, N.C.
March 31, 2006 - Furman Track and Field to Host Eighth Annual 2006 Jack in the Box Furman Invitational
Greenville, SC -- The Furman men's and women's track and field teams will host the eighth annual 2006 Jack in the Box Furman Invitational Track and Field Meet on Saturday at the Irwin Belk Complex for Track and Field/Kelsey-West Track. The high school meet will begin at 8 a.m., with the collegiate competition starting at 12:30 p.m.
The first-ever Blue Shoes Mile, a fun run for students, alumni, and friends, will begin at 12:30 p.m. with all proceeds benefitting the Furman track and field programs.
The Paladins will welcome collegiate teams from Augusta State, Mars Hill, Southern Maine, and Wofford, and high school teams from South Carolina and Illinois to compete in the event.
Furman is led by Page Bridges, Chibuzo Aguocha, and Whitney Jones, who have each set all-time Furman records in their respective events this season. Bridges set the new standard in the women's 3000 meter steeplechase at the USC Weems Baskin Sprint Relays with a time of 11:22.41 two weeks ago. Aguocha, who set the women's triple jump record last year, set a new mark in the women's long jump with a leap of 18-03.25 feet last weekend at the Clemson Relays. Jones set a new school record in the 100 meter hurdles at the Clemson Relays with a time of 15.12.
The women's 4x800 meter relay team made up of Rebecca Mullen, Brittnay Thompson, McKenzie Sharpe, and Lindsey Barker set a new Furman record with a time of 9:17.78 at the USC Weems Baskin Sprint Relays.
The men's team is led by David Moseley, Furman record holder in the men's javelin with a throw of 201-02 feet at the USC Weems Baskin Sprint Relays. Senior Tyler Johnson ran a season-best time of 14:41.20 in the 5,000 meter run last weekend at the Raleigh Relays.
The men's 4x800 meter relay team, Patrick Morgan, Andrew Mullen, Joe Tenini, and Johnson, set a new Furman record with a time of 7:52.17 at the USC Weems Baskin Sprint Relays.
Furman is under the leadership of head coach Gene Mullin in his 23rd year. Mullin, a seven-time Southern Conference Coach of the Year, has coached athletes to 230 All-Southern Conference citations and 377 Academic Honor Roll
April 1, 2006 - Furman Completes Competition at 2006 Jack in the Box Furman Invitational
Greenville, SC -- Furman earned 18 event victories as the Paladins finished competition at the 2006 Jack in the Box Furman Invitational on Saturday afternoon at the Irwin Belk Complex for Track and Field/Kelsey West Track.
Chibuzo Aguocha improved on her own school record in the women's long jump with a mark of 18-11.50 inches, topping her previous mark by more than eight inches. The jump also marked a new Furman Invitational record. Aguocha also set a new meet record in the women's triple jump with a leap of 37-08 feet.
Kristen Edgar set a new Furman Invitational record in the women's 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:02.82. Patrick Morgan recorded a new meet record in the men's 800 meter run with a final mark of 1:52.60. The Furman women's 4x100 relay team also set a new Furman Invitational record with a time of 48 seconds.
Freshman Zwide Stephenson was Furman's only multiple-event winner, with victories in both the 100 meter and 200 meter dashes. Stephenson set a time of 11.01 in the 100 meter and recorded 22.40 in the 200 meter. Stephenson also ran the second leg on Furman's victorious 4x100 meter relay team that recorded a time of 42.40.
Furman returns to action on April 15 when the Paladins travel to compete in the Solid Orange Classic on the campus of Clemson University.
April 1, 2006 - Jones qualifies for second straight NCAA regional as Spartans win six events at Elon
ELON, NC ? Six Spartans won events and Charles Jones qualified for the NCAA regional meet to highlight UNC Greensboro’s performances at the Elon Invitational Track Meet on Saturday afternoon.
