Catamounts Sweep Titles at Appalachian Open
BOONE, N.C. - The Western Carolina men's and women's track & field teams opened the 2014-15 indoor season with team titles at the Appalachian Open hosted by Appalachian State University. The women won by just over 43 points while the men won by 31.5 points.
Host Appalachian State finished second in both the men's and women's overall standings while Winthrop finished third on the women's side and Gardner-Webb placed third on the men's side.
The women dominated the 55m hurdles as they swept the top-four spots. Senior Xaviera Bass led the contingent finishing first with a time of 8.15. Sophomore Kayla Williams placed second with a time of 8.30, sophomore LeNiesha Kearse came across third in 8.39 and senior Michaela Birek finished fourth at 8.49.
On the men's side junior David Johnson and freshman Kevin Hires took the top two spots in the men's triple jump. Johnson posted a distance of 14.81m (48-07.25) while Hires leapt 14.77m (48-05.50).
Sophomores Chenell Bryan and Tiffani Lewis took the top two spots in the women's long jump. Bryan leapt 5.92m (19-05.25) while Lewis posted a distance of 5.66m (18-07.00). Senior Lena Elliott and junior Kaitlyn Shetler did the same in the women's 800m. Elliott took top honors with a time of 2:21.86 while Shetler finished second in 2:27.28.
Junior Jared Johnson earned valuable points on the men's side finishing first in the weight throw with a distance of 17.81m (58-05.25) and placing third in the shot put with a throw of 15.28m (50-01.75). The men also took the title in the 55m, 55m hurdles, 3000m and the 4x300m relay. Freshman Brenden Caldwell tied for the top spot in the 55m with a time of 6.45, senior Marquis Bailey took the title in the 55m hurdles at 7.75 while sophomore Eric Blake placed fifth in 8.08. Junior Michael Cornwell stood atop the podium in the 3000m after posting a time of 9:04.74.
The men's 4x300 relay teams placed first, third and fifth. The "A" squad of senior Aaron Tribble, senior Demari Boswell, freshman Dakota Lamont and freshman Henry Kiedy posted a time of 2:18.53 while finishing first. WCU's "B" squad consisting of sophomore Max Burke, Bailey, senior Abraham Faison and junior Dante Ortado came in third with a time of 2:23.52. The "C" squad of Blake, sophomore Jermaine Lewis, Johnson and sophomore Tremaine Kernes came in fifth with a time of 2:27.52.
The women took top honors in the pole vault, 55m, 3000m and 4x300 relay. Senior Devyn Ressler took the pole vault title with a height of 3.76m (12-04.00) while junior Korie Bennett tied for third (3.51m (11-06.25)) and senior Cara June Elyea tied for fifth (3.36m (11-00.25)). Junior Tayla Carter stood atop the podium in the 55m race with a time of 6.98. Lewis placed fourth in the event with a time of 7.30 while Williams came in fifth at 7.37. Junior Aleshia Reese finished first in the 3000m event with a time of 10:47.44 while freshman Laney Browder came in third at 11:08.21. The final Catamount in the top-five in the 3000m was freshman Katarina Ruehl who came in fifth with a time of 11:42.57.
In the 4x300 relay the women finished first, second, fourth and fifth. WCU's "A" squad place first with a time of 2:43.80. The "A" squad consisted of junior Corina Archie-McMillan, senior Genevieve Emrick, Birek and Carter. The "B" squad finished second with a time of 2:48.41. Elliott, junior Holly Gaines, freshman Sally Woerner and junior Michaela Williams made up the "B" squad. The "D" squad of Kearse, Bass, K. Williams and senior Anne Greer finished fourth with a time of 2:51.03 while the "C" squad placed fifth in 2:52.14. The "C" squad was made up of sophomore Alexis Robinson, sophomore Latasha Pride, Bryan and senior Taylor Feimster.
The men finished second in the high jump, long jump, pole vault, 400m and 800m. Freshman Jaquell Bryant tied for second in the high jump with a leap of 1.98m (6-06.00) while junior Christian Carswell finished tied for fifth with a height of 1.88m (6-02.00). Freshman Jordan Santana came in second in the long jump with a distance of 6.92m (22-10.00) while sophomore Dustin Tripplett took runner-up status in the pole vault with a height of 4.75m (15-07.00). Redshirt freshman Thor Smith tied for fifth in the pole vault (4.45m (14-07.25)).
Freshman Dakota Lamont took second in the 400m with a time 50.06. Ortado placed third at 51.03 while Boswell came in fourth at 51.05. Junior Jamie Bigby led the team in the 800m with a second place finish. He posted a time of 1:56.94. Sophomore Kaleel Barton placed third in 1:57.44. The men's final top-five competitor was sophomore Max Burke who placed fifth in 200m with a time of 22.60.
