College of Charleston - Palmetto Classic
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Freshman jumper Jelain McArthur (Laurens, S.C./Laurens District) set two school records at the Palmetto Invitational on Friday as the College of Charleston kicked off its outdoor season.
The Cougars co-hosted the Palmetto Classic with The Citadel at Park West in Mt. Pleasant. The team went head-to-head with athletes from Georgia Southern, Savannah State and Charleston Southern, in addition to The Citadel Bulldogs.
McArthur won the 100-meter hurdles in her first outdoor competition as a Cougar. Her time of 14.75 seconds beat the existing CofC school record by 27 hundredths of a second. Juniors Isabel Boersma (Franklin, Tenn./Ravenwood) and Brynne Johnson (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) also performed well, finishing fourth and fifth respectively. Boersma previously owned the top 10 times recorded at Charleston in the hurdles. She finished with a time of 15.78, while Johnson's time of 16.09 tied her personal best.
The freshman jumper also set a new record in the triple jump, where her distance of 38'¼" placed her second in the competition. She surpassed the previous record, set by Dominique Boone in 2006, by more than a foot.
While McArthur set a record in the 100-meter hurdles, junior Mary Zolga (Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) broke the school record in the 400-meter hurdles. She came in first with a time of 1:05.40, more than two seconds faster than Charleston's previous top time. Junior Saskia Kalmeijer (Brussels, Belgium/Pope) also ran well with a fourth-place time of 1:09.99; the sixth-best time in school history.
Boersma captured the javelin title, leading a pack of five Cougars in the event. She launched a distance of 79'¾" to beat the rest of the competition by at least 7'6". Johnson finished second among CofC competitors with a fourth-place distance of 72'¼".
In the middle distance events, sophomore Kristen Wolfe (Midlothian, Va./James River) led the team with a time of 5:10.78 in the mile to win the event. She also took home a third-place finish in the 800 meters, clocking a time of 2:24.01.
The Cougars will compete next at the Shamrock Invitational, a three-day meet that begins on Mar. 18 in Conway, S.C.
The Citadel - Palmetto Classic
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Christopher Castagno broke the school record in the hammer with a mark of 163' 0.25" while the Bulldogs placed first in six other events as The Citadel track and field team hosted the Palmetto Classic on Friday afternoon at the Park West Track Complex in Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Castagno's mark placed him at first overall, surpassing Rick Austin's last collegiate throw of 161' 3" in the 2006 SoCon Outdoor Championships.
Atom Young finished first in the 3,000 meters with a personal-best time of 9:07.00. Young's run allowed him to clinch the ninth all-time record in The Citadel's top 10 list. Quintin Turner tossed 138' 3" for first place in the discus while Carl Carruth won the shot put.
David Miller ran past Savannah State's Chazwyn Price in the last leg of the 4x100 meter relay to claim first place. Miller, joined by the speediness of Daniel Till, Christian Graham and Benjamin McCoy ran a time of 41.89 seconds.
For the women, Natalie Wolin improved the second-fastest time in school history in the 5,000 meters. She ran a personal-best time of 18:38.45 to finish first overall. Monique Edwards wraps up the first place finishers for the Bulldogs with her throw of 150' 3" in the hammer.
In other action around the track, Frankie Dioguardi fell short of the 800 meter10th all-time record by two seconds when he ran 1:57.65 for second place. Jordan Ashley followed in third with a time of 1:59.31.
Matt Earls tallied a season-best in the javelin when he threw 144' 8" for second place and Brendan Kight placed third in the mile recording a time of 4:26.39.
Emily Green placed second in the javelin with a mark of 93' 10" while Micah Wessinger earned the fourth all-time record as she ran 1:00.51 in the 400m dash for fifth place. Katheryn Gatewood recorded the second-best time in school history when she ran 5:55.61 in the mile.
Mia Trevino threw a personal-best mark of 33' 2" in the shot put. Trevino's fifth place throw put her at ninth all-time in The Citadel's top 10 list.
Coming up next, the Bulldogs will compete in the Shamrock Invitational on March 19-20 in Conway, S.C. For more information on Bulldog Track and Field, visit the official website of The Citadel Athletics at www.CitadelSports.com.
Georgia Southern - Palmetto Classic
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Earning three first-place finishes in field events, the Georgia Southern Track and Field Team took five top finishes overall at the Palmetto Classic at The Citadel Friday. In the opening of the outdoor season, the Eagles took a first-place finish in the long jump, shot put and javelin and had top performances in the 100 meter dash and 800 meter run.
Senior Shaunta Hamilton (Macon, Ga.) posted a distance of 18'9" for first place in the long jump (5.72 m) for the Eagles. In the throws, sophomore Azura Robillard (Altamonte Springs, Fla.) placed first in the javelin with a throw of 101'4" (30.89 m) and freshman Ashley Thomas (Lawrenceville, Ga.) had a throw of 39'8" (10.89 m) in the shot put for first place.
Hamilton added third-place finishes in the triple jump (37'2" - 11.34m) and 100 meter hurdles (15.77) to her perfomances in Charleston.
