North Carolina Invitational
UNCG (women)
Mary Ann Rutz also ran the 5000m and finished in 15th place with a time of 19:28.68, shaving over a minute off her previous personal best of 20:35.46.
WOMENS RESULTS: 5000M: 15. Mary Ann Rutz, 19:28.68.
On the women’s side Jess Weber was the top finisher, taking 15th place in the 3000 meter run with a time of 10:59.44 while placing 30th in the mile with a time of 5:24.54. Carly Magin set a new personal record in the mile with a time of 5:37.27 shaving nearly six second of her previous personal best.
The Spartans also placed three in the women’s 800 meters. Tiffany Garber led the way with a 30th place finish with a time of 2:26.11 while Sherrika Jordan and Courtney Fawcett finished in 36th and 53rd place with times of 2:27.65 and 2:37.56, respectfully.
UNCG returns to the track February 15-16 when they head to Blacksburg, VA for the Virginia Tech Challenge.
WOMENS RESULTS: MILE: 30. Jess Weber, 5:24.54, 34. Michelle Chewens, 5:30.45, 37. Carly Magin, 5:37.27; 800M: 30. Tiffany Garber, 2:26.11, 36. Sherrika Jordan 2:27.65, 53. Courtney Fawcett 2:37.56; 3000M: 15. Jess Weber, 10:59.44
Davidson (women)
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ? For a second straight weekend senior Brenna Burns won the 3,000 meters, as the Wildcat women concluded action at the Carolina Classic on the campus of the University of North Carolina Saturday afternoon.
Burns bested the field with a time of 10:01.41 for her second straight win in the event. Last weekend, Burns won the 3,000 with a time of 9:55.72 at the Patriot Games, a performance that earned her both SoCon Women’s Indoor Track Performer of the Week and SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week honors.
And for a second straight weekend, junior Caroline Sanker finished third in the same event with a time of 10:09.04.
In the sprints, the Wildcat women were led by junior Kim Colley, who finished 67th in a time of 8.35 in the 60 meters, and senior Amaka Obidegwu, who finished 44th in the 400 meters with a time of 1:02.07.
The Wildcat women will take a weekend off and return to action on Feb. 15 at the Tiger Invitational in Clemson, S.C.
Georgia Southern (women)
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ? The Georgia Southern track & field team returned to action this weekend at the Texas Roadhouse Carolina Classic in Chapel Hill, N.C.
On day one, several GSU athletes turned in solid performances. Sophomore Melanie Trumbo finished fifth in the pentathlon out of 12 competitors. The Lilburn, Ga. native posted an overall score of 2,983. Trumbo clocked in at 10.29 in the 60m hurdles, registered a mark of 5’02.5” in the high jump, threw a distance of 36’05.75” in the shot put, leaped a distance of 14’07.25” in the long jump and recorded a time of 2:39.28 in the 800m.
Junior Ashley Bush-Hardy (Fayetteville, Ga.) and senior Carla Ballard (Morrow, Ga.) finished 14th and 15th respectively in the 400m dash. Bush-Hardy posted a 59.09 in a field that included 68 runners, while Ballard turned in a 57.50 in the preliminaries.
Three Eagles finished fifth, sixth and eighth place in the triple jump event. Demetrise Anthony (Manchester, Ga.) jumped a 39’06.50, while teammates Shaunta Hamilton (Macon, Ga.) and Lynndsey Hyter leaped distances of 39’01.75” and 37’06.50” respectively.
Georgia Southern concluded competition on Saturday with another impressive outing. The 4x400m relay team placed fourth turning in a time of 3:54.14 in the finals.
Hamilton recorded a jump of 18’08.00” in the long jump placing fourth out of 52 competitors. Senior Jennifer Charles (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) threw a distance of 44’03.50” in the shot put giving her a sixth place finish in the event.
GSU junior Shauntel Jennings (Stone Mountain, Ga.) finished 16th out of 64 competitors in the 800m clocking in at 2:22.22.
The Eagles conclude the indoor regular season (Feb. 16) as they return to Chapel Hill, N.C. to compete in the Carolina Chick-fil-A Invitational. The meet is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m.
Furman (women)
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ? The Furman indoor track teams competed at the UNC Invitational this weekend, earning six top-ten finishes.
For the women, sophomore Megan Lordi ran a personal best time of 18:52.03 in the 5000m, good for a 10th place finish. The Furman team earned a fourth place finish in the Distance Medley, while senior Chibuzo Aguocha turned in two top-ten performances in both the triple jump (11.60m) and the long jump (5.51m)
The Paladin track teams will compete again on Feb. 16 at the Tiger Invitational, hosted by Clemson University.
Elon (women)
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The Elon women's indoor track team's competition at the Texas Roadhouse Carolina Classic hosted by the University of North Carolina was highlighted by four top-10 finishes, four season-best performances and two outings which rank among the top-five finishes in the Southern Conference this season.
