March 12, 2007 Release
The Citadel Men’s & Women’s Outdoor Track & Field
Sanders Sets Hurdles Record for Third Straight Week, Women’s 4x400m Relay Destroyed
Conway, S.C. ? Junior Tasha Sanders set the school record in the hurdles for the third consecutive week while the women’s 4x400m relay team easily topped the school record as the Bulldog track and field teams closed out the Coastal Carolina Invitational Saturday.
Sanders’ time of 15.28 in the 100m hurdles tops her previous record time of 15.33 as she finished eighth. That marks the third straight week that the Summerville, S.C. native has topped a hurdles record for the Bulldogs, dating back to her 9.44 record time in the 60m hurdles at the Southern Conference Indoor Championships on Feb. 18.
A member of each of the academic classes came together Saturday afternoon to destroy the school record in the sport’s marquee event, the 4x400m relay. The relay team, in their first outdoor relay performance of the season, ran 4:04.00, topping the previous record time of 4:09.56 which was set at last year’s Southern Conference Outdoor Championships in Statesboro, Ga.
Junior Jodi Whittle jumped out to a great start, giving freshman Katheryn Gatewood the baton and the lead in the first handoff. Gatewood, passed the baton to redshirt senior Alexis Moore with the team in second place, who raced out to a 40m lead for The Citadel before handing the baton off to the anchor leg in sophomore Megan Jenkins. Jenkins ran a 59.0 split to close out the race, holding onto the heat’s lead and securing the record time by 5.56 seconds. The Bulldogs won their heat and placed seventh overall.
Gatewood had already entered her name into the school’s record books Saturday as her personal record time of 2:22.68 in the 800m is entered as the second-fastest time a female runner as posted at The Citadel. That mark is second only to teammate Megan Jenkins’ school record mark of 2:17.31, set at last year’s SoCon Championships.
Jenkins ran a successful meet with two top-10 finishes as she continues to get stronger after sitting out the entire fall with an ankle injury. Her time of 2:25.01 placed her 10th in the 800m and she finished eighth in the 1,500m with a time of 4:51.45. Also in the 800m, freshman Heather Harris shaved close to two seconds off of her personal-best time, running 2:35.55.
Whittle also had a record day in another event as her personal-best time of 1:08.26 in the 400m hurdles is the No. 2 mark in the school’s record books.
Two-time Southern Conference Champion Stephanie McNeill finished second in the shot put to Georgia Southern’s Emily Greeson by less than four inches as McNeill threw 45’ 3.75. This mark comes after record throw by more than 10 feet in the hammer on Friday, throwing 163’ 6”, and setting a new school record. Friday’s record-setting performance was her first since injuring her ankle in practice last week.
Senior Cameron Easley was the top Bulldog finisher in the 100m dash, running 11.46 and placing ninth. This came after Easley made his debut in the long jump with a mark of 20’ 1” and finishing 17th, also being the top Bulldog finisher in that event.
The Citadel ran well in a fast 800m race with sophomore Zach Johnson leading the way with a personal record time of 1:59.25 to finish 15th. Junior Matt Haight followed him with a season-best time of 2:00.77 as he placed 20th.
Senior Will Wilson took almost five seconds off his personal-best time in the 3,000m steeplechase as he finished third with a time of 9:52.00. Wilson’s top time entering the race had been 9:56.53.
Freshman Kenny Stephens had a pair of personal record throws Saturday, beginning with a 21’ improvement in the discus. Stephens’ mark of 137’ 11” placed him 14th, topping his previous record mark of 116’ 10”. Following that record performance, Stephens’ made another improvement by throwing 47’ 6.5” in the shot put, topping his previous record mark of 45’ 7.25”.
The Citadel will next head to the Winthrop Invitational on March 17 before taking a week off in preparation to the All-Military Classic. For complete coverage of Bulldog Track & Field, visit the official home of The Citadel Athletics at CitadelSports.com.
College of Charleston Women’s Outdoor Track & Field
Cougars Break Records to Begin Outdoor Season
Summer Chambless set a new school and personal record in the pole vault with a 11-4 ? mark to open the College of Charleston’s track and field outdoor season at the Buccaneer Invitational on Saturday in North Charleston, S.C.
“I am pleased with how we have started the outdoor season,” said head coach Amy Schuckert after the Cougars had a record-breaking day.
Karen Corson also set a new record in the 1500-meter run with a time of 4:55.52, and Amy Laughlin had a personal best in the 800-meter with a time of 2:22.33.
Heather Collier recorded a 5-4 ? mark in the high jump to set a new school record.
The College of Charleston will travel to Rock Hill, S.C., for the Winthrop Duals on Mar. 17.
Davidson Men’s Outdoor Track & Field
Wildcat Men’s Track & Field Opens Outdoor Season at Coastal Carolina
CONWAY, S.C. ? The Davidson men's indoor track and field team opened the outdoor portion of their 2007 campaign at the Coastal Carolina Invite on Friday and Saturday in Conway, S.C.
The senior duo of Douglas Noreen (Apex, N.C.) and David Ritchie (Austin, Texas) led the charge in the running events, earning top-five performances in their respective events. Noreen, who holds the school record in the 800-meter, opened the outdoor season with a time of 1:54.81 to finish in fifth-place in that event. Teammates Brad Troxell (Fort Collins, Colo.) and Alex Hoyt (Salem, Va.) also raced in the event and crossed the finish line in 13th- and 21st-place with times of 1:58.28 and 2:00.83.