Sophomore Antoinette Jordan (Griffin, Ga.) raced to the number-one spot in the 100 meter dash with a time of 12.50 and senior Courtney Ware (Indianapolis, Ind.) placed fourth in the event for Georgia Southern at 13.10. Jordan followed up her performance with a 25.92 time in the 200 meter dash. Freshman Jasmine Billings (Lawrenceville, Ga.) finished sixth (26.82) and Millicent Brooks-Millender ninth (27.12) to tie Savannah State for three student-athletes in the top 10 in that event.
Senior Laura Fuller (Cartersville, Ga.) led five Eagles to top-10 finishes in the 800 meter run. Fuller had the top time at 2:19.44 with Robillard just behind her for second place at 2:20.83. Freshman Mary O'Sullivan (Greenville, S.C.) took fourth place with a time of 2:27.81. O'Sullivan finished ahead of freshman Talisha Rice (Stockbridge, Ga.) and sophomore Leah Bradley (McDonough, Ga.).
Fuller paced three Eagle underclassmen in the one mile run with a time of 5:13.33 for second place in the race. Freshman Sara Curry (Lawrenceville, Ga.) placed in the top five at 5:33.04, Bradley eighth (5:49.40) and freshman Amanda Tennyson was 10th (6:06.88).
Billings placed second in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 15.10 just ahead of Hamilton to lock up two of the top three positions in that event. Sophomore Morgan Jefferson (Villa Rica, Ga.) recorded a time of 58.32 for third place and junior Joann JaJa Benson (Savannah, Ga.) finished .09 seconds behind at 58.43 for fourth place in the 400 meter dash. Jefferson and Benson were both members of the 4X400 Relay team with Ware and Jordan. The team placed second with a time of 3:55.02. Ware also took third place in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:07.51.
Eagles Brittani Martin (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Heather McAllister (Cartersville, Ga.) broke The Citadel stronghold on the 5000 meter run event by placing third and fourth, respectively. Martin posted a time of 19:26.02 and McAllister had a time of 19:49.09.
Rounding out the top 10 in the shot put, sophomore Charnelle Wray (Jamacia, N.Y.) placed third (33'5"-10.20 m) and Robillard ninth. Brooks-Millender placed fifth in the long jump with a distance of 16'5"(5.02 m) and sophomore Alex Cassagnol (Augusta, Ga.) finished second in the high jump with a height of 5'1" (1.57m).
Senior Amanda Spivy (Pembroke, Ga.) placed second in the discus (121'7"-37.07 m) and was fifth in the hammer throw (12'9"- 39.55 m). Statesboro's Sarah Herndon took a seventh-place finish in the discus (101'3"-30.87 m) and eighth-place finish in the hammer throw (112'9"-34.38 m). Freshman Megan Fannon (Doravilla, Ga.) (117'1"-35.69 m) placed seventh in the hammer and Ashley Thomas' distance of (67'5"-20.64 m) was good for eighth.
The Eagle Track and Field team will compete next at the Shamrock Invitational at Coastal Carolina Friday-Saturday, March 19-20.
Elon - Coastal Carolina Invitational
CONWAY, S.C. - The Elon track and field team set three schools records and had one meet champion on day two of the Coastal Carolina Invitational in Conway, S.C.
In her first collegiate track meet, former women's basketball standout Urysla Cotton dominated the field of shot putters, beating the field by nearly two feet to take home Elon's only championship of the weekend. Her best toss of 44'9 ¾" also set a new school record, breaking the previous best by nearly three feet. Teammate Justine Robertson placed third overall in the event with a personal best throw of 41'10".
Robertson went on to place second in the discus with a heave of 136'8".
Junior Veronica Day picked up where she left off from the indoor season with a school record and second-place finish in the long jump with a distance of 18'10".
The third Elon record fell in the high jump as Courtney Weathers cleared 5'3", nearly two inches higher than the previous height of 5"1 ¾", The mark was good enough for a fifth-place finish.
Senior Jennine Strange started her outdoor campaign with a second-place time of 2:15.61 in the 800-meter run.
Sophomore Amy Salek placed fifth in the 400-meter run with a time of 58.07 seconds.
Courtney Whalen clocked a 4:50.90 in the 1,500-meter run for an eighth-place finish, while Allyson Costa placed sixth in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 18:20.35.
The Phoenix tracksters return to the track at the Raleigh Relays on March 26-27 on the campus of NC State.
CONWAY, S.C. - The Elon track and field team posted two school records and recorded three top-eight finishes on the first day of the outdoor season at the Coastal Carolina Invitational in Conway, S.C.
Junior thrower Justine Robertson picked up where she left off at the end of last season, breaking her own school record in the javelin with a distance of 124'10". The distance was good enough for a fifth-place finish.
Fellow thrower Alyssa Girvin broke a second Elon record with a 128'6" mark in the hammer throws.