Sophomore Andrea March posted a combined score of 2848 to place seventh in the pentathlon. Of the five events, March posted her best finish in the 800 meter run, placing third with a time of 2:33.15. She placed fifth in the high jump by clearing 1.50 meters and eighth in the 60 meter hurdles (9.73), long jump (4.52 meters) and the shot put (7.65 meters).
Veronica Day, a freshman, tallied a season-best long jump of 5.51 meters to place eighth. She was just .05 meters shy of sixth place.
Elon's third top-10 performance was turned out by sophomore Jennine Strange who recorded a personal-best time of 2:19.66 in the 800 meter run. That time placed Strange ninth out of 64 competitors.
Freshman Sarah Skogen notched a season-best time of 1:00.79 in the 400 meter dash, placing 33rd out of 68 participants.
Another season-best was established by the Phoenix's 4x400 meter relay team which consisted of Strange, Skogen, March and Melissa Turowski. The team turned out the third-best time in the Southern Conference this year with a 4:03.12 and finished 11th in the meet.
Both senior Katelyn Ealer and freshman Emily Fournier opened their indoor seasons at this meet. Ealer finished ninth in the 5000 meter run, crossing the finish line in 18:42.47, the second-best performance in the SoCon this season. Fournier started her year by running the mile in 5:21.66 to finish 25th out of 54 runners.
"This group of young ladies has been training very hard over the last several weeks and we are starting to see the benefits of their hard work," said Elon head coach Mark Elliston. "We should start seeing better performances each week which will put us right on target for our best showing at the conference meet on Feb. 29 thru Mar. 1."
The Phoenix will next compete in the Tiger Invitational hosted by Clemson University in Clemson, S.C. on Feb. 15-16.
Penn State Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup
Appalachian State (women)
State College, Penn.- The Appalachian women’s track and field team finished day one of the Sykes-Sabock Challenge on a high note, as numerous Mountaineers finished strong in their respective events. The meet, which is highly competitive, is hosted by Penn State, who’s women’s squad is currently ranked ninth in the nation.
Sophomore Ashley McKiver (High Point, N.C./TW Andrews) led the way for the Apps in the 60 meter dash, as she finished tenth with a time of 7.84, and her three teammates, Vonteena Knotts (Charlotte, N.C./Butler), Porsha Evans-Hardy (Winston-Salem, N.C./RJ Reynolds) and Crystal Dukes (Fayetteville, N.C./EE Smith) were right on her heals, grabbing the 14, 16 and 18 spots.
Evans-Hardy also competed in the 60 meter hurdles, where she finished 18 overall with an impressive time of 9.26. Her finish places her in the eighth spot on Appalachian’s all-time list in the event.
ASU also did well in the long jump, as senior Vonteena Knotts came in seventh, jumping 17-10.75, while junior Jessica Mayela (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) notched the ninth place spot with a leap of 17-8.75.
In the pole vault, seniors Shea Snow (Boonville, N.C./Starmount) and Kaitlyn Heeke (Hickory, N.C./St. Stephens) both finished ninth, vaulting 11-1.75. Heeke’s vault moves her into the fifth spot on ASU’s all-time list. Snow, currently ranks with second on the list, with her best vault coming in 2007.
Rounding out day one action, senior Brittani Williams (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Christian) and Whitney Smyre (Stoney Point, N.C./Alexander Central) had solid performances in the weight throw, with Williams finishing ninth, throwing 52-6.75 and Smyre placing 13.
The Mountaineers s look to carry its success into Saturday’s competition, which includes such events as the shot put, triple jump, one mile run and 400 meter dash.
Log on to www.GoASU.com for complete results from the Penn State Sykes-Sabcock Challenge Cup.
State College, Penn.- The Appalachian women’s track and field team faced stiff competition and numerous challenges throughout the weekend at the Penn State Sykes Sabock Challenge. The Mountaineers finished 13 overall in the meet, with the ninth ranked Nittany Lions grabbing the first place spot.
Senior Kala Robertson (Dobson, N.C./Surry Central) led the way for the Apps in the one mile run, as she finished 19 overall with a time of 5:06. Her time moves her into eighth place on ASU’s all-time list in the event. Teammate Anna Baker (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) came in 29 in the race with a time of 5:20.
Robertson also was strong in the 800 meter run, as she finished 22 with a time of 2:20, with Baker placing 29 and Melissa Kopec coming in 31.
In the 200m dash sophomore Ashley McKiver (High Point, N.C./TW Andrews) finished 12, tied with Olivia Kizzee of Tulane, both having a time of 25.43.
Improving their performances from the first day of action, sophomore Danielle Thorpe (Durham, N.C./Jordan) grabbed the runner-up spot in the triple jump, jumping 40-9.75. Vonteena Knotts (Charlotte, N.C./Butler) finished eighth in the event with a jump of 36-11, while Jessica Mayela (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) placed 12.
The Mountaineers posted solid performances in the field events as well, as freshman Rebecca Hazeltine (Weddington, N.C./Weddington) placed tenth in the high jump, jumping 5-3.25, while Brittani Williams (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Christian) notched the tenth place spot in the shot put, with a throw of 43-1.50. Teammates Whitney Smyre (Stoney Point, N.C.//Alexander Central) and Lily Tallent (Cherryville, N.C./West Lincoln) who also competed in the shot put finished 17 and 19 respectively.
