Appalachian State - Weems Baskin Invitational
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Appalachian State men's track and field had a strong early season performance Saturday, taking home first place in three events at the Weems Baskin Invitational on the campus of the University of South Carolina.
Sophomore Darius Purcell was one of the top performers for Appalachian Saturday. The Fayetteville, N.C. native won the high jump with a mark of 6-10.75 that measures as his best effort on the 2010 season.
Sophomore Mason Campbell took home a first-place finish for the Mountaineers in the 3000m steeplechase Saturday. The Towson, Md. native posted a time of 9:42.42 to claim the top spot.
The other first place finish belonged to the 4x100m relay team of Philip Bush, John Svoboda, Dennis Moore and John Svoboda. The team posted a time of 41.57 to edge the host South Carolina by .08 seconds. All four members of the relay team also had strong days individually as Powell earned an 11th place finish in the 100m dash with a time of 10.88 while Moore finished just behind in 12th with a time of 10.89. Bush posted a season-best time of 21.77 in the 200m dash to earn a third-place finish while Moore finished sixth with another season-best time of 21.81, and Svoboda finished fourth in the 400m dash with a season-best effort of 48.67.
The throwing events were also a strong area for the Mountaineers Saturday. Junior Malcolm Styers finished eighth in the hammer throw with a career-best effort of 190-3.50 and also added a sixth place finish in the shot put after a throw of 53-3. Freshman Andrew Hill finished fourth in the javelin with a toss of 169-7. Caleb Poplin added an eighth-place finish in the discus with a throw of 144-6.
Sophomore AJ Dohanic established a new personal-best time of 15.04 in the 110 hurdles to earn a sixth-place finish. Dohanic also added a seventh-place finish in the 400m hurdles with a season-best effort of 56.60.
Jack Bell and Mike Wilson tied for third in the pole vault with both clearing 15-1 Saturday.
Junior Andrew Yarchin finished second in the 800m run with a season-best time of 1:56.57.
Appalachian State men's track and field will return to competition next weekend at the Beach vs. Mountains Invitational, hosted by UNC-Wilmington.
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Appalachian State women's track and field was in action Saturday at the Weems Baskin Invitational at the University of South Carolina in their second meet of the outdoor season.
Senior Ashley McKiver finished 12th in the 200m dash with a time of season-best time of 24.99 and finished 13th in the 100m dash with a season-best time of 12.10. Freshman D'Shawrna McLucas added a 15th finish in the 200m with a season-best effort of 25.10 and junior Kiara Crutchfield added a 16th place finish in the 200m with a time of 25.32.
Dani Reese led a trio of Mountaineers with top-seven finishes in the 5000m run Saturday. Reese posted a time of 18:56.44 to earn a third-place finish, while freshmen Jenna Williamson and Amanda Hamilton finished sixth and seventh with times of 19:08.99 and 19:18.65, respectively. Junior Stephanie Payne added 14th place finish in the 1500m run after posting a time of 5:00.56.
In the 3000m steeplechase, sophomore Stephanie Chapman established a new career-best with a time of 11:45.72 en route to a second place finish. Chapman's performance also ranks sixth in ASU history.
Michelle Brutus finished sixth in the 100m hurdles with a season-best effort of 14.79, and Kiara Crutchfield earned an eighth-place finish with a time of 14.90. Brutus also added an eighth place finish in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:06.77. Crutchfield also added an eighth-place finish in the long jump with an effort of 17-11.75.
Junior Rebecca Hazeltine finished second in the high jump for the Mountaineers Saturday. The Weddington, N.C. native cleared a height of 5-5 to earn second place overall. Bridgette Hills added a t-sixth finish with a mark of 5-1. In the pole vault, Meredith Wilson and Ashley Beale tied for eighth place after both topped out at a height of 10-10.
Freshman Deanne Tiplday finished fourth in the javelin with a toss of 120-2.50.
In the relays, the 4x100 team of Kiara Crutchfield, Ashley McKiver, Danielle Thorpe and Christina Parker earned a fourth place finish with a time of 47.45. The 4x400 team of Nadia Liriano, Lynda Hiller, Shenita Martin and D'Shawrna McLucas finished fifth after posting a time of 4:14.02.
The Mountaineers will return to competition next weekend at the Beach vs. Mountains Invitational, hosted by UNC-Wilmington.
