UNCG splits time at pair of meets over the weekend
GREENSBORO, N.C -- Outdoor track season is officially underway and UNCG’s men’s and women’s outdoor track teams traveled to the shore this weekend where they split time at the Coach O Coastal Carolina Invitational in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and the UNC-Wilmington Seahawk Invitational.
The Spartans first made a stop in Myrtle Beach where freshman Mikkayla Hailey earned a second place finish in the women’s 200-meter dash for her first top-5 finish as a Spartan. Elina Spradlin finished in eighth overall with a 1:07.66 in the 400-meter dash while teammates Kayla Wetherell and Sarah DeSantis finished in 1:09.76 and 1:15.06, respectively.
In the 800-meter run Amy Moret clocked a 2:42.68 as the only Spartan to compete in the event.
Katlyn Ayers earned a fourth-place finish in the 1,500-meter run clocking a 5:11.00. Eira Jensen was the top finisher in the 5,000-meter run clocking an 18:18.30 to win by nearly 26 seconds.
UNCG’s 4x200-meter relay team of Tiana Green, Hilary McFarland, Antonia Smith, and Hailey finished eighth overall and turned in a 1:51.23 just edging Shaw’s squad. UNCG had a second 4x200 relay team that placed 11th overall. In the 4x800 the Spartans placed seventh overall compiled by a team of Katherine Link, Jensen, Katlyn Adkins and Samiiah Wilson.
On the men’s side of things, Ny-Juan Williams finished 10th overall with a time of 11.66 in the 100-meter dash. Jeffrey Beane earned a 21st place finish with an 11.97 as the only other Spartan to finish. Williams finished just outside the top-10 in the 200-meter dash clocking a 23.62 to finish 13th while teammate Matthew Garr was 15th overall with a 23.77. Keeton Glenn also competed in the 200m and turned in a 24.60.
In the 400-meter dash William Sandin placed sixth overall with a time of 54.24. Robel Tecle clocked a 2:07.93 in the 800-meter run and Dakarai Shipp earned a second-place finish in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:05.80. Luke Sumerford was fourth in the 1,500 with a time of 4:07.62 while Patrick O'Grady was 18th with a time of 4:17.69. Andrew Ramsey also ran in the 1,500-meter finishing in 5:06.98.
David Guthrie and Brandon King both ran in the 5,000-meter run with Guthrie earning a top-25 finish clocking a 16:34.35.
On Saturday, the Spartans traveled to Wilmington, N.C., for the Seahawk Invitational hosted by UNCW. In the 100-meter dash Green was the Spartans top finisher clocking a 27.28. Hailey finished two places behind her teammate with a time of 27.88 while Smith and Yables also raced. Sophomore Andre’a Hopkins finished in 31.87 as the Spartans final runner in the event.
Wilson, Wetherell and Morey all ran in the 400-meter dash with Wilson finishing 15th overall with a time of 1:04.40. Link was the fifth place finisher in the 800-meter run clocking a 2:19.02 while Jensen finished just outside the top-10 with a time of 2:30.79.
Adkins placed top-10 in the mile run with a time of 5:35.72 while Ayers finished second overall in the 2,000-meter steeplechase.
On the men’s side, Williams, Garr, Beane and Palmer Dupree all represented the Spartans in the 200-meter dash. Kameron Douglas and Jonathan Hodge finished just outside the top-10 in the 400-meter dash while Bryan Whyms earned a top-20 finish.
Shipp earned his second second-place finish in as many days clocking a 4:22.81 in the one mile run while Sumerford finished ninth with a time of 4:30.29.
The Spartans return to action March 18 and 19 at the Wake Forest Open in Winston-Salem.
Mercer opens outdoor season with Savannah State Eyeopener and Gamecock Quad Meet
SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Mercer University track and field team competed in the women's events at the Savannah State Eyeopener on Saturday, Feb. 22. Mercer won two individual events while finishing in the top three of two relay events.
The Bears dominated the women's 5000-meter run by placing four runners in the top five, including Kami Orrender, who finished in first place with a time of 18 minutes and 6.04 seconds. Jenna Gipperrich (18:17.44), Victoria Rogers (19:31.13) and Courtney Czerniak (19:58.60) finished second, third and fifth, respectively, in the event.
Lia Sewell snagged Mercer's other individual win, edging USC-Beaufort's Betsy Douglas with a finishing time of 2:22.85 in the women's 800-meter run.
Mercer competed in the women's 4x400-meter and 4x100-meter relays as well, placing in third place of both. Sewell, Alicia Williams, Madison Mueller, Madison Morris, Callie Hammerle and Katie-Rose Alligood finished behind winner Clafin and runner-up Paine in the 4x400-meter with a time of 4:15.45. The 4x100-meter team – Hammerle, Mueller, Williams, Nicola Tirpak, Melody Hancock and Myranda Ham – ran a 49.90 to place behind winner Savannah State and runner-up Paine.
Other top-five finishes for the Bears included Cheyenne Andrew's second-place finish in the women's 3000-meter steeplechase. Andrew finished in 12:15.31 to place as runner-up behind SCAD Savannah's Caroline Cook. The Bears' Bethanie Bailey (12:58.45) and Ryan Sharry (14:51.31) finished fourth and fifth in the event, respectively.
Myranda Ham placed third in the women's javelin throw with a 27.31-meter performance while Katie-Rose Alligood finished fifth in the women's 1500-meter with a time of 5:20.10.
Mercer also defeated host Savannah State 71.00-48.00 in the dual meet scoring.
OXFORD, Ala. – The Mercer University track and field team competed in the Gamecock Quad Meet at Jacksonville State University on Saturday, March 12, finishing third among participating Division I programs.
The Bears totaled 50 points at the meet, finishing behind champion Georgia State (156) and runner-up Jacksonville State (129). Mercer swept the top five spots in the women's 5000-meter event and claimed three other top-five finishes in individual women's events.
Senior Jenna Gipperich finished first in the 5000-meter with a time of 18 minutes and 8.70 seconds, more than a full minute ahead of teammate and runner-up, junior Victoria Rogers (19:16.50). Sophomore Courtney Czerniak (19:37.69), junior Shannon Millikin (19:44.20) and freshman Bethanie Bailey (19:55.45) finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively.
Among other individual finishes for Mercer, senior Lia Sewell took second place in the women's 800-meter event with a time of 2:18.58. Sewell finished slightly more than four seconds behind Jacksonville State's Whitley Towns (2:14.18).
Sophomore Cheyenne Andrew placed second in the women's 3000-meter steeplechase event with a time of 12:24.58. In the women's 400-meter hurdles event, freshman Madison Mueller (1:05.47) finished fourth.
The Bears' four-by-100-meter relay team placed fourth as well. Sophomore Callie Hammerle, freshman Alicia Williams, sophomore Nicola Tirpak and Mueller ran a collective 50.24 to finished behind two Georgia State teams and one Jacksonville State squad.
Mercer's next meet will be Friday, March 25 at the Emory Classic, hosted by Emory University in Atlanta.