Georgia Southern Records Season-Bests Tiger Tuneup
CLEMSON, S.C. - Sophomore Sara Curry reset her own University record in the 3,000 meter Run with a time of 10:37.93 as the Track and Field team competed at the Tiger Tuneup at the Clemson Indoor Track and Field Complex. The Lawrenceville, Ga., native took nearly six seconds off her previous mark, set last weekend at the Tiger Paw Invitational. In all, the Eagles recorded eight season-best marks and tied one.
This was the final weekend of competition prior to the Southern Conference Indoor Championships which will be held next weekend, Saturday-Sunday, February 26-27 at the same facility.
"Everything seems to really be coming together," said Eagles Head Coach Natalie Smith. "I am hoping we can pair people up in the right events for next week and challenge ourselves to perform well at the conference championships.
Curry took third place in her record-setting 3,000 meter event while senior Lynndsey Hyter won the Triple Jump with her best distance of the season at 12.25 meters (40'-2.25"), narrowly missing a spot among the Eagles' top five. She also had the Eagles' top time in the 60 meter Hurdles at 8.84 in the preliminaries. Her 8.92 time in the finals was good enough for sixth place. In addition to her 3,000 record, Curry ran for her second-best time of the 2010-11 season in the Mile Run (5:20.09) for a 10th-place finish.
Georgia Southern picked up the best two times in the 60 meter Dash and four of the top five times in the 60 meter Hurdles. In the 60 meter Hurdles, Jasmine Billings' turned in her top time of the season and Stephanie Hicks was just .02 seconds off her best.
Ebony Carter ran a 7.68 in the preliminaries of the 60 meter Dash and then took .02 seconds off her time to finish fourth in the finals at 7.66. Kwajelin Holsendolph finished eighth (7.79) after a running 7.77 in the preliminary race. Carter also shaved .10 of a second off her previous best in the 200 meter Dash at 25.99 for 11th in that event. Holsendolph had her best time in that event with a time of 26.41.
In the 400 meter Dash, Ray Toomer (59.82) and Morgan Jefferson (1:00.41) had the top-two marks for the Eagles this season and finished in ninth and 10th place, respectively. Freshman Asea Mayfield and Azura Robillard, who have traded the top spot on the Eagles' list this year in the 800 meter Run, finished in 10th and 11th, respectively, in the Tiger Tuneup. Mayfield posted a season-best 2:22.87 while Robillard ran a 2:23.79.
The 4X400 Relay team of Kristiana Towns, Jefferson, Mayfield and Toomer dropped two seconds off its time from the previous week's race for a third-place finish (4:02.15).
Ashley Thomas put up the best effort so far in the Weight Throw with a 14.79 (48'-2.75"), more than two meters better than the previous season best for 2010-11. She also threw the Shot Put for a personal collegiate best of 12.17 for second place at this meet.
In the High Jump, Alex Cassagnol performed with consistency as she tied her season best with a 1.65 meters, also set last weekend at the Tiger Paw Invitational, for third place. Stephanie Hicks bettered her distance in the Long Jump for a number-two finish and Millicent Brooks-Millender was seventh (5.37 meters). Brooks-Millender was third in the Triple Jump (11.43 meters) and Brianna Charles improved her personal-best distance to 10.65 meters.
"We've got seven days to nurse some wounds and prepare," Smith said. "However, if the ladies keep progressing the way they have, next weekend should be a lot of fun."
MISHA HOLMES & CORTEZ JOHNSON SET FURMAN INDOOR RECORDS AT TIGER TUNE-UP
CLEMSON, S.C. -- Sophomore Misha Holmes set a new Furman indoor track & field record with a time of 9.14 in the 60m hurdles preliminaries, while sophomore Cortez Johnson bested his own previous record with a time of 6.85 in the 60m dash at the Tiger-Tune-Up Saturday at the Indoor Track Facility in Clemson, S.C.
Holmes broke the previous record of 9.15, which was set by Whitney Jones in 2006, and took 14th in her event, while Johnson placed second in the preliminaries with a time of 6.87, then finished second in the 60m finals after shaving his time to the school-record 6.85.