Appalachian State - Raleigh Relays
RALEIGH, N.C. - Members of Appalachian State men's track and field were in action on day two of the Adidas/Raleigh Relays held at Paul Derr Track on the campus of North Carolina State Saturday,
Seniors Josh Houser, Brandon Hudgins and Nick O'Keefe were the top individual finishers for the Mountaineers Saturday. Houser led the way with a sixth place finish in the Section I 1500m run with a time of 3:55.38, just .07 seconds shy of his season-best. Hudgins, who claimed the 800m title at last month's SoCon Indoor Championships, placed tenth in the Section I 1500m run Saturday with a time of 3:56.31. O'Keefe, a distance standout from Cary, N.C., finshed third in the Section II 1500m run with a time of 4:01.17.
Sophomore Sean Soderman also had a strong showing for ASU Saturday. Soderman, who represented the United States in this summer's Pan-Am Junior Games in Trinidad and Tobago, finished 10th in the 3000m steeplechase with a time of 9:29.65.
Appalachian State men's track and field will be in action next weekend at the Beach vs. Mountains Invitational, hosted by UNC-Wilmington.
RALEIGH, N.C. - Four members of Appalachian State men's track and field program were in action today at the Adidas/Raleigh Relays at Paul Derr Track on the campus of North Carolina State.
Sophomore Brian Graves led a trio of Mountaineers in the 5000m run Friday. The Bethesda, Md. native took home fifth place in the Section Three 5K with a time of 14:59.28. Senior Alec Meyer established a new personal-best time of 15:08.59 en route to a ninth-place finish, and freshman Michael Lilley earned a 19th place finish with a time of 15:20.28.
Senior Phil Mitchell also had a strong performance for the Mountaineers Friday, posting the seventh-fastest time in school history in the 10,000m run. The Glastonbury, Conn native placed ninth in the 10K with a personal-best time of 30:36.70.
ASU men's track will have athletes competing in day two of the Raleigh Relays Saturday, as well as at the Weems Baskin Invitational at South Carolina. GoASU.com will have a full recap of both meets Saturday evening.
College of Charleston - Raleigh Relays
CHARLESTON, S.C. - College of Charleston women's track & field carried its strong Friday performance into the second day of the Raleigh Relays on Saturday, leaving with two new school records.
Freshman Jelain McArthur (Laurens, S.C./Laurens District) broke her own school record in the triple jump on Saturday with a ninth-place leap of 39'5". She had previously set CofC's record on Mar. 12 with a jump of 38'3½" at the Palmetto Invitational. McArthur holds school records in three different outdoor events.
Fellow rookie Casey McKee (Johnsonville, S.C./Johnsonville) also performed well on the final day of competition. After competing in the shot put on Friday, she shattered her old personal-best in the hammer. McKee threw a distance of 124'3", more than 15 inches farther than her previous personal record. She also represented the Cougars in the discus.
Four Charleston runners competed in the 1,500 meters. Sophomore Kristen Wolfe (Midlothian, Va./James River) led the pack, crossing the finish line in 4:52.59 for 28th place. Following her was senior Emily Nagle (Annapolis, Md./Richmond) with a time of 4:58.13, and sophomores Callen Powers (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) and Tierney Willard (Midlothian, Va./NC State) with marks of 5:09.18 and 5:16.51, respectively. The quartet also teamed up for the 4x800 meter relay, where they finished 19th with a time of 9:54. 75.
Several members of the men's cross country team competed in the 5,000 meters for the Cougars. Junior Trevor Sprague (Dunwoody, Ga./St. Pius X Catholic) set a new school record with a time of 14:57.54 to finish third among the 23 runners in his section. He beat the record he set last week by six seconds.
Sophomore Christian Bailey (Charlotte, N.C./Ardrey Kell) finished second among the Cougars, finishing fourth in Section IV with a mark of 15:18.13. He now owns the third-fastest time in school history and shaved 15 seconds off his old personal record. Sophomore Eric Robertson (Dalzell, S.C./Thomas Sumter Academy) and senior David Thomas (Mt. Pleasant, S.C./Academic Magnet) rounded out the fourth section with times of 15:49.32 and 16:00.03, respectively.
Freshman Manning Miller (Bluffton, S.C./Bluffton) and sophomore David Lamberson (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) placed seventh and ninth in Section V of the 5,000 meters.
The Cougars return to North Carolina next weekend to compete in the Duke Invitational on Apr. 2-3.
RALEIGH, N.C. - Junior sprinter Mary Zolga (Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) broke her own school record in the 400-meter hurdles to place 19th out of a field of 60 as the women's track & field team participated in the first day of the Raleigh Relays, hosted by NC State.
Zolga's time of 1:04.27 shaved more than a full second off the previous record she set on Mar. 12 at the Palmetto Invitational. She now owns the three fastest times in the event.
