Elon Track and Field Completed Day One at UNCW
WILMINGTON, N.C. - The Elon track and field team opened its outdoor season today, March 11, in the first day of the UNCW Seahawk Invitational. Veronica Day got her outdoor season off to a strong start by winning the title in the long jump.
Day leapt to a distance of 18'7" for the first place win, while Lauren Hawekesworth finished seventh with a jump of 17".
Justine Robertson earned fourth in the javelin with a throw of 130'9". A heave of 139'1" in the hammer throw gave Alyssa Girvin seventh with Charlise Morgan (112'3") and Rebecca Gardner (97'6") finishing in 12th and 13th, respectively.
Allyson Costa earned the best finish for the Phoenix in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 18:28.38, which earned her seventh. Katelyn O'Dunne finished ninth in the event with a time of 18:38.94.
The second and final day of the UNCW Seahawk Invitational will begin at 10 a.m. tomorrow, March 12, with field events. Running events will begin at noon.
Elon Track and Field Excels on Day Two at UNCW
WILMINGTON, N.C - The Elon track and field team opened the outdoor season with a first-place finish at the UNCW Seahawk Invitational. The team tallied a total of 165 points after the second and final day of competition to lead the 10 teams at the meet. The Phoenix took home titles in four events and new records in three events.
Both the 4x100-meter and the 4x400-meter relay teams earned first with the 4x100 team setting a new Elon record. Dana Cataldo, Kayleigh Birks, Veronica Day and Bria Bell comprised the 4x100 team that set the new record at 47.31. The 4x400 relay team was made up of Bell, Veronica Luedke, Sarah Skogen and Amy Salek who finished with a time of 3:56.13.
Cataldo broke her previous school record in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.42, which placed her third. Birks placed fifth in the event in 12.49.
Another record came in the 200-meter dash where Bell finished the event in 24.98 for second. Salek (25.21), Birks (25.59) and Day (25.66) finished third, fifth and sixth in the same event.
Salek took first in the 400-meter dash with a time of 55.43, while Bell (57.70), Luedke (58.68) and Skogen (58.81) finished third through fifth. Luedke took fourth in the 400-meter hurdles with a 1:06.58.
In the distance events, Ellie Taff was the top Elon finisher in the 800-meter run after crossing the finish line in 2:23.19. Julie Hart and Emily Tryon finished fourth and fifth in the 1,500-meter run with times of 4:37.35 and 4:40.05, respectively.
Day added on to her victory in the long jump yesterday with a win in the triple jump with a leap of 38'10.5". Lauren Hawkesworth finished second in the event with a jump of 37"8.5", while Janelle McNeil earned fifth with her leap of 36'2". In the high jump, Jordan Lee earned second after clearing 5'2".
In the shot put, Justine Robertson finished third with a throw of 41'5.75" and Charlise Morgan threw for a distance of 39'6" for a sixth-place finish. Robertson also finished fourth in the discus with a heave of 131'1", while Alyssa Girvin earned sixth after a throw of 129'7".
The Elon track and field team will compete next at the Raleigh Relays on the campus of NC State on March 25-26.
Track & Field Eagles Excel at Palmetto Classic
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - The Georgia Southern Women's Track and Field team opened the outdoor season at the Palmetto Classic in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., Friday, March 11th, posting five event wins with 13 additional top-five finishes. The Eagles took the top three spots in the 100 meter Hurdles and fifth-year senior Shaunta Hamilton reset her meet record in the Triple Jump with a distance of 12.09 meters.
Freshman Stephanie Hicks finished first in the 100 meter Hurdles event with a 14.49 time and teammates Kwajelin Holsendolph and sophomore Jasmine Billings were right behind in second, and third, respectively. Dana Edwards was the fourth Eagle to finish in the top eight in the event.
