Photos
Cullowhee, N.C. ?One Southern Conference record fell and an NCAA Regional qualifying mark was reached today at the 2008 Men’s and Women’s Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Cullowhee, NC. Appalachian State’s men’s and women’s teams lead after the first day of competition.
Appalachian State’s Wes Kiser broke a Southern Conference record in the hammer throw with a toss of 60.62 meter (198-11-feet). Grant Haun and Timothy Daly of Appalachian State placed second and third. In the men’s 100-meter preliminaries Western Carolina’s Dominique Young qualified for the NCAA Regional with a time of 10.55.
In the men’s 10,000-meters the Mountaineers took the top three spots with Blair Teal winning with a time of 32:13.86. Teal was followed closely by his teammates Asmeron Desta and Brian Deal. In the women’s 10,000-meters Brenna Burn of Davidson won with a time of 36:56.24 while Chattanooga’s Tara Gietema and Katie Williams finished second and third respectively.
The Catamounts lead the decathlon after the first day of competition. Matt Evans of Western Carolina placed first in three out of the first four events, racking up has 3,310 points. Sean Reardon holds second place with 3,237 points and David Gift is in third place with 3,224 points.
The women’s heptathlon saw The Citadel’s Lathcha Sanders take the lead after the first day of competition. Kiara Crutchfield of Appalachian State is only 17 points behind Sanders and Amber Wilson of Georgia Southern is in third place 2,780 points.
Shea Snow of Appalachian Stated edged out Summer Chambless to win the women’s pole vault. Snow and Chambless both missed all three attempts at 3.79 meters (11-11.25-feet) went back to the previous height to decide the winner. Kaitlyn Heeke and Ashley Beale of Appalachian State tied for third at 3.34 meters (10-11.50-feet).
Brittani Williams of Appalachian State won the hammer throw with a toss of 160-11-feet and teammate Michaela Hall placed third with a throw of 150-11-feet. Monique Edwards of The Citadel came in second with a throw of 158-04-feet.
In the women’s javelin competition, Western Carolina’s Tara Tounzen won the event with a toss of 140-01-feet. Georgia Southern’s Jessica Irizzary placed second with a toss of 122-04-feet and Lily Tallent of Appalachian State placed third with a throw of 120-02-feet.
Shaunta Hamilton of Georgia Southern edged Appalachian States Vonteena Hamilton by one-one thousandth of a meter in the women’s long jump. Demetrise Anthony placed third with a jump of 119-02.50-feet. Chris Gaillard held off three Appalachian State jumpers to win the men’s long jump with a jump of 23-10.75-feet. Joel Gaddy and Phillip Bush of Appalachian State finished second and third respectively.
Wes Kiser of Appalachian State won his second field event of the 2008 Southern Conference Track and Field Championship, picking up the discus title with a toss of 156-03-feet. Will Funderburg of Davidson placed second with a toss 151-02-feet and Cody Lawson of Western Carolina came in third with a throw of 146-09-feet.
The men’s pole vault saw the Mountaineers take first and second place. Ryan Twiford and Barron Shell both missed all three attempts at 4.79-meters. Twilford made his first attempt at 4.64-meters (15-02.75) while Shell missed his attempts. Mike Wilson of Appalachian State and James Logan of Western Carolina tied at third with a height of 4.49-meters (14-08.75-feet).
Davidson’s Megal Atias won the women’s steeplechase with a time of 11:10.01 with Chattanooga teammates Sabrina Lefort and Shelly Taylor finished second and third. Mark Maddox of Appalachian State won the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:24.37. Maddox’s teammate Ryan O’Keefe placed third with a time of 9:34.04. UNC Greensboro AJ Savoia finished second with a time of 9:28.50.