Spartans Wrap Up Day One of Wake Forest Open
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - UNCG set multiple personal-best times on both the men's and women's side on the first day of the Wake Forest Open on Friday afternoon.
Shannon Hall led the way for the women's team on Friday as she sent a new personal best by over five seconds in the 800 meters with a time of 2:19.23. That time also ranks fourth-best in school history in that event.
Emily Morris was able to shave .61 seconds off her time in the 400 meters from a week ago and that time was the second-best in school history. Anna Grimes and Kelly Montague also turned in top-10 finishes in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.
On the men's side, Tyron Alston ran a 1:56.19 in the 800 meters, which bested his time from last week by over three seconds.
In the 100 meters, Jelani Bonner and Bill Kane each set new personal-bests on Friday. Bonner's time of 11.72 seconds also set a new school record for that event.
The Spartans will wrap up their stay at the Wake Forest Open on Saturday as competition resumes at 9:30 a.m.
Schnell, Katam Break UNCG School Records at Wake Forest Open
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Ashley Schnell was one of three Spartans to break the previous school record in the 1,500 meters, while Paul Katam performed the same feat in the 3,000 meters for UNCG at the Wake Forest Open on Saturday afternoon.
Katam finished in third place in the 3,000 meters after running a time of 8:26.11. His time broke the previous school record held by Joey Thompson by over five seconds.
Thompson had a nice day of his own as he won the 1,500 meter race in a time of 3:53.51. That time was less than three seconds off his own school record in the event.
Schnell continued to impress this spring as she earned runner-up honors in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:30.10. Her time shattered the previous school record by over 14 seconds.
Shaina Sumney wasn't far behind as she came in fourth place after running a 4:35.35 and Kerry Hartman ran a 4:38.07 to finish in seventh. Both Sumney and Hartman's time would've broke the previous school record as well.
Chelsea Sumney had a nice afternoon too as her time of 10:21.68 was good enough for fifth place and was also the fourth fastest time in school history.
The Spartans will return to competition next Friday as they compete in the Raleigh Relays.
Schmitt Sets New Davidson Record in 3000-Meter Run
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Senior Charlie Schmitt ran a school-record eight minutes, 26.17 seconds in the 3000-meter run to lead the Davidson men's track and field team on the final day of competition Sunday at the Charlotte 49er Classic on Irwin Belk Track on the campus of the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.
Schmitt placed second in the event and was followed by sophomore Demetrios Pagonis who turned in a Davidson top-10 performance of 8:37.60. Sophomore Vincent Weir placed fifth in 8:44.97.
Freshman Andrew Lantz turned in a Davidson all-time top-10 performance in the 800-meter run, leading Wildcat runners by finishing eighth in 1:53.80.
Freshman Grayam Sailor-Tynes placed sixth in the steeplechase in 10:00.46.
On the first day of competition Friday, Ryan Hopkins nearly set a new school record en route to winning the 5000-meter run. He crossed the line in 14:35.86, just under two seconds shy of the school mark, to post the second-fastest performance in the event in Wildcat history. Wes Reynolds also placed in the top-10 in the event, placing eighth in 15:03.40. That time ranks him amongst Davidson's top-10 performers all-time for the 5000m.
Lantz qualified for the 2011 USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 1500-meter run with a time of 3:55.09 to place seventh.
SeniorJinHan Song placed 12th in the 100-meter dash in 10.89 seconds, 16th in in the 200-meter dash in 22.18 and 26th in the 400-meter dash in 49.91.
JuniorTaylor Martin led the 'Cats in the 400-meter hurdles with an 18th place finish in 56.60.
Davidson will return to action Friday and Saturday at the Winthrop Invitational.
Eagles Turn Heads at Shamrock Invitational
CONWAY, S.C. - More than luck was with the Eagles as they turned in outstanding performances at the Shamrock Invitational at Coastal Carolina University this past weekend, March 18-19th. Competing against more than 20 other women's teams, Georgia Southern recorded 11 top-10 individual finishes and had two of its three relay teams place in the top five with a six-place finish for the third. Another University record fell for Sara Curry as she knocked 30 seconds off the previous best mark in the outdoor 5,000 meter Run.
The University record holder in two indoor events, Curry finished the 5,000 meter Run, her first in outdoor competition, in 18:23.14 for 11th place. One of the contestants in the race included three-time Olympian and cross country world champion Zola Budd-Pieterse, who won the event.
"We had a great weekend and I am very proud of all the personal best marks that came out of this competition," said Eagles Head Track and Field Coach Natalie Smith. "The freshman and sophomore classes are really getting after it. Sara's first outdoor 5,000 absolutely shattered the previous record. Ebony was outstanding in the sprints this weekend and Kwajelin was on fire in the hurdles. Asea Mayfield made a huge improvement in the 800 meter run, which is something we have been waiting to see."
