Clemson, S.C. ? The 2007 Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships concluded Sunday at the Clemson Indoor Track and Field Facility with both Appalachian State men and women taking top team honors.
The Mountaineer men won their fourth title in the last six years after posting 272.5 points. It is ASU’s 15th SoCon Indoor Track and Field championship.
The Appalachian women claimed their seventh straight SoCon championship finishing with 161 points, just beating out second-place Western Carolina by a mere point-and-a-half. The 2007 title marks the ASU women’s 14th crown in the 20-year history of the championship.
ASU senior Adam Van Nortwick was named the Most Outstanding Track Performer after grabbing two individual titles in the one mile run and the 3,000-meters. Van Nortwick also finished second in the 800-meters run with a time of 1:54.44.
Mountaineer Wes Kiser earned his first SoCon indoor titles in the men’s weight throw with a mark of 17.63 meters and his second in the shot put where he threw for a 15.56 meters mark. Kiser also garnered his first Most Outstanding Field Performer honor.
Individually, Georgia Southern’s Nicole Brown tallied four individual titles on the women’s side. On Saturday she recorded an NCAA provisional mark of 6.15 meters in the long jump to take top honors. She claimed the title in the triple jump after tallying an NCAA provisional qualifying jump of 12.76 meters. Brown’s other two crowns came on the track when she won the 60-meters dash (7.60) and the 200-meters dash (24.43). She earned her first Most Outstanding Field Performer honor for her efforts.
Davidson’s Brenna Burns grabbed her first indoor title in the 3,000-meters run with a time of 9:53.83. She ran the 5,000-meters in a time of 17:08.63 to notch second-place honors. Burns was named the Most Outstanding Track Performer for her performance.
Western Carolina’s Dominique Young was named the Freshman of the Year on the men’s side. The Catamount posted a time of 21.93 in the 200-meters dash to place second and he also finished third in the 60-meters dash with a time of 6.97. Teammate Matt Harlfinger grabbed his first individual title in the men’s heptathlon finishing with 4,620 points, marking a new SoCon record in that event.
On the women’s side, Davidson’s Kristen Meister earned Freshman of the Year honors. Meister set a new SoCon record and notched an NCAA provisional qualifying leap in the high jump with 1.81 meters cleared.
Elon’s Jessica Clendenning broke the SoCon record in the women’s pole vault after jumping 3.97 meters to take top honors. The mark breaks Western Carolina’s Laura Tieszen’s 3.95 meter leap in 2004.
ASU’s Charles Derrickson landed on the podium two times on Sunday. Derrickson broke the SoCon record in the 60-meters hurdles with a time of 7.95. The Mountaineer snapped his own 7.99 record set in the event at last years championships. Derrickson also finished second in the 60-meters dash behind Western’s Albert Ashcraft who placed first with a time of 6.91.
Stephanie McNeill from The Citadel claimed the women’s weight throw crown launching a 16.30 meters throw. McNeill earned her first individual title with the mark and also The Citadel’s first-ever women’s individual title in the indoor championships.
Runner-up and defending champion on the men’s side, Western Carolina finished with 232.5 points while the Western women also came in second behind ASU with 159.5.
WCU head coach Danny Williamson was named the Women’s Coach of the Year with Appalachian State’s John Weaver being named Men’s Coach of the Year.