Ritchie compete in the 400-meter hurdles and raced to a third-place finish with a time of 54.66. He and Noreen teamed up with sophomore Justin Song (Seoul, Korea) and Troxell in the 4x400-meter relay to pick up a fifth- place showing with a time of 3:19.13.
Song went on to lead the Wildcat "A" relay team in the 4x100-meter to a sixth-place finish with a time of 44:24. He also competed in the 400-meter dash, crossing the finish line in a time of 50.17, good for 13th-place.
Sophomore Coleman Hubbard (Columbia, S.C.) etched his name in the top-10 at the invitational with a jump of 11.33 meters in the triple jump, good for seventh-place.
NCAA regional qualifier Jim Walter (Solon, Ohio) started in his quest in making a return trip back with the fifth-best throw in the discus over the two-day event with a throw of 157' 4". He holds the school record with a throw of 157' 7".
Rounding out the field events was freshman David DesPrez (South Natick, Mass.), who in his first collegiate outdoor meet earned a 12th-place showing in the Javelin with a throw of 142' 5".
The Wildcats head to the cross-county rival Charlotte 49ers' Classic starting on March 16 and running till the 17th.
Elon Women’s Outdoor Track & Field
Elon Opens Outdoor Season at Coastal Carolina
Sunday, March 11, 2007
CONWAY, S.C. ? The Phoenix women's track and field team opened its 2007 outdoor season over the weekend at the Coastal Carolina Invitational, turning in several stellar performances.
Monique Vines broke the Elon long jump record at 17-08.25, placing eighth while Angela Carlberg set the Phoenix javelin throw record at 109-00, placing 13th. Carlberg also placed fourth in the discus throw at 130-07.
Elon claimed the top two places in the 3,000-meter run as Caitlin Beeler (10:20.94) finished first and Alissa Wilke (10:43.44) placed second. The Phoenix's Jennine Strange ended up fourth in the 800-meter run (2:20.12) and Colleen McCarthy ran to fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (12:04.58).
The Elon 4x100-meter relay unit ? Dominique Dominque Price, Jessica Weaver, Danielle Simmons and Alice Turner ? crossed the line in fourth with a time of 49.54 seconds while the Phoenix's 4x400-meter relay team ? Jennine Strange, Jessica Weaver, Jessica Clendenning and Alice Turner finished eighth at 4:05.69.
Georgia Southern Women’s Outdoor Track & Field
Track & Field Open Outdoor Season with Three Titles
CONWAY, S.C. ? Georgia Southern’s track and field team returns to Statesboro after opening up the 2007 outdoor season at the Coastal Carolina Invitational.
Of the 16 events GSU competed, they had top five finishes in 12 of them, including three titles and five runner-up marks.
The Eagles saw action in two events on Friday. In the Hammer Throw senior Emily Greeson (Calhoun, Ga./Gordon Central) took fourth place with a distance of 151’2” while freshman Laura Fuller (Cartersville, Ga./Cartersville) ran a 10:59.44 ? third place ? in the 3000M, putting herself at second on GSU’s all-time list.
Returning on Saturday, three Eagle seniors set the bar high with the opening events. Greeson claimed the team’s first individual title in the Shot Put with a career best mark of 45’07” while fellow seniors Nicole Brown (Lawrenceville, Ga./Collin’s Hill) and Lauren Jacobs (Marietta, Ga./Marietta) took second and third in the Long Jump with distances of 18’3.25” and 17’11.75”, respectively.
Jasmine Lightning (Dacula, Ga./Dacula) highlighted the High Jump competition beating her previous lifetime best mark by four inches with a sixth place height of 5’5”.
In the final field event of the meet, the Triple Jump, newcomer Demetrise Anthony (Manchester, Ga./Machester) saw second place (38’6.75”) with senior Brittany Chase (Lawrenceville, Ga./Berkmar) coming in at fourth with a distance of 37’6”.
Anthony continued that success in the track events, obtaining a runner up finish in the 100M (12.37) with teammate Shamyria Ortiz (Newnan, Ga./Rowlett) not far behind taking fourth in 12.48. Ortiz also came in fourth in the 200M (25.40).
Senior Rashedah Arnold (Fayetteville, Ga./Landmark Christian) won the crown in the 400M (57.10) and Chase was the runner-up in the 100M Hurdles with a time of 14.23.
The third and final title was obtained by junior Amber Wilson (Calhoun, Ga./Gordon Central) in the 400M Hurdles clocking in at 1:03.07. Fellow junior Carla Ballard (Morrow, Ga./Morrow) came in a close second with a time of 1:03.33.
In the second to last event, junior Abby Bloom (Kennesaw, Ga./Brookwood) rewrote her school record in the 3000M Steeplechase with a third place time of 11:47.51. Her previous record stood at 11:50.29, achieved in 2005.
The Eagles closed out the meet with a fifth place performance in the 4x400M Relay. Wilson, Ballard, Brown and Arnold ran for a time of 3:56.29.
“I’m looking for a lot more competitive drive and sense of urgency” says head coach Natalie Smith. “I didn’t get that vibe this weekend. We had a few individuals do some good things but we’re rusty overall, as a team. I’m expecting more when we return from spring break next week.”
Georgia Southern will travel up the road to Athens, Ga. next weekend (Mar. 16 - 17) to compete in the Georgia Relays.