The women took second in the weight throw, shot put, high jump, 400m and 200m. Senior Alisha Bradshaw came in second in the weight throw with a toss of 16.97m (55-08.25) while sophomore Hailey Cook placed fourth with a distance of 15.20m (49-10.50). Bradshaw also finished second in the shot put with a toss of 14.42m (47-03.75) while Cook came in third in the shot put with a distance of 14.04m (46-00.75).
Bass, sophomore Anisa Starege and junior Molly Fagan all tied for second in the high jump with a leap of 1.62m (5-03.75) while Emrick finished second in the 400m with a time of 56.39 and Carter placed second in the 200m while crossing the line in 24.60.
The Catamounts will return to action after the New Year on Jan. 10 at the Orange and Purple Classic in Clemson, S.C.
Paladins Open Indoor Track Season With Four First-Place Finishes
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Furman athletes claimed four first-place finishes as the Paladins opened the 2014 indoor track and field season Saturday at the JDL Fast Track College Kickoff in Winston-Salem, N.C. All told, the Furman team claimed 13 top-10 individual finishes on the day.
The Furman men’s team swept the top three spots in the 3,000m, as sophomore Nate Riech recorded a time of 8:38.67 for first place, followed by sophomore Matt Lange in second at 8:38.89. Senior James Perez was third with a time of 8:41.14.
The Paladin women’s team took five out of the top 10 spots in the mile competition. Sophomore Ann Sisson notched a first-place finish at 5:10.47, followed closely by freshman Jacquelyn Crow in second with a time of 5:10.49. Rookie Caroline Reed was third at 5:14.22, while freshman Becca Cooley finished sixth with a time of 5:18.67. Senior McKenzie Woolley placed tenth at 5:23.47.
In the 500m, Furman sophomore Shauna Owen took first place at 1:22.52, while senior Rachel Gilbert was fifth after turning in a time of 1:24.93. Rookie Shannon Smith finished ninth at 1:25.95. Sophomore Anna McBride claimed first place with a time of 10:11.57 in the 3,000m, and sophomore Phoebe Ferguson placed tenth in the 800m after crossing the line in 2:29.25.
The Paladins will compete at the at Bob Pollock Invitational in Clemson, S.C., and at the Vanderbilt Indoor Invitational in Nashville, Tenn., on January 23-24.
Widmyer and Hayworth Break Wofford Records in Indoor Track & Field Season Debut
BOONE, N.C. – The Wofford College track & field team had a successful season debut, breaking three school records along with other promising finishes at the Appalachian Open this weekend.
Freshman Kasey Widmyer broke two school records in the meet, setting new marks in the indoor triple jump and long jump. Widmyer placed fourth overall in the women’s triple jump, leaping into the record books with a 10.98m mark. Widmyer also set a new school record in the long jump, placing in 16th with a distance of 4.93 meters. The freshman passed teammate Sloane Brandon, who held the record with a distance of 4.47 meters.
Among the other highlights on the women’s side, freshman Chandler Washburn finished in third in the women’s 800 meter run with a time of 2:29.06. The women’s team finished the meet in fourth place.
On the men’s side, James Hayworth set a new school record for the men’s weight throw. Hayworth topped his previous record of 9.99m, chucking the weight 11.68m, good for a 14th place finish.
The men’s team had a successful outing as well. Junior Tevin Johnson finished in fourth in the high jump with a height of 1.93 m, just 0.04 meters shy of beating the school record. Freshman Samuel Robinson made his debut in the 55 meter hurdles, finishing in seventh of 16 with a time of 8.18. The men’s team ended the meet in seventh place.
The Terriers will compete again after the holiday break on January 16th and 17th where they will travel to Johnson City, Tennessee to participate in the ETSU Track and Field Invitational.
UNCG Men's Track Hosts Meet to Open Season
GREENSBORO, N.C - The UNCG men’s track and field team hosted a six-way meet Monday evening at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C at 5 p.m. UNCG welcomed in NC State, North Carolina Central, Savannah State, North Carolina A&T and USC Upstate to kick off the 2014-15 indoor track season.
The Blue and Gold took home first and third place in the distance medley. The first place team consisting of Jason Barber, Dakarai Shipp, Jonathan Hodge and Patrick O’Grady finished in 11:08:35. Brandon King, Bryan Whyms, Robel Tecle and Luke Sumerford made up the third place team and finished the race in 11:10.50.
Andrew Ramsey finished 10th in the 400-meter run with a final time of 1:07.71.
In the 800-meter run, David Guthrie finished in sixth place with a time of 2:05.45. Junior Christopher Murphy finished shortly after in eighth place with a final time of 2:05.58. Brandon Cain and Elwood finished back to back in 13th and 14th place with times of 2:08.17 and 2:09.55, respectively.
Freshman Geoffrey Korir finished the first one-mile race of his career in fourth place with a time of 4:36.65.
The Spartans will compete again on January 10 in the Wake Forest Invitational in Winston-Salem, N.C.