The Shamrock Invitational included elite sections of several field events and senior Shaunta Hamilton was one of three Eagles who participated in the "invitational" section of the Long Jump. Hamilton came away with the win in that event with a distance of 5.73 meters. Stephanie Hicks and Millicent Brooks-Millender finished in the top 10 as all three had their top distances on their first marked jumps.
Sophomore Ebony Carter posted her best times of the 2011 outdoor season in the 100 and 200 meter Dash. Carter ran an 11.95 in the 100 to finish in the top five and placed in the top 10 with her 24.82 time in the 200 event.
Freshman Kwajelin Holsendoph was the first of three Georgia Southern competitors across the finish line as she took second place in the 100 meter Hurdles (14.30). Classmate Stephanie Hicks finished in fourth (14.43) and sophomore Jasmine Billings missed a top-10 finish by .07 seconds. Holsendolph finished in ninth place (12.45) in the 100 meter Dash behind Carter.
Four Eagles turned in top 25 performances in the 800 meter Run with Asea Mayfield finishing just .21 seconds out of the top 10 with a 2:17.91 time, the best by a Georgia Southern student-athlete this year and good enough for fourth on the all-time top-five list. Racquel Daly finished just behind Mayfield in 13th with her 2:18.98 time and junior Azura Robillard was 23rd overall.
Georgia Southern's Relay teams more than held their own in a very competitive field in all three races. Billings, Holsendolph, Amber Vaughn and Carter brought the Eagles a top-five finish in the 4X100 Relay (47.94). In the 4X400 Relay, Ray Toomer, Racquel Daly, Kristiana Towns and Morgan Jefferson placed sixth overall with a time of 3:55.31.
Daly and Jefferson pulled double duty by running the second and third legs of the 4X800 Relay. Azura Robillard kicked off the Relay for the Eagles with Mayfield finishing the race as they earned a fifth-place finish with their 9:20.44 time. Towns, who ran the third leg of the 4X400, was just .04 seconds from a top-10 finish in the 400 meter Dash. She improved on her time from last week's competition and recorded not only a personal best, but a team season-best 58.78 in the event.
Sophomore Ashley Thomas represented the Eagles in three field events: Shot Put, Hammer Throw and Discus. She placed seventh in the Shot Put with a 12.55 meter toss, adding a half of a meter to her collegiate best mark. Her first marked distance of the 2011 season in the Hammer Throw resulted in a 43.39 meter distance, almost five meters farther than her outdoor best in 2010. A 36.37 meter distance in the Discus also marked her personal best at Georgia Southern for a 16th-place finish at the meet.
In addition to her running events, Robillard competed in the javelin and surpassed her mark from the Palmetto Classic with a 31.83-meter throw. Freshman Brianna Charles garnered a fourth-place finish in the Long Jump in her first effort of the outdoor season (4.99m). Sophomore Alex Cassagnol (Augusta, Ga.) posted a1.65 meter height in the High Jump Invitational section and finished eighth overall.
The Eagles travel next to the UCF Invitational in Orlando, Fla., which will be held on Friday, March 25th.
FURMAN MEN'S 4X800M RELAY SETS SCHOOL RECORD; CALDWELL WINS 5,000M AT EMORY INVITATIONAL
ATLANTA, GA. -- The Furman men's 4x800m relay team of sophomore Wilkerson Given, freshman Jack Klecker, freshman James Perez, and junior Lee Gilmer set a new school record with a time of 7:47.42 and junior Chris Caldwell won the 5,000m with a time of 15:09.18 to lead the Paladin track and field teams at the Emory Invitational, held Friday and Saturday in Atlanta, Ga. The former Furman record of 7:52.17 in the 4x800m had stood since 2006.
The men's relay team of freshman Zach Duskin, Given, sophomore Raul Rodriquez, and Perez won the 4x400m after notching a time of 3:23.75. Gilmer placed second in the 1500m with a time of 3:54.42, and senior Charlie McGoogan recorded a personal record and took second place in the 5000m with a time of 15:11.27.
The Furman women's team took first place in two relay events. The 4x400m relay team of sophomore Misha Holmes, junior Erin McChristian, freshman Alexa Wilton, and senior Jenna Callahan placed first with a time of 4:03.02, and Callahan, junior Erin Barker, freshman Catherine Burton, and sophomore Emily Wirzba won the event with a time of 9:22.18.
Senior Starr Belmont placed second in the 200m with a time of 26.76, and Wilton took second in the 400m after posting a time of 1:00.42. Callahan finished second in the 1,500m with a personal-best time of 4:46.42, and junior Brooke Mosteller was second in the 5,000m with a time of 18:13.14.
The Paladins will compete at the Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa, Ala., March 25-27.
MOCS CLAIM THREE VICTORIES ON DAY TWO OF EMORY INVITATIONAL
ATLANTA, Ga. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga outdoor track team wrapped up its season opener with three top place finishes on Day Two at the Emory University Invitational in Atlanta, Ga.
Junior Chris Berry improved his PR in the 400 meter run to 3:53. 09 with a first place finish in the men's 1500 meter run. Junior Emmanuel Kirwa ran his first 1500m and finished fourth with a time of 3:57.84 followed immediately by senior David Moore with a time of 3:59.18.