Caitlin Beeler and Emily Fournier each had a great showing in the 3,000-meter run. Beeler crossed the line in 10:16.50 for a sixth-place finish, while Fournier clocked an eighth-place time of 10:19.69.
The Phoenix will resume competition tomorrow morning.
UNC Greensboro - UNCW Seahawk Invitational
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Katie Hansen broke the school record in the 1,500 meters to lead UNC Greensboro on day two of the UNCW Seahawk Invitational at the Greene Track and Field Complex.
The men's team finished in fifth place at the meet, while the women came in eighth.
Hansen finished in fifth place in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:44.48. Her time broke the previous school record set in 2006 by Jess Weber by half a second.
Sherrika Jordan also had a nice day for the women's team as she ran a 1:03.61 in the 400 meters, which was the third fastest time in school history. Kerry Hartman finished just behind her with a time of 1:04.69 for the fifth-fastest time in school history.
Shaina Sumney came in fourth place in the 800 meters with a time of 2:19.48 which was the third fastest time in school history.
On the men's side, TJ Wyatt came in second in the 800 meters with a time of 1:54.81. His time was the fourth-fastest in school history.
Jermaine Coore came in third place in the 1,500 meters for the Spartans by running a 4:02.91.
Samford - 'Southern Invitational
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University track and field team continued its record-setting ways Saturday in the first outdoor meet of the season. The Bulldog men took second and women placed third at the 'Southern Invitational hosted by Birmingham-Southern. Alabama State took both the men's and women's team titles.
Kyle Kirby and Thomas Oliver highlight the action for the Bulldogs with school records in their respective events. Kirby won the hammer throw with a school record of 168-2 while Oliver won the javelin with a school record of 207-10.
"Thomas (Oliver) did a great job today of handling the elements and setting the school record," Samford Head Coach Rod Tiffin said. "He and Kyle (Kirby) were really able to get it done under some really tough conditions. The group worked really hard under some crazy weather."
Chris Davis placed third in the hammer with a toss of 130-1 while taking second in the shot put with a distance of 46-4.25. Luke Davis took 15th in his first collegiate meet with a toss of 36-4.25.
Also in the men's field events, Bo-Ackerson Gilroy placed fifth in the pole vault (12-11.50), 11th in the discus (112-8) and 13th in the long jump (19-7.50). Donald Cooper placed 12th in the long jump (19-8) and 16th in the discus with a personal best of 105-1.
Chas Keithan placed 10th in the high jump with a mark of 5-10.
The Bulldog men swept the top three spots in the pole vault as they became accustomed to doing in the indoor season. Patrick Wells won the event with a vault of 15-5 followed by Ryan Cook in second with a height of 14-11 and Zac Epperson in third with a height of 14-5.25.
In the men's track events, Cameron Bean took first place in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:00.19 followed by Scott Cope in second with a time of 4:03.56. Ramsey White placed ninth with a time of 4:12.60.
Blaise Carie took fifth place in the 800 meters with a time of 1:58.45 while Dan Hall placed 28th in the event with a time of 2:09.64.
Keithan placed ninth in the 400-meter dash with a personal best of 51.11 followed by Cooper in tenth with a time of 51.13.
Cavan Corcoran also won the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.20.
On the women's side several Bulldogs highlighted the track events. Morgan Tyler won the 100-meter hurdle preliminaries with a time of 14.61 before taking second in the finals with a time of 15.84. Julie McDonald was second in the preliminaries with a time of 15.46 before taking fifth in the finals with a time of 15.75. Ashley Bridenbaugh placed third in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:08.56.
In the women's 1500 meters, Lauren D'Alessio led the Samford women with a second place finish in 4:40.65. Holley Benson took fourth place with a time of 4:42.43 followed by Jessica Van Ausdall in sixth place with a time of 4:47.56. Andrea Seccafien placed 11th place with a time of 4:57.12 followed by Jillian Klassen (5:08.81) in 20th place, Deanna Zidar (5:12.95) in 24th place and Lauren Pilcher (5:31.86) in 34th place.
Lillie Jackson placed 11th in the 5000 meters with a time of 19:26.71 while Alli Keithan placed 11th in the 800 meters with a time of 2:30.10.
Ashley Dance placed sixth in the 400-meter dash with at time of 59.91 while Christian McGuire took 10th in the 200-meter dash with a time of 27.07 followed by Tatum Moffett in 11th with a time of 27.17.
The Samford women also took second place in the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 49.43. That team was made up of Leslie Graff, Ashley Dance, Tatum Moffett and Lauren McDonald.
In the high jump, Chenelle Terry placed second with a height of 5-3.75 followed by Emily Allen (4-7.75) in 12th place and Elyse Rippe (4-6) who tied for 15th place.
Emily Allen took second place in the pole vault with a personal best of 10-11.75 while Jessica Lucas took sixth in the hammer throw with a personal best of 109-3 and second in the javelin with a school record-tying toss of 122-5.
The Bulldogs will be back in action in two weeks as they take a trip down Interstate 20/59 to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to compete in the Alabama Relays, March 25-28.