Junior Saskia Kalmeijer (Brussels, Belgium/Pope) also represented the Cougars in the 400-meter hurdles. She crossed the finish line with a time of 1:11.17.
Charleston also competed well in the 100-meter hurdles, where freshman Jelain McArthur (Laurens, S.C./Laurens District) placed 17th out of 82 competitors with a time of 14.42 seconds. McArthur is the school recordholder in the event and her time on Friday is the third-fastest in history. Also competing in the event was junior Brynne Johnson (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) who ran a personal-best time of 15.96 seconds, 14 seconds faster than her previous personal record.
Sophomore Emily Smith (Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern) tied for 10th place in the high jump with a height of 5'5". Friday marked the first time Smith had competed since finishing the indoor season with a jump of 5'9¾" at the Virginia Tech Final Qualifier on Mar. 6.
On the track, sophomore Grace Loba (Orean, Va./Fauquier) paced the Cougars in the 5,000 meters with a time of 18:50.60 to place fourth in the third section of the event. Sophomore Erin Stoddard ran a season-best time of 19:40.78 to place 14th while junior Kristin Jenkins (Cheyenne, Wyo./Cheyenne) crossed the finish line in 20:51.12.
Competition continues tomorrow with Charleston's first event being the 1,500 meters.
Elon - Raleigh Relays
RALEIGH, N.C. - Junior thrower Justine Robertson and junior jumper Lauren Hawkesworth each finished among the top-15 collegians as the Elon track and field team concluded competition on Saturday at the Raleigh Relays, hosted by NC State.
Robertson finished as the 11th-best collegian in the javelin throw with a toss of 123'2", while Hawkesworth earned a mark of 38'5" in the triple jump to finish as the 10th-best collegian.
Freshman Christine Pacewicz finished eighth in section two of the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 12:44.15
Courtney Whalen put forth a great effort in the 1,500-meter run, finishing 15th in section two with a time of 4:47.60.
The relay teams also had strong showings as the 4x400-meter relay team, consisting of Sarah Skogen, Dana Cataldo, Veronica Day and Amy Salek, ran a 49.03 to place 23rd overall. The 4x200-meter relay team, made up of Cataldo, Andrea March, Salek and Day, placed 19th, crossing the finish line in 1:43.58. The 4x800-meter relay team of Whalen, Melanie Reyer, Emily Tryon and Jennine Strange finished 15th overall with a time of 9:35.98.
Rounding out the day for the Phoenix was the 4x400-meter relay team of Melissa Turowski, Day, Strange and Salek. The team finished 24th overall with a time of 3:58.07.
The Phoenix will split up next weekend, as some members of the team will compete at the Duke Invitational, while others will compete at the Liberty Invitational.
RALEIGH, N.C. - The Elon track and field team saw three records fall as it competed against over 2,800 athletes, representing nearly 60 colleges and universities on the first day of the Raleigh Relays, hosted by NC State.
Veronica Day got things started with a sixth-place finish in the long jump, breaking her own school record with a distance of 18'10 ¼".
The Elon distance runners had a stellar day as Caitlin Beeler and Allyson Costa each set a new Elon school record. Beeler clocked a 17:23.12 in the 5,000-meter run, finishing eighth in her heat and 20th overall. Costa clocked a school-best 37:00.55 in the 10,000-meter run, good enough for a 12th-place finish.
Amy Salek crossed the line in 58.05 seconds to place 24th out of 98 runners in the 400-meter dash.
The sprint medley relay team, made up of Jennine Strange, Dana Cataldo, Salek and Day, placed eighth out of 23 teams with a time of 4:08.74.
Courtney Weathers cleared the opening height of 5'3" in the high jump to tie for 10th overall.
Thrower Justine Robertson finished 14th out of 47 competitors with a distance of 41'1 ½" in the shot put. She later went on to place 19th out of 60 throwers in the discus with a throw of 139'3".
The Elon tracksters will continue competition at the Raleigh Relays tomorrow.
UNC Greensboro - Raleigh Relays
RALEIGH, N.C. - Brian Carrington, Taylor Day and Chelsea Sumney all set new personal-bests in the 1,500 meters to lead UNC Greensboro on the final day of the Raleigh Relays on Sunday at Paul Derr Track on the campus of NC State.
Carrington and Day, running in the second section of the 1,500 meters for the men, finished in times of 4:08.29 and 4:13.86, respectively. Day set a new personal-best by almost three seconds, while Carrington's time bested his previous mark by over two seconds.
On the women's side, Shaina Sumney was the top performer for the Spartans by turning in a 25th place finish with a time of 4:52.12.