Sophomore Josh Vasquez topped his PR in the men's 800 meter run by nearly four seconds with a first place finish in the event with a time of 1:54.89. Freshman Drew Austell placed seventh with a time of 1:57.84 in the race.
Sophomore Blake Olson claimed the win in the men's 400 meter hurdles with a time of 56.51. Classmate Jake Simms placed fifth in the event with a personal record time of 58.61.
In the women's races, sophomore Ashley Hall placed third in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:08.88. Senior Tara Gietema finished fourth in the 1500 meter run with a time of 4:47.62. Senior Shelley Taylor ran a 5:03.34 in the event.
Senior Monika Groppe ran a 2:31.25 in the women's 800 meter run placing 13th overall.
On Day One the men's 4x800 meter realy team finished first while the B Team placed fifth. The women's 4x800 meter team was second to SoCon foe Furman University.
The Mocs return to action next weekend with Berry and Kirwa heading West to compete in the Stanford Invitational while the remaining members of the team will travel to Atlanta for the Yellow Jacket Invitational hosted by Georgia Tech.
WCU picked up four victories in first outdoor meet of the season at the Irwin Belk Track in Charlotte, N.C.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Western Carolina track & field teams concluded the first meet of the outdoor season Saturday at the Charlotte 49er Classic at the Irwin Belk Track in Charlotte, N.C. The SoCon Championships Most Outstanding Track Performer, Cordell Livingston, continued right where he left off from the indoor season. The sophomore from High Point, N.C. won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 52:58.
Western Carolina also picked up a victory in the men's high jump event. Freshman Jordan Orr finished in the top spot for the first time in his young collegiate career.
The men's team also swept the relays, picking up wins in the 4x100-meter relay and the 4x400-meter relay. The 4x100 team, consisting of Ron Duncan, Brandon Hairston, Benny Davis and Aaron Tribble, ran the relay in a time of 41.06. The "B" team also placed in the top 10, finishing with a time of 44.03.
In the 4x400-meter relay, the Catamounts won the event in 3:13.60, with Aaron Tribble, Cordelle Livingston, Drew Tucker and Benny Davis running for WCU.
Sophomore Brandon Hairston picks up a top-five finish in the first outdoor meet in the 200-meter dash, crossing the line in 21.47, good enough for fourth place.
For the women, Nicole Okolo continued her success in the hurdles. The senior from Lawrenceville, Ga. finished the indoor season by winning the Southern Conference 60-meter hurdles. Okolo did not have a difficult time transitioning to outdoors as she finished second in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.84.
In the women's pole vault, senior Kassie McKie and sophomore Ashley Wala both cleared the bar at 3.35m. McKie finished fourth Wala placed sixth as McKie cleared the height in less attempts.
Senior Zakiyyah Stewart finished in the top-five as the senior threw the discus 43.99m.
The women's 4x400-meter relay team placed fourth, crossing the stripe in 3:50.00.
The Western Carolina track & field teams will be back in action Friday, March 25, in Cullowhee, as the Catamounts host the Beynon Sports Surfaces Catamount Classic. The meet will be held on the campus of Western Carolina University at the Catamount Athletic Complex.
The Citadel Track and Field Concludes Competition at CCU/Shamrock Invitational
Conway, S.C. - The Bulldog Track and Field teams wrapped up competition at the CCU/Shamrock Invitational on Saturday, March 19.
In the first event of the day freshman Dylan Gidado started things off for the Bulldogs when he earned a personal-best mark of 133' 07" in the discus throw.
The men continued the morning earning top finishes in field events in the pole vault, high jump and long jump. Freshman David Melton completed the pole vault among the top three finishers in third place with a mark of 14' 07.25", while senior James Harris earned a top-five finish when his jump of 6" 06.75' landed him in fifth place. Junior Shane Woodard jumped his way among the top-10 finishers in the long jump with a mark of 19' 07.00" for seventh place.
Freshman Christina Shonbeck became the No. 5 all-time runner among The Citadel's top-10 list in the 3,000m run when she posted a time of 11:07.07.
Sophomore Chalita Johnson and freshman Christine Hinds also moved into The Citadel's record books in the 200m dash. Johnson's time of 25.85 placed her at the No. 6 all-time position, while Hinds became No. 8 with a time of 26.20.
In the 400m dash, sophomore Brunson Miller registered his best run of the season when he posted a time of 47.85 for second place.
The meet concluded with the men's and women's 4x400m relay. Miller teamed with Daniel Till, Christian Graham and Blane Woodfin to also earn their best finish of the season in the 4x400m relay with a time of 3:19.06 for eighth place. The women's squad narrowly missed their season-best finish as Micah Wessinger, Erinn Carter, Danielle McKee and Vanessa Hope combined for a time of 4:05.53.
The Bulldogs will next compete in the Weems Baskin Relays in Columbia, S.C., on March 26.