ASU will continue with its 2008 campaign, as the Mountaineers
Akron Open
Western Carolina (women)
Scoring the victory for the women was freshman Jordan Gaddy, who earned her first career win in the women’s one mile run, with a career-best time of 5:15.11.
Among the four podium finishes for the women was junior Annie Bailey, who ran a career-best time of 2:20.51 in the 800-meter run to bring home third place. The aforementioned Gaddy also took top-ten honors in the event, following her win in the mile run with a yet another career mark, coming in sixth place in a time of 2:22.00.
Western Carolina continued its season-long dominance in the 400-meter dash at the Open with three top-ten finishes in the women’s event, led by Raquel Ramsuer, who brought home a career-best time of 55.27 to finish in third place. Her time was also the fastest run by a Catamount woman in the 400-meter this season. Janet Carothers followed in seventh place at 56.79, and Shayln McMichael rounded out the top ten at 56.96.
The WCU 4x400-meter relay “A” team of Carothers, McMichael, Ramsuer, and Felicia Paulding tripped the tape in a time of 3:55.13, just two seconds off their season-best time, to finish in third place in the event. The team has now finished in the top-three in every meet they’ve competed in so far this season.
The two teams will travel to familiar territory next weekend when they head to Boone, N.C. to compete in the ASU Limited Open, on Friday, February 8. It will be the second time they have gone to a meet in Boone this season, after opening the 2007-08 indoor schedule at the Appalachian State Opener.
University of Kentucky Invitational
Chattanooga (women)
In the women’s event, junior Emily Wood placed 12th in the women’s 800 meter run, shaving nearly three seconds off her PR with a time of 2:13.76 and Kathleen Turchin (Sugar Hill, Ga.) placed 14th in the women’s 3,000 meter run.
Sophomore Shelley Taylor (Cohutta, Ga.) cut more than 25 seconds off her top time in the women’s Mile Run finishing with a time of 5:05.34. Junior Sabrina Lefort (Timmons, Ontario, Canada) was just five seconds behind her at 5:10.73 followed by freshman Meredith White (Grayson, Ga.) at 5:14.98.
The Mocs will return to action at the Middle Tennessee Blue Raider Invitational on Feb. 9 at the Murphy Center on the MTSU campus.
Women’s Mile Run
20. Shelley Taylor 5:05.34 (PR: 5:26.12)
25. Sabrina Lefort 5:10.73 (PR: 5:06.72)
29. Meredith White 5:14.98 (freshman)
Women’s 400 Meter Dash
25. Amanda Alexander 58.90
32. Jacarra Dennis 1:01.10
Women’s 800 Meter Run
12. Emily Wood 2:13.76 (PR: 2:16.85)
26. Lauren Anderson 2:20.38 (freshman)
34. Nettie Halcomb 2:24.90 (PR: 2:19.26)
Women’s 3000 Meter Run
14. Kathleen Turchin 9:56.12 (PR: 9:44.49)
24. Jordyn Radke 10:26.04 (freshman)
26. Tara Gietma 10:29.68 (freshman)
Thomson Invitational
The Citadel (women)
The women’s team placed ninth at the Thomson Invitational at the University of Delaware in Newark. The women set three school records.
Senior Jodi Whittle claimed her 12th school record, topping the previous 500m school record by a quarter of a second. Whittle’s time of 1:23.24 edged out the time of 1:23.39 set by Peaches Hudson on Dec. 3, 1999.
Junior Sarah Strickland destroyed the 1,000m school record, running 3:10.74. Strickland’s mark tops the time of 3:28.35 set by Laura Hewston at the same meet hosted by Delaware in 2004.
The Citadel established a school record in the 4x800m relay as the military school marked its 10th year of women’s track and field by running the 4x800m race for the first time in school history. Sophomores Heather Harris, Natalie Wolin, Katheryn Gatewood and junior Sarah Strickland combined to run 10:18.56 to place fifth.
The reigning Southern Conference heptathlon champion Tasha Sanders finished fourth in the shot put, throwing 40’ 3.25”, nearing her personal best throw of 41’ 2” set during the 2007 Southern Conference Outdoor Championships.
The women’s team placed two in the top-10 of the 20 lb. weight throw, led by junior Monique Edwards’ fifth-place finish. Edwards threw the weight 49’ 3.5” while sophomore Emily Green placed 10th with a throw of 41’ 3.75”.
In the women’s 60m hurdles, senior Tasha Sanders advanced to the finals after finishing second in her preliminary heat with a time of 9.38. Sanders’ ran 9.48 in the finals to finish eighth.
The Citadel track and field returns to action on Feb. 16 as the Bulldogs head to Clemson, S.C. for their final meet prior to the 2008 Southern Conference Indoor Championships. For complete coverage of Bulldog Track and Field, visit the official home of The Citadel Athletics at CitadelSports.com.