Chelsea Sumney also had a nice race in the 1,500 meters as she finished in a time of 5:02.00, which was over two seconds better than her previous personal-best.
The 4x800 team comprised of Andy Clyne, Taylor Hurst, Lamar Watkins and TJ Wyatt also had an impressive finish. The group finished in sixth place with a time of 7:41.69, which was just over two seconds from breaking the school record.
The Spartans will return to competition next weekend at the Duke Invitational on Friday and Saturday.
RALEIGH, N.C. - Mike Koech and AJ Savoia finished sixth and seventh in the 5,000 meters, respectively, while Tiffany Garber won her section of the 5,000 meters for UNC Greensboro on the first day of the Raleigh Relays on Friday at Paul Derr Track.
Koech's time of 15:00.54 in the third section of the 5,000 meters was the third-fastest time in school history. Savoia finished just behind him with a time of 15:02.58 finishing in seventh. That time was the fourth-best in school history.
Garber, running in the women's third section of the 5,000 meters, won her section by over three seconds. Her time of 18:36.79 was just four seconds off of her personal-best.
The Spartans will compete tomorrow in the 1,500 meters and 4x800 meter relay during the final day of the Raleigh Relays.
The Citadel - Military Track & Field Championships
LEXINGTON, Va. - Senior Brendan Kight broke the school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:25.50 minutes as the Bulldogs successfully competed in The Military Track and Field Championships on Friday and Saturday at VMI in Lexington, Va.
Both The Citadel men and women finished fifth overall recording 54.40 points and 49 points, respectively. The women of Air Force took first place with 237 points and the Army men totaled 209 points for first place.
Freshman David Miller finished second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 48.05 seconds while Micah Wessinger crossed the finish line third in the 800-meter with a time of 2:13.58.
The Bulldogs had several fourth place finishes. Sarah Strickland improved her No. 2 spot by four seconds in the all-time list when she ran 4:50.51 minutes in the 1,500-meter and Daniel Till finished fourth in the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter. Till ran 11.12 seconds and then 22.32 seconds, respectively.
The Citadel also tallied a few fifth place finishes. Christian Graham ran 11.14 seconds in the 100-meter dash while Christopher Castagno came close to his personal-best when he threw 165' 0" in the hammer. Also for fifth place, Monique Edwards had a throw of 158' 03" in the hammer.
Emily Green set a new personal-best in the hammer when she threw 148' 7" for sixth place and Shane Woodard recorded a personal-best and season-best in the long jump. Woodard jumped for a mark of 20' 10.50". Edwards tallied more points for the women when she finished seventh in the discus with a throw of 122' 0".
Matt Earls had a season-best in the javelin when he threw 154' 10" for eighth place and Natalie Wolin finished eighth in the 5,000-meter with a time of 18:58.51 minutes.
In other successful performances, Chris Fallis earned a personal-best in the 1,500-meter with a time of 4:03.55 minutes while four Bulldogs ran under two minutes in the 800-meter run. Frankie Dioguardi ran 1:57.39, John Gatewood recorded 1:58.35, Zach Johnson posted 1:59.17 and Jordan Ashley clocked a time of 1:59.48.
Coming up next, the Bulldogs will compete at the prestigious Duke Invitational on Friday, April 2 and Saturday, April 3 in Durham, N.C. For more information on Bulldog Track and Field, visit the official website of The Citadel Athletics at www.CitadelSports.com.
Chattanooga - Yellow Jacket Invitational
ATLANTA, Ga. - Senior Anneli Uys and junior Tara Gietema led the Chattanooga Running Mocs to six top 10 finishes Saturday afternoon at the Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Invitational at the George C. Griffin Track.
Gietema (Knoxville, Tenn.) bested her personal record in the 5000 meter run by more than one second with a time of 18:00.87. Middle Tennessee's Zamzam Sangau took first in the event followed by Clemson's Stephanie Buffo.
Uys placed second in the women's 1500 meter run with a time of 4:31.15 just four tenths of a second behind Janel Blancett of Georgia State. Uys beat out Georgia Tech's Annie Martin and Auburn's Amber Riley and Stephanie Barnes.
Senior David Moore finished the 1500 meter run in a time of 3:59.07 more than one second better than his previous top time in the event.
The Lady Mocs 4x400 meter relay team placed sixth with a time of 4:11.20 while the men's 4x400 meter relay team placed seventh with a time of 3:26.39.
In the men's 800 meter run, senior Michael Danehy finished seventh overall with a time of 1:55.08 and Blake Olson was ninth in the 400 meter Hurdles with a time of 57.83.