All six winners came from the men’s side as Nick Vaccaro won the 800 meters, Xavier Rutz won the 1500 meters, Ramon Jobson-Brown won the long jump, Charles Jones won the triple jump, Scott Bellamy won the discus and Brandon Spencer won the hammer throw.
Spencer’s throw of 137 feet, 11 inches shattered a school record by nearly nine feet. In addition, Vaccaro and Rutz set meet records. Vaccaro crossed the line in 1:59.59 to win the 800 meters, while Rutz finished with a time of 4:07.89 in the 1500 meters.
In addition, Jones’ mark of 15.13 meters in the triple jump qualified him for the NCAA East Regional meet for the second straight year. UNCG’s first-ever national qualifier last year, he will participate in the regional meet held in Greensboro on May 26 and 27 at North Carolina A&T.
On the women’s side, Jess Weber finished second in the 800 meters, running a personal best time of 2:19.23. In addition, the 4x400 relay team of Weber, Tricia O'Connell, Erin Lord and Mary Ann Rutz finished fourth with a time of 4:23.78, just one second off of a school record.
UNCG returns to action next weekend at the Duke Invitational in Durham, NC.
April 1, 2006 - Marchant, Wommack Shine at Stanford; Lefort Wins in Atlanta
Reports from STANFORD, Calif. and ATLANTA, Ga.--Shannon Wommack broke the Chattanooga record in the 10,000 meters while qualifying provisionally for the NCAA Regionals.
Wommack’s time of 33:34.29 was more than 20 seconds faster than the previous UTC mark set by Catherine Wright in 1998. Wommack’s time was good for 11th in the elite field.
Lanni Marchant outran 29 other competitors to win Section 2 of the 10,000 meters at the Stanford Invitational with an NCAA Regional qualifying time of 34:16.36. Marchant was more than 22 seconds faster than runner-up Ana Gjesdal of Michigan.
Ian Mayne finished 28th in the men’s 10,000 meters, finishing two seconds off the school mark with a time of 30:16.20
Mayne, Marchant, and Wommack competed at the elite Stanford Invitational late Friday.
Sophomore Sabrina Lefort led the Chattanooga contingent at Georgia Tech’s Yellow Jacket Invitational, winning the 3000m Steeplechase with a time of 11:06.73.
Nettie Halcomb’s 4:36.97 was third in the 1500m, while Ellen Davis finished 8th and Jamie Dinkins 11th.
Linas Salkauskas finished 11th in the men’s 1500m, finishing in 3:59.70.
Freshman Jordan Longstreth won his section in the 800m with a time of 1:56.54, which was good for 14th in the field of 45.
The Mocs will be back in action April 14-15 at the Sea Ray Relays hosted by the University of Tennessee.
March 31, 2006 - WCU Track & Field Records Six Podium Finishes on Day One of 2006 Western Invitational
Cullowhee, N.C. - Hosting for just the third time ever in Catamount Athletic Complex (CAC) history, the Western Carolina men and women's track & field teams posted six podium finishes on day one of the Western Invitational. Led by Western's 50 points on both sides, the SoCon accumulated 73 points versus the Big South's 44 on the first day to lead in the women's competition, while the WCU men scored 50, but trail the Big South by 16 (66) in the head-to-head competition between the Southern and Big South Conferences.
First day action included all field events as athletes contested the men and women's shot put, long jump, and the discus on the men's side and javelin on the women's.
Only one facility record fell on Friday as Clemson freshman George Fields broke the CAC record en route to winning the men's long jump competition, leaping 7.43 meters (24-4.5) to finish in front of Western Carolina's Chris Gaillard and Rashad Herndon who finished second and third, respectively. Gaillard's distance of 7.09 meters (23-3.25) was a WCU's seasonal best, while Herndon also set a seasonal best distance at 7.02 meters (23-0.50).