Juniors Lee Gilmer and Chris Caldwell won the mile and 3,000m, respectively, and the Paladins recorded 16 top-10 finishes at the meet. Gilmer won the mile with a time of 4:15.67, followed by sophomore Wilkerson Given in second place with a personal-best time of 4:25.42. Freshman Tyler Greathouse notched a tenth place finish with a time of 4:41.11.
Caldwell posted a time of 8:48.60 in the 3,000m, while senior Charlie McGoogan took sixth place with a time of 8:57.16. Junior Jay Miller placed seventh in the event after posting a personal-best time of 9:05.29. In the field events, junior Brian Toney placed ninth in the high jump with a mark of 1.85 (6.00-75).
For the Paladin women, seniors Monique Ositelu and Jenna Callahan finished back-to-back in second and third place in the 800m, with Ositelu posting a season-best time of 2:17.03, and Callahan recording a personal-best time of 2:17.05.
Sophomore Haley Gray took second place in the 3,000m with a personal-best time of 10:32.56, while freshman Julia Means was fourth with a season-best time of 10:45.30. Junior Rebecca Shelton placed seventh in the event with a time of 10:59.11. In the mile run, freshman Catherine Burton was fourth with a season-best time of 5:11.60, followed by junior Erin Barker in fifth at 5:15.03 and junior Brooke Mosteller in seventh place with a personal-best time of 5:16.24.
Furman will compete in the Southern Conference Championship next Saturday and Sunday in Clemson, S.C.
Jones Breaks 36-Year-Old Davidson Pole Vault Record
COLUMBIA, S.C. Davidson senior Bryce Jones set a new school record in the pole vault, clearing 4.30m (14-1 1/4) at the Gamecock Open Saturday in the University of South Carolina Field House.
Jones broke the standard set by Woody Van Meter in 1975 of 4.27m (14-0) to place fourth in the event.
Freshman Michael Lorentsen also competed, clearing 3.65m (11-11 3?4).
With the regular season complete, the Wildcats will turn their attention to the 2011 Indoor SoCon Championships, opening on Saturday, February 26 in Clemson, S.C. Davidson begins the outdoor season at the Charlotte 49er Classic on March 18.
Samford's Hillary Neal Leads Bulldogs With School Record At Tiger Tune-Up Saturday
CLEMSON, S.C. ---- The Samford track and field team wrapped up the indoor regular season Saturday at the Tiger Tune-Up hosted by Clemson University. The meet marked Samford's second trip to Clemson in a month, and the Bulldogs will return next week for the 2011 Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Senior Hillary Neal highlighted the day for the Bulldogs, notching a new school record in the 800 meters. Her time of 2:10.93 earned her first place in the event and topped her previous record of 2:12.35 set two years ago.
Holly Benson also finished sixth in the 800 meters with a time of 2:19.25 while Ashley Cope placed 23rd with a time of 2:33.14.
In the sprints, Madeline Cross finished 17th in the 60-meter dash preliminaries with a time of 8.14 while Leslie Graf placed 22nd in the 200-meter dash with a time of 27.27. Tatum Moffett clocked a personal best of 59.14 in the 400-meter dash to place seventh while Ashley Bridenbaugh took 28th with a time of 1:13.45.
Deanna Zidar led the Bulldogs in the mile, clocking a personal best of 5:11.27 to take third place. She was followed by Alli Keithan in 11th place with a personal best of 5:23.58 and Rachel Sims in 17th place with a time of 5:37.24. Lillie Jackson finished fifth in the 3000 meters with a time of 10:51.36.
In the 60-meter hurdles, Macy Conger placed 15th with a personal best of 9.14 and was followed closely by Julie McDonald in 16th place with a time of 9.18. Cope finished 18th with a time of 9.59.
Chenelle Terry won her second straight high jump with a mark of 5-07.00. The win was also the third of the season for Terry.