Davidson - Asics Winthrop Invitational
ROCK HILL, S.C. - The Davidson men's track and field team posted five top-10 finishes on the final day of the Winthrop Invitational Saturday.
Bryce Jones became one of Davidson's top-10 best pole vaulters of all-time with a mark of 13 feet, 5 ¼ inches (4.10m) to place ninth in the event.
Demetrios Pagonis led a strong effort in the 1500-meter run in 4:02.75 to place ninth. Blake Evitt took second in the 3000-meter steeplechase in 10:03.57 while Vincent Weir took fourth.
Taylor Martin also performed well in the 400-meter hurdles taking ninth in 57.19.
On Friday, Charlie Schmitt and Ryan Hopkins ran the third- and fourth-fastest 5000-meter runs in Davidson history, respectively, at the Raleigh Relays hosted by N.C. State, while the rest of the Davidson men's track and field team competed at the Winthrop Invitational.
Schmitt placed eighth in 14:44.84 and Hopkins was 11th in 14:47.95. The duo broke onto Davidson's top-10 list in the 3000m last weekend at the Charlotte 49er Classic.
At Winthrop, JinHan Song led the 'Cats in the 100-meter dash in 11.11 and in the 200-meter dash in 22.55. Senior Mordecai Scott tied Song in the 200m at 22.55. Ehsan Akbari won the 10,000-meter run in 34:11.37.
Davidson will next compete at the Duke Invitational on Friday and the Liberty College Invitational on Saturday.
Wofford - Asics Winthrop Invitational
ROCK HILL, S.C. - Freshmen Trey Parker and Andrea Kelsey to set new school and freshman records to lead the Wofford men's and women's track teams at the 2010 Asics Winthrop Invitational.
On the women's side, Kelsey finished the 3000 meter steeplechase in a time of 12:00.14, beating the previous school record by more than a minute and twenty seconds and finishing fourth in the event.
The women earned another top ten performance with freshman Shelby Harris' time of 18:55.32 in the 5000 meter, good for tenth place in the event.
Freshman Trey Parker led the men, setting a new school and freshman record in the 5000 meter run with a time of 15:22.66, which earned him fifth place in the event.
Elias Conits also earned a top-ten finish in the 100 meter dash, finishing with a 11.04 mark. Andy Vess turned in another top-ten finish for the Terrier men with an eighth place finish in the javelin throw, recording a throw of 26.77 meters.
The Terriers will compete again April 2-3 at the Duke Invitational in Durham, N.C.
Western Carolina - Beynon Sports Surfaces Catamount Classic
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - The Western Carolina men and women's outdoor track and field teams used a combination of speed and strength in their first home meet of the 2010 season as the Catamounts tallied 49 podium finishes and captured 15 individual titles at the Beynon Sports Surfaces Catamount Classic on Saturday.
WCU had the highest amount of podium finishes and individual titles among the 11 other teams in the contest that included East Tennessee State, Kennesaw State, UNC Ashville and USC Upstate. WCU earned 11 titles in the running events and 4 in the field events.
The women swept the podium in two events, including the 5,000 meter run. Distance runners Morgan Turner (18:08.33), Lindsay Groce (18:11.05) and Olivia Jacobs (18:46.10) finished first-thru-third, respectively. WCU again showed dominance in the women's 400-meter as Tierra Johnson took the top mark of 1:03.17. Morgan Joseph (104:41, 2nd) and Tori Jones (1:04.97, 3rd) wrapped up second and third place for the Cats.
Sprinter Nicole Okolo secured her first win this season in the women's 100-meter hurdles with a mark of 14.10, while teammate Jettana Thomas clinched third with 14.90. On the men's side of the 400-hurdles, Cordell Livingston earned a first-place finish with 53.00 seconds. Livingston earned third in the 110-meter hurdles with 14.45 seconds.
WCU earned top marks in the men's 400-meter dash as Benny Davis earned first with 47.90 second and Brandon Hairston second with 48.01. Felisha Garren (55.96 seconds) earned second in the women's 400-meter, while Shalyn McMichael (56.17) picked up third.
In the 200-meter dash, Felicia Paulding (24.31 seconds, 2nd) and Garren (24.44 seconds, third) earned solid times to garner second and third in the event. Senior Dominique Young tallied two podium finishes in the short-distance dashes with a 21.07 mark for second in the 200-meter and a third placement with a mark of 10.43 in the 110-meter dash.