Coastal Carolina posted the top two collegiate finishers in the men's shot put as junior Galen Jones (14.78m, 48-6.0) and Jacob Edelman (13.90m, 45-7.25) went one-two behind Brian Knippen who won the event throwing unattached with a distance of 16.68 meters (54-8.75). Western's Chris Page just missed a podium appearance, recording a fifth-place finish showing in the men's shot put.
In the final event of the first day Clemson's Danny Alge won the men's discus with a distance of 48.28 meters (158-05), finishing in front of a trio of Coastal Carolina performers. Junior Tommy Sugishita was the runner-up with a distance of 48.27 meters (158-4), followed by teammates Dorian Johnson (46.63m, 153-0) and Eric Singleton (45.43m, 149-0). Page was WCU's top finisher in seventh with a distance of 43.01 meters (141-1).
On the women's side, the Big South-leading Chanticleers posted strong finishes on Friday in the javelin, long jump, and shot put events. Coastal junior Jamie Mushatt-Valrie edged four Catamounts in the women's javelin throw with a mark of 34.60 meters (113-6) to finish first. WCU freshman Tara Tounzen and junior Lynsie Lamitie, who also plays on the Lady Catamount basketball team, each recorded top three finishes, placing second and third, respectively. Tounzen threw 33.46 meters (109-9) while Lamitie recorded a distance of 32.01 meters (105-0) to post the podium finishes. Rounding out the top five in the women's javelin were sophomore Rachel Glasgow and Brittany Whitaker.
In the long jump, CCU sophomore DeMiracle Washington finished just in front of Georgia Southern's Nicole Brown with distances of 5.44 meters (17-10.25) and 5.43 meters (17-9.75), respectively. Western's Tiffany Mack finished third in the event with her best distance - and second on the team - this season with a mark of 5.40 meters (17-8.75).
And wrapping up the day in women's competition, Chanticleer senior Brittany Reid hurled the shot put 13.91 meters (45-7.75) to win the event. Emily Greeson from Georgia Southern finished second (12.86m, 42-2.25) with Western's Nicole Lopez placing third with a distance of 12.63 meters (41-5.25) and teammate Sharhonda Bell finishing fifth (11.94m, 39-2.25).
Action in the 2006 Western Invitational resumes at 10:00 am on Saturday morning with the men and women's hammer throw. The first track event will lineup at 12:20 pm with the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase and will conclude around 4:45 pm with the 4x400-meter relays. The event is free to the public.
April 1, 2006 - Catamounts Conclude WCU Invitational with 33 Podium Finishes; SoCon Wins Challenge
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina recorded 33 podium performances, including 14 total first-place finishes on Saturday in the final day of competition in the 2006 Western Invitational. The Catamount women accounted for 15 top three finishes and a total of seven victories, while the men tallied 18 podium visits, equaling the women with seven wins.
The Southern Conference claimed victory on both sides in the head-to-head competition between the SoCon and Big South Conferences. On the men's side, Western, which was the only SoCon school competing over the weekend, scored 341 total points to edge the tandem of Coastal Carolina (220) and UNC Asheville (74) from the Big South with 294 points. In women's competition, WCU scored a school-best 255 points, coupled with Georgia Southern's 185 for a 440-to-253 win over the Big South. Coastal Carolina led the BSC with 213 points, while UNC Asheville scored 40.
Continuing their success from the first day, the Coastal Carolina women posted a one-through-three finish in the women's hammer throw. Junior Jessica Pressley won the event with a distance of 51.33 meters (168-5) to finish in front of teammates Brittany Reid (47.49m, 156-2) and Courtney Nash (46.35m, 152-1). Junior Sharhonda Bell led a trio of WCU finishers in fifth through seventh. Bell threw a WCU season-best 41.87 meters (137-4), followed by sophomore Michaela Hall (40.01m, 131-3) in sixth and Nicole Lopez (39.15m, 128-5), all throwing their best of the season.
