SPARTANBURG, S.C. ?The Southern Conference spring championships continue this weekend with the 2008 Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Western Carolina in Cullowhee, N.C., on Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27.
The championships begin on Saturday, April 26 at 9:00 a.m. with the decathlon events and will conclude on Saturday with the men’s and women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase at 6:35 p.m. Competition will continue on Sunday, April 27 at 9:30 a.m. with the decathlon and heptathlon events and will conclude with the men’s 4x400-meter relay at 5:40 p.m., followed by the presentation of the team championship trophies.
Five Western Carolina student-athletes have qualified for the NCAA Regionals including Zeb Johnson (100-meters, 200-meters and 400-meters), Dominique Young (100-meters and 200-meters), Manteo Mitchell (200-meters and 400-meters), Matt Evans (high jump and javelin), Daniel Joseph (long jump) and the men’s 4x400-meter and 4x100-meter relay teams. Patrick Morgan of Furman has a regional qualifying mark in the 1,500-meters and Appalachian State’s Joel Gaddy (long jump) and Wes Kiser (hammer throw) also have regional qualifying marks.
Tangelia Johnson (100-meters) and Raquel Ramseur (200-meters) of Western Carolina both have registered regional qualifying marks as well as the women’s 4x400-meter and 4x100-meter relay teams for the Catamounts. Georgia Southern’s Lynndsey Hyter posted an NCAA regional qualifying mark in the long jump and triple jump. Hyter is joined by fellow Eagles teammates Shaunta Hamilton and Demetrise Anthony, both in the triple jump as NCAA Regional qualifiers.
Review of 2007 Championships
At the 2007 Championships, Western Carolina repeated as team champion, finishing with 284 points. Georgia Southern won its first Southern Conference women’s track and field team title, defeating defending champion Appalachian State.
Nicole Brown from Georgia Southern, the outstanding track performer at the 2007 meet, accumulated 33 points for her team with individual titles in the 100-meters, 200-meters, triple jump and long jump.
Douglas Noreen of Davidson, won the 800-meters with a time of 1:53.05 and won the 1,500-meters with a time of 3:59.52. Noreen’s win in the 800-meters and 1,500-meters earned him the 2007 Track Performer of the Year honor.
Appalachian State’s Anthony Greer won his second Field Performer of the Year honors with three individual titles winning the hammer throw, shot put and discus.
The Citadel’s Stephanie McNeill won her second straight Field Performer of the Year award after winning the shot put with a toss of 47-5.02-feet and the hammer throw with a throw of 163-10-feet.
Georgia Southern’s Jessica Irizzary won the javelin with a throw of 134-4-feet and placed sixth in the hammer throw with a throw of 146-11-feet, earning her Freshmen of the Year honors. Western Carolina’s Dominique Young scored 18.5 points for his team, winning the 100-meters with a time of 10.48 and placing third in the 200-meters with a time of 21.09. His efforts earned him Freshmen of the Year honors.
Georgia Southern’s Natalie Smith was tabbed the women’s coach of the year while Davidson’s Gary Andrews and Danny Williamson of Western Carolina shared the men’s award.