Distance events were also a focal point for the Catamounts on Saturday. Jordan Gaddy earned the top-time in the women's 1,500-meter run with 4:47.32. On the men's side of that event Stephen Hammond secured first at 3:57.45 and Garret West notched third with 3:59.82.
For the 800-meter run, WCU's Hannah Bowers (2:18.72) earned second and Gaddy (2:19.60) placed third. Drew Tucker earned second in the men's 800-meter with a time of 1:53.04.
Josey Weaver (15:38.24) and Nolan Clark (15:48.29) finished second and third, respectively, in the men's 5,000-meter run. Leslie Raymond claimed third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a mark of 12:16.31.
The Catamounts secured five podium marks in the relay events. Western Carolina's 'A' team (Raven Parrish, Felicia Paulding, Felisha Garren, Sherelle Froneberger) finished first in the women's 4x100-meter relay with a time of 46.10. The women's 'C' team (Morgan Joseph, Nicole Okolo, Shalyn McMichael, Carlyn Wright) finished third in the 4x100 with 48.05. The 4x400 relay team (Hannah Bowers, Shalyn McMichael, Tierra Johnson, Emma Bowers) earned first with a time of 3:53.10.
The men's 'A' team (Christian Bethune, Brandon Hairston, Dominique Young, Benny Davis) for the 4x100 relay earned second with a time of 40.59, while the 'B' team (Ronald Duncan, Willie Bowman, Sean Reardon, Cordell Livingston) placed third at 41.09.
Matt Evans set the tone for the men in the field events with his toss of 65.46 meters in the javelin, which broke the previous facility record 63.02 set by the Old Fort, N.C. native at the 2008 Catamount Classic. Evans earned another top-mark in the men's high jump with a height of 2.08 meters. Teammate Darron Dotson earned second in the javelin throw with distance of 56.64 meters.
Jamie Van Pelt earned the other individual title in the men's field events with a win in the men's discus throw with a distance of 46.63 meters. Cale McDaniel placed second in the men's hammer throw with 53.57 meters.
Junior Ryan Pless notched second in the men's shot put with a distance of 15.27 meters and McDaniel earned third at 14.85 meters.
In the women's throw events, Zakiyyah Stewart earned a victory in the hammer throw with 49.03 meters. Sophomore Deirdra Morrison placed first in the shot put with 12..72 meters and second in the hammer with 45.04.
Tara Tounzen took home top honors in the women's javelin with a toss of 36.91 meters.
Western Carolina had a total of seven athletes finish with podium marks in the jumps. Okolo earned second in the triple jump with her leap of 11.74 meters. Brittany Powell finished third with 11.70 meters.
On the men's side, Cornelius Williams notched second with 14.12 meters and Livingston earned third with a distance of 13.72.
Thomas clinched third in the women's long jump with a mark of 5.45 meters, while Kassie McKie placed third in the pole vault at 3.20 meters.
Western Carolina will participate in the second annual 'The Mountains vs. The Beaches' at UNC Wilmington on Saturday, April 3. Last season, WCU and Appalachian State combined their team scores to defeated UNC Wilmington and East Carolina in the inaugural event. Recaps and coverage of the event will be available online at CatamountSports.com.
Furman - Alabama Relays
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Sophomore Lee Gilmer had a personal record in both the 800m and 1500m to lead the Furman track and field teams at the Alabama Relays on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Gilmer placed fourth in the 1500m with a time of 3:53 and was fifth in the 800m after recording a time of 1:54.54.
Senior Brittany Johnson led the Paladin women, placing fourth in the 1500m with a time of 18:00.59. Sophomore Chloe Kowalski placed sixth in the event after recording a time of 18:12.47, followed by junior Julia Bryant in 29th (19:16.17) and sophomore Charlee Coggins in 30th (19:18.04). Sophomore Tricia Rosetti rounded out the Paladin finishers, placing 43rd with a time of 20:35.41.
Freshman Haley Gray placed tenth in the 3000m Steeplechase with a time of 11:39.32, and sophomore Rebecca Shelton placed 12th in the event after posting a time of 11:47.19. Junior Monique Ositelu turned in a time of 2:17.02 for 11th place in the 800m. Junior Jenna Callahan was 20th in the event (2:21.63), and sophomore Erin McChristian placed 37th (2:35.98). Callahan also placed 27th in the 1500m with a time of 4:57.31, followed by freshman Emily Wirzba in 29th place with a time of 4:57.71.
Junior Starr Belmont led Furman in the 400m, posting a time of 1:04.98 for 52nd place. Freshman Megan Slatter placed 54th in the event (1:06.62), and rookie Lena Cole was 56th (1:08.58).