Georgia Southern claimed top points in the women's discus as sophomore Monique Pitts won the event with a distance of 41.14 meters (135-0). The Chants, however, claimed second through fourth with Brittany Reid (39.97m, 131-02), Courtney Nash (39.03m, 128-1) and Jamie Mushatt-Valrie (38.71m, 127-0) rounding out the top four finishers.
In the women's high jump, East Tennessee State's Anna Marie Riccardi just missed the NCAA regional qualifier, winning the event after clearing 1.70 meters (5-7.0), just a quarter of an inch off the mark. Western posted the next three finishing positions as junior Brittany Whittaker was third (1.65m, 5-5.0) and freshman Angela Stark tying sophomore Jessika Johnson for third, clearing 1.60 meters (5-3.0). CCU's DeMiracle was the top finisher in the women's triple jump, leaping 11.84 meters (38-10.25), while her teammate, Claire Young, won the women's pole vault clearing 3.50 meters (11-5.75).
Several women set Catamount Athletic Complex facility records on the day in various events. In the women's 100-meter hurdles, two members from Team Velocity broke the track record as Rhonda White and Kamelia Tyson won the event with times of 13.70 and 13.76, respectively, with the first being the record. GSU junior Brittany Chase was the top collegiate finisher in third, also breaking the old track record by tripping the tape at 13.99.
Catamount sophomore Tangelia Johnson claimed first-place in both the women's 100- and 200-meter dash. She won the shorter of the two sprints in 11.82 and turned half a circuit in 24.11, which is one of the quickest times of this outdoor season. In the 200, Johnson edged classmate Raquel Ramseur by one, one-hundredth of a second as the Charlotte, N.C., native rank 24.12 right on Johnson's heels. In the 100-meter dash, ETSU's Cagney Bailey was the runner-up, while GSU's Nicole Brown was third behind Johnson and Ramseur in the 200-meter event.
Ramseur did manage to tally a first, though, winning the 400-meter dash with a time of 54.96, three-tenths of a second slower than her seasonal best. UNC Asheville senior Tanya Harris ran second (55.75) while Ebony Brown of Coastal was third (56.15). WCU's domination of the track events continued when sophomore Kerrie Savery won the women's 800-meter run by five seconds over teammate, freshman Annie Bailey, 2:16.41-to-2:21.80. UNCA's Ingred Allstaedt followed the two Catamounts in third, less than a second off Bailey's final stride (2:22.62).
Western junior Asia Davis not only set a CAC record, but qualified for the NCAA Regionals at the same time in the women's 400-meter hurdles. Davis circled the track in a season's best 59.56 to take the top honor in the event, as well as leave her name in the record books and secure a spot in the East regional. Georgia Southern's Amber Wilson rank second in the event (1:01.86) with CCU's LeAuna Sistrunk placing third (1:03.96).
Senior Deanna Kulesz knocked nine seconds off her previous season best by running an 11:00.42 to win the women's 3,000-meter run by over 11 seconds over the runner-up, Claudia Witte from Coastal Carolina, while Abby Bloom from Georgia Southern claimed the 3,000-meter Steeplechase in 12:03.00. Western's Skye Aiello was third in the steeple. Kulesz ran third in the 1,500-meter run, trailing classmate Brittney Jett from GSU (4:51.03) and MacKenzie Labonte of East Tennessee State (4:52.86).
In the relay events, Western Carolina's `A' team of Johnson, sophomore Raquel Ramseur, senior Cassie Gentry, and junior Asia Davis set a Catamount Athletic Complex record in the 4x100-meter relay, passing the baton in 45.72 to edge both Georgia Southern (46.43) and Coastal Carolina (46.87). The Chanticleers claimed the top prize in the final women's event of the day, winning the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:50.94 over Georgia Southern in second (3:55.08) and Western in third (3:59.25). Running the day-ending event for WCU were sophomore Brooke Saddler, Savery, Whittaker, Bailey.
