Bucs close out day one of the ETSU Invitational
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. –The ETSU track & field program returned to action Friday in its second consecutive home meet at the ETSU/MSHA Athletics Center on David E. Walker Track at Gentry Field. The Bucs were led by senior Tyesha Jones, who not only posted ETSU’s best finish of the day (third in the weight throw) but also notched another top 10 finish in the shot finishing in eighth place.
In addition to Jones’ work with the weights, the Buccaneers picked up nine additional top 10 finishes with the best coming in the men’s pole vault where Knoxville, Tenn. native Ben McKay finished fourth. Meanwhile on the track, most of the running events held Friday were preliminary races to decide who will compete in the finals of the events Saturday. Three Bucs, Michael Williams, Kyra Atkins and Kiana Davis, all advanced to the finals in their respective events Saturday after finishing in the top eight overall in their given contest. Williams and Atkins will both compete in the 60m hurdles, while Davis will try to win the 60m dash title.
The meet will resume bright and early Saturday morning with events beginning at 8 a.m. and will wrap up around 7:30 p.m.
Furman's Laura Miller wins 5,000m in opening day of ETSU Invitational
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. -- Junior Laura Miller turned in a time of 17:26.08 to win the women’s 5,000m to lead the Paladin indoor track and field team Friday at the ETSU Invitational in Johnson City, Tenn. The Paladins placed three runners among the top 11 in the event, as sophomore Emma Mashburn was second with a time of 17:53.81, and junior Bryce Seymour clocked in at 18:53.96 for 11th place.
Sophomore Becca Cooley placed ninth in the 800m with a time of 2:21.60, while junior Ann Sisson turned in a time of 2:28.38 to finish 20th.
The meet will conclude on Saturday. The women’s 3,000m run will begin at 8 a.m. The final event of the meet, the men’s 4x400m relay, is set to commence at 6:40 p.m.
Bulldogs open season with strong showing
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford University track and field teams competed in its first indoor meet of the 2016 season on Friday, Jan. 15, at the UAB Blazer Invitational held at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
The Bulldogs opened the day of competition in strong fashion as sophomore Emma Garner set a new personal best in the women's mile with her 6th place finish time of 5:08.11.
Senior Brandon Hazouri opened the throttle in the men's mile as he set not only a new personal best but broke the Samford record and UAB Blazer Invitational meet record with his 4:07.56 time to place 1st overall. Arsene Guillorel followed closely behind Hazouri to place 2nd in the event with a time of 4:10.01.
In the men's long jump Marquis Barnes picked up right where he left off in the outdoor season as he took a 3rd place finish in event with his impressive school record leap of 7.20m.
Sophomore Sarah Sanford sprinted her way to the women's 60 meter hurdle finals after she took 1st in her heat with a time of 8.59. Sanford closed out the finals with a time of 8.60 to finish 8th overall in the event.
In the men's weight throw competition Brian Hill captured another Top 5 finish for the Bulldogs as he placed 4th in the event with a throw of 15.92m.
Another Bulldog placed in the Top 5 of an event with Keyth Fightmaster's 4th place finish in the high jump with a mark of 2.05m.
Senior Adams Jones closed out the distance events at the meet with a time of 8:47.63 in the men's 3,000 meters with a 4th place overall finish.
Tray Oates posted a 4.85m mark in the men's pole vault to secure a 2nd place finish in the event.
UNCG races for the first time in 2016 at the Virginia Tech Invitational
BLACKSBURG, Va. – The UNCG men’s and women’s indoor track team’s took to the track for the first time in 2016 for the first day of the Virginia Tech Invitational Friday evening. The Spartans had strong showings across the board and will return to action Saturday at 1 p.m.
On the women’s side, the first event of the day for the Spartans was the women’s 60-meters in which freshman Mikkayla Hailey ran the fastest time for UNCG, 8.66. Makayla Yables and Andre’a Hopkins finished right behind her in the preliminaries with times of 9.34 and 9.61, respectively.
Next up was Katlyn Adkins leading the way in the one-mile run. Adkins finished 20th overall with a 5:36.84 slightly beating out her teammate freshman Kathleen Mansure, who finished in 5:38.86. Sophomore Sarah DeSantis also ran the one-mile clocking a 6:12.84 in her first race of the season.
BLACKSBURG, Va. - Lee Warren and Davon Guerrier posted IC4A qualifying times in the 60-meter hurdles, while Jordan White set a new personal best in the weight throw to pace the VMI track and field efforts on the opening day of the Virginia Tech Invitational, contested Friday in Blacksburg, Va.
Warren led the way for the Keydets, posting a second-place finish with a time of 8.24 seconds. It was a personal best effort by nearly two-tenths of a second, as was Guerrier's 8.25 time that punched his ticket to finals and an eventual fourth-place result.
White was another one of VMI's top finishers, as he posted a fourth-place finish in the weight throw with a personal best of over a meter and a half. White stretched the tape to 18.15 meters (59'6 3/4"), moved to the #3 position all-time at VMI in the event and punched his ticket to the IC4A meet in the process.
Grant Holmes and true freshman Andrew Arlint also recorded top-five finishes in the pole vault. Holmes finished fourth (4.45 M/14'7 1/4") and Arlint was fifth, as he cleared the bar (4.30 M/14'1 1/4").
In the long jump, Pete Reed finished 10th with a best leap of 6.73 meters (22'1").
In other events on track, Daniel DeNijs was 11th in the 3K (8:51.57), one spot ahead of Jay Broom (8:52.67). Avery Martin finished 13th in the mile, crossing the line in 4:20.75, while Greg Henderson (13th/7.00) and Aron Long (16th/7.03) had top-20 finishes in the 60-meter dash.
On the women's side, the Keydets posted two top-10 finishes, including Logan Edwards in the weight throw. Edwards hurled the weight 14.49 meters (47'6 1/2"), and VMI's other top-10 result was Yaa Agyepong-Wiafe's 10th-place result in the 60-meter hurdles (8.99).
VMI track and field will return to action Saturday, when the Keydets wrap up action at the Virginia Tech Challenge in Blacksburg. Action gets underway at 11 a.m.
Also in action: Western Carolina and Wofford.