Freshman Stephanie Post represented the Paladins in the field events, placing 35th in the discus with a throw of 75-07 and 38th in the shot put with a mark of 22-10.50.
For the Furman men's team, junior Charlie McGoogan finished 15th in the 5000m with a time of 15:30.91, while sophomore Jay Miller placed 28th in the event with a time of 15:59.82. In the 400m, freshman Raul Rodriguez led the Paladins with a time of 53.04 for 39th place, followed by sophomore Brian Toney with a time of 54.78 in 43rd place, and freshman Connor Halliday in 46th place (57.05). Freshman James Weisher recorded a time of 2:02.89 in the 800m, followed by rookie Wilkerson Given with a time of 2:03.43.
The Paladins will host the Furman Invitational on April 10.
Samford - Alabama Relays
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Samford women's distance medley relay team set a new school record in the final day of the annual Alabama Relays on Sunday. Both the women and men took second place in the event. The women ran a time of 11:52.12 while the men recorded a time of 10:10.41.
The women also ran the 4x100 and 4x200 relays. They took 14th in the 4x100 with a time of 50.24 and ninth in the 4x200 with a time of 1:45.01.
Also for the women, Jessica Lucas set a personal best in the hammer throw with a distance of 116-05 that placed her 33rd in the ranking. She also placed 26th in the javelin with a mark of 102-03.
On the men's side, Michael Seaman placed second in the men's pole vault invitational with a height of 16-00.75. On Saturday, Seaman placed second in the collegiate event, just behind fellow Bulldog vaulter Patrick Wells with a personal best of 16-06.75.
Chris Davis set a personal best in the hammer throw with a mark of 137-01 took take 15th place while also coming in 23rd in the shot put with a distance of 43-10.
Luke Davis posted a personal best of 107-01 in the discus to take 25th place.
The Bulldog track and field teams will be back in action this weekend as they head south to take part in the Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Samford University track and field team set 26 personal bests in the third day of competition at the Alabama Relays. Cameron Bean highlighted the action for the Bulldogs, setting a new school record and taking second place in the 5000 meters with a time of 14:29.33.
With so many freshmen competing, many of them were able to set personal bests in their respective events.
Bobby Ellison ran personal bests of 11.43 in the 100-meter dash and 24.09 in the 200-meter dash while Ramsey White posted personal bests in the 400-meter dash (52.65) and the 800 meters (1:58.94). He placed 16th in the 800 meters with that time. Also running in the 800 meters were Scott Cope who placed seventh with a personal best of 1:54.90, and Will Denton who placed 19th with a 2:00.51.
Dan Hall and Conrad Taylor both set personal bests in the 1500 meters. Hall ran a time of 4:26.90 while Taylor record a time of 4:30.48.
Cavan Corcoran took 11th place in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.20 and 14th in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 57.48.
Patrick Wells won his second consecutive Alabama Relay pole vault on Saturday with a mark of 16-06.75. Michael Seaman placed second with the same mark which was a personal best for him. Zac Epperson took fifth place with a height of 14-07.25.
Thomas Oliver placed seventh in the javelin with a distance of 185-00 while Ryland Robbins took 11th with a personal best of 162-09.
On the women's side, Leslie Graf (13.09) and Tatum Moffett (13.45) posted personal bests in the 100-meter dash while Julie McDonald posted a personal best of 27.18 in the 200-meter dash. In the 400-meter dash, Ashley Dance posted a time of 59.38 while Moffett (1:00.30) and Graf (1:01.01) posted personal bests.
Holly Benson placed 10th in the 800 meters with a personal best of 2:16.55 while Andrea Nall also posted a personal best of 2:32.76 to take 35th place.
Hillary Neal came in second in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:33.16 followed by Lauren D'Alessio in 10th place with a time of 4:44.00. Jillian Klassen (5:04.27), Christi Gaskill (5:21.86) and Madison Davis (5:22.19) also posted personal bests in the event.
Deanna Zidar ran personal best of 19:25.90 in the 5000 meters while Morgan Tyler (14.36) and McDonald (15-05) posted personal bests in the 100-meter hurdles. Tyler also placed 15th in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:05.65 while Ashley Bridenbaugh ran a personal best of 1:07.56 in the event.
Chenelle Terry placed seventh in the high jump with a personal best of 5-07.00 while Lauren Bedsole took seventh place in the pole vault invitational with a personal best of 11-05.75 while Mary Barron took 10th place with a height of 10-11.75.