The Samford women also took three of the top five spots in the pole vault, led by Laura Bedsole in second place with a height of 11-06.25. Rachel Gregory and Mary Barron each posted a mark of 10-06.25, but Gregory finished third and Barron finished fourth because of the amount of jumps made.
Cope placed ninth in the long jump, matching her personal best of 17-04.25. Conger took 10th with a leap of 16-11.25 while Emily Allen finished 12th with a mark of 16-05.00.
In the 4x400-meter relays, the Samford men finished second with a time of 3:26.52 while the Samford women finished seventh with a time of 4:06.49.
On the men's side, Connor McGree posted a personal best of 7.37 as he took 27th place in the 60-meter dash preliminaries. Alex Richter placed seventh in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.54. Justin Emerson took 10th with a personal best of 22.73 while Bobby Ellison came in 27th with a personal best of 24.14.
Jonathan Bush placed eighth in the 400-meter dash with a personal best of 51.48 followed by Brad Bostic in 14th place with a time of 52.82.
In the 60-meter hurdles preliminaries, Cavan Corcoran placed sixth with a time of 8.34 which qualified him for the finals. Bo Ackerson-Gilroy placed 14th with a time of 8.58, Brandon Bassett finished 16th with a personal best of 8.76 and Donald Cooper took 22nd with a time of 9.01. Corcoran finished sixth in the finals with a time of 8.32.
Tyler Kemp led the Bulldogs in the high jump with a height of 6-04.75, earning third place. Donald Cooper finished fourth with a leap of 6-02.75 followed by Bob Elliot II with the same mark in more jumps.
Michael Seaman continued his streak of wins in the pole vault, capturing his fourth straight win of the season with a mark of 16-00.75. Owen Wagoner followed in second place with a personal best of 16-00.75 while Brandon Bassett finished fifth with a personal best of 15-03.00. Ackerson-Gilroy tied for ninth with a mark of 13-09.25.
Chinedu Amah placed seventh in the triple jump with a leap of 42-06.75 while Kyle Kirby finished second in the weight throw with a toss of 57-10.25. Chris Davis placed fourth in the shot put with a throw of 45-08.50 while Kanon Burt finished eighth with a toss of 42-06.25 in his track and field debut.
The Bulldogs now turn their attention to the Southern Conference Indoor Championships next weekend. Samford will return to Clemson, S.C., on Friday to see if it can top its third place finishes for both the men and the women from last year's meet.
Elon's Day Wins Long Jump at VT Challenge
BLACKSBURG, Va. - Senior Veronica Day earned the title in the long jump tonight in day one of competition at the Virginia Tech Challenge in Rector Fieldhouse.
Day, who set a new Elon record in the event last week, leapt to a distance of 5.92 meters to once again set a new school record.
Freshman Kayleigh Birks set a new record in the 200-meter dash after finishing 12th with a time of 25.37. Birks beat the record she set last week by 46 seconds.
The Elon track and field team will return to Rector Fieldhouse tomorrow for the conclusion of the Virginia Tech Challenge.
Elon Track and Field Wraps Up Competition at VT Challenge
BLACKSBURG, Va. - The Elon track and field team finished competition at the Virginia Tech Challenge today by setting four new school records. New Elon records came in the 400-meter dash, the 4x400-meter relay, the triple jump and the shot put. The Phoenix squad set a total of six indoor records on the weekend after breaking records in the 200-meter dash and the long jump yesterday.
The 4x400-meter relay team, comprised of freshmen Bria Bell and Veronica Luedke, senior Sarah Skogen and junior Amy Salek, finished fourth with a record-setting time of 3:50.70.
Salek finished third in the 400-meter dash breaking her previous Elon record of 56.29 with a new time of 55.47.
In the triple jump, senior Veronica Day, who won and set a new school record in the long jump yesterday, leapt to a distance of 12.22 meters to finish third and break the record she already holds by .16 meters.
Senior Justine Robertson took home third in the shot put after a heave of 13.27. Robertson's throw was good enough to break her current record of 12.19 meters, set last week, and set another standard in the event.