Dominance in the sprints continued as Ebony Carter ran a 12.28 in the 100 meter Dash for second place and then finished fifth in the 200 meter Dash with a time of 25.91, just .41 seconds off her best time from a year ago. Holsendolph finished eighth in the 200 meter Dash field with a time of 26.44.
Returning to action for the outdoor season, Hamilton won the Triple Jump and placed second in the Long Jump. Hicks, with a 5.65 meter distance, nudged Hamilton (5.63 meters) out of first place. Hamilton previously held the meet record in this event.
In the 400 Meter Dash, Morgan Jefferson finished sixth with her 59.54 time. Kristiana Towns raced for an eighth-place finish just behind Jefferson. Ray Toomer and Dana Edwards combined for a one-two finish in the 400 Meter Hurdles. Toomer recorded a 1:05.64 time for the best finish at the meet and the best finish for the Eagles since Kristin Olson's 1:05.25 time in 2009.
Three Eagles finished in the top eight of the 800 meter Run. Racquel Daly's time of 2:19.61 was just .21 seconds out of third place. Asea Mayfield and Azura Robillard were seventh and eighth, respectively.
The 4X400 Meter Relay team of Jefferson, Toomer, Mayfield and Daly was more than three seconds faster than the second-place Savannah State team. The Eagles posted a time of 3:56.49 for first place at the meet.
The Eagle distance contingent also fared well, holding three spots in the 5,000 meter run with Amanda Ventre placing sixth and Kassi Lee seventh and Brittani Martin (Alpharetta, Ga.) eighth. Sara Curry took nearly 15 seconds off her best 2010 time in the Mile Run. Her 5:18.05 time was good enough for fourth place at the meet.
Ashley Thomas improved her mark from last year's Palmetto Classic in the Shot Put, throwing for 12.48 meters. Millicent Brooks-Millender took fourth in the Long Jump with a distance of 11.46 meters and Amber Vaughn and Alex Cassagnol tied for third with two other individuals in the High Jump with a 1.64 height. Azura Robillard, who owned the Palmetto Classic meet record for the javelin, finished ninth this year.
Four Victories Pace The Citadel at Palmetto Classic
Mount Pleasant, S.C. - Bulldog Track and Field earned four first place finishes, as The Citadel, along with the College of Charleston and the Mount Pleasant Park and Recreation Department, concluded the Palmetto Classic on Friday, March 11 at the Park West Track Complex. The meet concluded with 22 records broken.
The women's 4x100m relay team of Sarah Creel, Christine Hinds, Taylor Viana and Chalita Johnson crossed the finish line first with a time of 49.42, setting a new Palmetto Classic record. Freshman Nicole Levermann also set a new meet record when she jumped to a first-place finish in the women's high jump with a mark of 5' 4.5". Levermann also placed fourth in the women's javelin with a throw of 98' 4".
On the track, sophomore Daniel Till claimed the top finish in the 200m dash with a time of 22.25. Till also competed in the 100m dash and sprinted his way to a third-place finish with a time of 10.94. On the field, freshman David Melton also landed the top spot when he finished first in the men's pole vault with a mark of 14' 3.25". Freshman Mark Boozer also participated in the pole vault and concluded the event in third with a mark of 13' 3.5".
With all eyes on the final event of the meet, senior James Harris competed in the men's high jump. His mark of 6' 7.5" set a new Palmetto Classic record and earned the final top spot of the meet.
In other standout performances, sophomore Micah Wessinger's second-place finish in the mile run set a new school record with a time of 5:15.23. The women's 4x400m relay team just missed the program record of 4:04.00 when Danielle McKee, Erinn Carter, Vanessa Hope and Francesca McCrary posted a time of 4:04.03. The relay team earned a fourth-place finish.
The 2010 record-holder in the 5,000m run, Natalie Wolin, again competed in the event. Wolin came in second place and finished with a time of 18:47.39, and senior Sarah Stierwalt followed with a time of 20:02.51 to finish in fourth place. At the conclusion of the event, Wolin's previous Palmetto Classic record remained intact.