Sunday's events begin at 8 a.m., with the men's hammer throw followed at 9:30 a.m., with the women's pole vault collegiate. The relay events start at 11:30 a.m., with the shuttle hurdle relays followed by the 4x100, 4x800, sprint medley, 4x1500, 4x200, distance medley and finally the 4x400 at 3:40 p.m.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Freshman multi-event athlete Bo Ackerson-Gilroy led Samford in the decathlon after the first two days of the Alabama Relays. Thursday and Friday's action consisted of the women's heptathlon and men's decathlon. All four Bulldog men placed in the top ten while sophomore Christian McGuire was the only Samford woman of three to place in the top ten of the heptathlon.
Ackerson-Gilroy set personal bests in every event except for discus as he finished fifth overall in the men's decathlon with 6320 points. He started out on Thursday with 100-meter dash and finished 14th with a personal best of 11.82. Next was the long jump where he placed fourth with a personal best of 21-6.75 followed by a sixth place finish in the shot put with a personal best of 37-03. He placed second in the high jump with a personal best of 6-04.75, and ran a personal best of 55.67 in the 400-meter dash which earned him 14th place.
On Friday, he placed fourth in the 110-meter hurdles with a personal best of 15.75 and followed that up with a toss of 84-10 in the discus. He won the pole vault with a personal best of 15-07.25 followed by a fifth place finish in the javelin with a personal best of 166-08 and a ninth place finish in the 1500 meters with a personal best of 5:05.04.
Chas Keithan finished sixth (6205) in the event marking personal bests in three of the events. On Thursday, he placed 19th in the 100 meters with a personal best of 12.07 followed by a 13th place finish in the long jump with a personal best of 19-08.25. He placed 16th in the shot put (28-03.50) and tied for ninth in the high jump (5-10.75) before finishing the day out with a fifth place finish in the 400 meters (51.89).
On Friday, he placed 13th in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 17.62 and had a toss of 103-01 in the discus before posting a personal best of 14-03.25 in the pole vault. He finished the day out with a personal best of 51.19 and fourth place in the javelin and first place in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:14.98.
Donald Cooper placed seventh in the event with a personal best 6158 points. He started out the competition with a second place finish in the 100-meter dash (11.11) before taking sixth in the long jump (20-10.75). He posted a personal best in the shot put with a personal best mark of 33-04.50 while tying for third place in the high jump (6-02.25) and second in the 400-meter dash (49.90).
In the second half of the competition, he placed 11th in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 17.35 and posted a distance of 100-08 in the discus. He then took seventh place in the pole vault (12-03.25) and 13th in the javelin (124-07). He rounded out the competition with a sixth place finish in the 1500 meters (4:52.05).
Brandon Bassett finished ninth in the event with a personal best of 5982 points. He also had personal bests in all events but the discus. He placed 12th in the 100-meters (11.71) before taking seventh (20-10), eighth (35-10.75) and ninth (5-10.75) in the long jump, shot put and high jump respectively. He finished out Thursday's action with a personal best of 53.71 and 11th place in the 400-meter dash.
Friday started with a fifth place finish in the 110-meter hurdles (15.92) for Bassett before posted 94.10 in the discus and a personal best of 13-11.25 in the pole vault for a fourth place finish. He rounded out the competition with eight place (147-10) in the javelin and 12th place in the 1500 meters (5:30.04).
McGuire led the Samford women with an eighth place (3937) finish in the heptathlon. She started Thursday out with a personal best of 15.77 and ninth place finish in the 100-meter hurdles. .She then placed 14th (4-04.75) in the high jump and ninth in both the shot put (30-08.50) and 200-meter dash (27.41). On Friday, she placed 12th in the long jump (15-02.25), third in the javelin (107-06) and ninth in the 800 meters (2:38.59).
Emily Allen took 11th (3834) in her first collegiate outdoor heptathlon. She posted a personal best in the 100-meter hurdles, shot put, long jump and javelin. She took 13th in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.75and 12th in the high jump (4-07.00) and 200-meter dash (27.89). She also placed 11th in the shot put with a personal best of 30-00.75. On Friday, she placed eighth in the long jump (16-09.25), 11th in the javelin (86-08) and 10th in the 800 meters (2:39.00).
Elyse Ripper placed 13th in the event with 2959 points. On Thursday she placed 15th in the 100-meters hurdles (19.40), 12th in the high jump (4-07.00), 14th in the shot put (24-11.00) and 11th in the 200-meter dash (31.39). On Friday she placed 13th in the long jump (14-00.75), 11th in the javelin (69-10) and fifth in the 800 meters (2:32.11).
Saturday's action begins at 8:30 a.m. with the women's 10,000 meters. The event is open to the public and admission is free.