The Elon track and field team will travel to Clemson, S.C., on Saturday, Feb. 26 - Sunday, Feb. 27 for the Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Freshmen Bulldogs Excel at Gamecock Invitational
COLUMBIA, S.C. - The Citadel Track and Field teams concluded their final competition of the indoor season prior to the Southern Conference Indoor Championships when they traveled to the Gamecock Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 19, hosted by the University of South Carolina.
Leading the Bulldogs, freshman Andy Love finished the meet with a standout performance as she competed in the shot put, 55m high hurdles and the high jump. In the shot put, Love surpassed Stephanie McNeil's mark of 39' 11.5" from the 2006 season as the top freshman record. Her mark of 40' 02.00" earned Love a sixth place finish and moved her to third all-time on The Citadel's top-10 list. Love then competed in the 55m high hurdles where she broke the freshman record and also became third all-time with a mark of 9.30 in the preliminary round. Her next run of 9.76 in the semifinals was not enough to advance to the finals. In the high jump, Love finished tied for seventh with a mark of 4' 09.00"
Freshman Nicole Levermann also competed in the high jump and finished the event tied for second place with a mark of 5' 5.00", topping the school and freshman record. Levermann also participated in the shot put and became No. 10 all-time as she threw a mark of 33' 01.25".
Junior Kasandra Polson moved into The Citadel's No. 5 position on the top-10 list in the 20lb. weight throw with her mark of 43' 09.75". Polson finished in eighth place and junior Mia Trevino followed in ninth place as she threw a mark of 39' 10.75", becoming sixth all-time. In the same event, junior Whitney Nave earned her place as the No. 10 thrower all-time with her finishing mark of 34' 04.00".
Sophomore Chalita Johnson and freshman Christine Hinds both saw action in the 55m dash. Johnson ran a time of 7.44, becoming fifth on the all-time list, and qualified for the semifinals where she then posted a time of 7.49. Hinds became the ninth all-time runner in the event when she finished the race with a time of 7.78.
Along with Love, juniors Francesca McCrary and Erinn Carter and freshmen Taylor Viana and Vanessa Hope competed for the Bulldogs in the 55m high hurdles, each advancing to the semifinal round. McCrary ran a time of 9.54 in the preliminaries and then posted a time of 9.44 in the semifinals, making her the No. 4 runner all-time, while Viana ran a time of 10.04 in the prelims and then a 9.77 in the semifinals becoming seventh all-time. Hope posted a time of 10.44 in her initial run, but then ran faster in semifinals with a time of 10.38, becoming eighth all-time among The Citadel's top hurdlers. Carter's preliminary round run earned her a spot as the No. 9 all-time when she posted a time of 11.09. She finished the semifinals with a time of 11.13.
For the men, freshman Keith Cummings was the lone Bulldog to advance to the finals after qualifying for each round in the 55m dash. In the preliminary round, Cummings ran a time of 6.61 and then posted the same time in the semifinals. He finished the final round with at time of 6.68. Sophomore Daniel Till also competed in the same event. His time of 6.73 was enough to qualify for the semifinals where he finished the event with a time of 6.69.
In the 55m high hurdles, freshman Chris Sievert's run of 8.13 qualified him for the semifinals where he then posted a time of 8.15.
In the field events, senior Christopher Castagno earned a second-place finish in the 35lb. weight throw with a mark of 55' 06.25", while redshirt senior William Norris finished in fifth with a mark of 45' 10.50".
Freshman Dylan Gidado finished the meet with a pair of personal-best marks. He also competed in the 35lb. weight throw and finished with a mark of 42' 08.00", and best mark of the season came in the shot put after throw of 42' 00.50".
In other events, sophomore Parker Gaston and Ian Vandergulik finished first and second, respectively, in the high jump, while freshman Edward Jones saw action in the long jump and finished with a mark of 20' 05.25".
The Bulldogs will wrap up the indoor season on Saturday and Sunday, Feb 26-27 in Clemson, S.C., competing in the Southern Conference Indoor Championships, hosted on the campus of Clemson University.