The Catamount men's 4x100-meter relay team not only set a CAC record, but also qualified for the NCAA Regional by turning the quick lap of 40.31 to take first place, beating out former SoCon foe, East Tennessee State, and Coastal Carolina. Team members included senior Milton Bolton, freshman Kevin Johnson, sophomore Zeb Johnson, and sophomore Mike Malone. The four also performed well individually as Zeb Johnson led a top four sweep by the Catamounts in the 200-meter dash by not only setting a CAC record but also qualifying for the NCAA Regionals with a 20.88. Johnson edged freshmen teammates Manteo Mitchell (21.11) and Kevin Johnson (21.63), with a fourth Catamount, Malone, running fourth.
Western also swept the top honors in the 400-meter dash as Bolton set a CAC record at 47.30, followed by Mitchell with a 47.87, which was also below the old track record, and junior James Gregory in third (48.80). The tandem of Johnson and Johnson (Zeb and Kevin) finished second and third for WCU in the 100-meter dash, just behind East Tennessee State's James Rainer, who set a CAC record and qualified for regionals with his time of 10.40.
WCU senior Lawrence Briscoe won the men's high jump competition, clearing a seasonal best 1.90 meters (6-2.75) to defeat Michael Estes (ETSU) and David Gift (unattached) who each cleared 1.85 meters (6-0.75). Freshman Rashad Herndon was fifth, followed by classmate Chris Gaillard, junior Matt Harlfinger, Rod Palmer, and junior Ashton Bennett, all in purple and gold. Briscoe also won the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.54 and placed second in the men's 400-meter dash (55.39), runner-up to Coastal's Tyrone Murphy who won the event with a time of 53.69. WCU's Charleton Grant was third, four seconds in arrears to Murphy with a time of 57.50.
Catamount middle distance runner, senior Adam Puett, won two events on the day, taking top honors in the 800-meter run at 1:56.67 and in the 1,500-meter run at 3:59.04. Puett's time in the 800 was a full second in front of Coastal Carolina's Jamie McCarthy (1:57.68) and nearly two seconds ahead of UNCA's Dave Bell in third (1:59.44). His 1,500-meter time just beat out Taylor Little of UNC Asheville in second (4:00.31) and Blair Paul of Coastal in third (4:05.83).
King College, who's staff includes former WCU student-athlete and graduate assistant Johnny Bomar, won the men's 4x400-meter relay. The team of all-freshman team of Josh Cloyd, Marcus Lomans, David Krenik, and Caleb McDaniel passed the baton in 3:18.42 to edge Western's C team in second and ETSU in third. Coastal Carolina dominated the two long distance events of the meet as junior Doug Currie won the men's 3,000-meter run (8:38.58) and senior Johnny Mitchell won the 3,000-meter Steeplechase in 9:55.07. Western's Field Miller and Noah Taylor finished fifth and sixth in the 3K run.
Another NCAA Regional mark was achieved in the men's hammer throw as Coastal's Galen Jones recorded a distance of 56.76 meters (186-3) to win the event. His teammate, Tommy Sugishita, was third (51.78m, 169-10). Western took fifth through seventh as Jerod Kelly was WCU's best performer with a distance of 43.10 meters (141-5).
Rounding out the field events, defending SoCon champion, WCU's David Bowles, was the highest collegiate finisher (2nd overall) in the men's javelin with a distance of 55.34 meters (181-7). He finished second in the competition to Barry Flicker, who threw 56.77 meters (186-3). Western's Josh Lee also threw well, posting a fourth-place finish. The Chanticleer's Mark Johnson won the men's pole vault, defeating a pair from Clemson in the process, while Jamaal Parker of King College took home top honors in the men's triple jump, leaping 14.73 meters (48-4.0) to edge Omar Ahmad of UNCA and Western freshman Chris Gaillard.
The Catamounts return to action April 5-8 traveling to Austin, Texas for the Texas Relays. Western will host the second annual Catamount Classic on Friday, April 21 at the Catamount Athletic Complex.