On the men's side, freshman Blane Woodfin earned a second-place finish in the 400m dash with a time of 51.02. Woodfin also teamed with Christian Graham, Christopher Sievert and John Gatewood for the men's 4x400m relay team. The quartet also finished second with a time of 3:22.79. The men's 4x400m relay squad finished in the same fashion as Kevin Poland, Edward Jones, Harold Bramble and Valian Brown posted a time of 43.67.
Additionally, Sievert participated in a pair of hurdle events. In both the 110m hurdles and the 400m hurdles he finished in third place with a time of 15.46 and 58.32, respectively.
Chris Falis ran for fourth across the finish line in the mile with a time of 4:32.72, and Wells Johnson earned the same finish in the men's 5,000m run after posting a time of 15:19.97.
Senior Christopher Castagno threw a mark of 166' 10" in the men's hammer earning a second-place finish. In that same event redshirt senior William Norris followed in third place after throwing a mark of 157' 2".
Freshman Clay Allen had a strong showing in the men's javelin, as did Dylan Gidado in the discus. Allen recorded a mark of 163' 9" for a second-place finish, while Gidado came in third with a throw of 129' 0".
The Citadel will next compete in the Shamrock Invitational in Conway, S.C., on March 18-19.
Samford Track And Field Posts Stellar Start To Outdoor Season At 'Southern Invitational
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford track and field team got the outdoor season off to a great start this weekend at the 'Southern Invitational hosted by Birmingham-Southern College.
Several Bulldogs posted record-breaking performances in the first outdoor meet of the season, and the showing has Samford head coach Rod Tiffin excited for what is to come in the months ahead.
"This was a great start to the outdoor season," Tiffin said. "I was really happy with the way we competed today. We had a lot of personal bests and almost everyone competed well. I think we have corrected some indoor struggles and look forward to a great outdoor season."
Junior thrower Kyle Kirby started things off Friday afternoon with a school-record performance in the hammer throw. Kirby topped his own record in the event which he set last season at the 'Southern Invitational and broke three more times in 2010.
Saturday was also a great day for junior pole vaulter Michael Seaman. Seaman's height in the pole vault is the top mark in the country so far this outdoor season.
Tiffin was also impressed with freshman hurdler Danielle Blanco. Blanco did not get to compete much in the indoor season because of medical issues but fought through and ran a great season opener in Saturday's 400-meter hurdles.
The Bulldogs will be back in action in two weeks when they compete at the Alabama Relays, March 24-27.
UNCG's Schnell, Sumney Break School Records at UNCW Seahawk Invitational
WILMINGTON, N.C. - Ashley Schnell broke the school record in the 800 meters and Chelsea Sumney accomplished the same feat in the 1,500 meters to lead UNCG at the UNCW Seahawk Invitational on Saturday afternoon at the Greene Track & Field Complex.
Schnell continued her incredible season as she shattered the previous school record in the 800 meters by over five seconds. Her time of 2:12.69 broke the three-year old school record to earn top honors in the event. Kerry Hartman wasn't far behind as she finished in second place with a time of 2:15.61.
Shaina Sumney also had an impressive finish in the 800 meters as she came in fourth place in a time of 2:16.58. Both Hartman's and Sumney's time also broke the previous school record in the event.
Chelsea Sumney also had a great day as she broke the school record in the 1,500 meters. She ran a 4:44.08 to finish in sixth place and break the previous school record by .40 seconds that was set last season by Katie Hansen.
In his first ever 1,500 meter race, Paul Katam ran the second-fastest time in school history. His time of 3:56.81 earned him fourth place on the day and was only behind teammate Joey Thompson for the top time in the event.
Parker Wenos and Andy Clyne finished third and fifth, respectively, in the 800 meters to also highlight the day.
The Spartans will return to competition next weekend as they compete at the Wake Forest Open on Friday and Saturday.