Bulldogs Have Strong Showing At Auburn Invitational
April 21, 2007 | Track & Field
AUBURN, Ala. – The Gardner-Webb track and field teams put on a solid performance at the Auburn Invitational with two first-place efforts and multiple top-20 finishes on both the men's and women's sides.
Jake Didion posted a first-place finish in the triple jump after leaping 49'9.75". Teammate Elliott Haynie also garnered the top spot in the pole vault, clearing 4.90m (16'0.75"). Jeremy Longshore took third in the event with a height of 4.60m (15'1").
Staying on the men's side, Jerel Langley recorded a fifth-place mark in the javelin with a throw of 58.84m (193'). In the discus, Cody MacArthur was sixth with a throw of 45.98m (150'10") while Matt Knippen placed eighth with a toss of 43.29m (142").
Knippen also had an eighth-place showing in the shot put with a heave of 15.43m (50'7.50").
Didion continued his success in the jumps, taking fourth overall and was the second collegiate in the long jump after posting a distance of 7.06m (23'2"). Bryant Davis staked a claim to the 12th spot with a jump of 6.31m (20'8.50").
In the running events, Lucas McAneney was the top competitor on the men's side with a sixth-place effort, crossing the line of the 5,000m event in 15:31.09. Tim Israel not only shattered a personal best, but also the school record in the 1,500m after finishing in 3:58.76.
The 800m featured a trio of Bulldogs in the top 20. Erin Goodrum was ninth (1:57.83), Geoff Lesch-Wragge was 10th (1:59.42) and Alex Nimmo placed 17th (2:05.31).
Sophomore Dobson Collins posted the ninth-fastest time in the 110m hurdles with a time of 14.66. In the 400m hurdles, Paul Steinke set a personal best with a time of 54.99 while Collins was 20th in 57.26.
On the women's side, Kelly Bridges recorded the squad's top finish, taking second in the pole vault with a height of 3.50m (11'5.75"). Merissa Hawkins was sixth in the event, clearing 3.20m (10'6").
In the javelin, Sarah Wyszynski took third (40.20m – 131'11") while Elizabeth Maxwell earned a seventh-place finish (32.09m – 105'3"). Brieanna Thompson also finished seventh, but it was in the discus. Thompson had a mark of 38.06m (124'10"). Caryn Daane earned a seventh-place finish in the shot put (12.59m – 41'3.75"); Maxwell earned an eighth-place finish, tossing it 12.15m (39'10.50").
Michele Milner was the top runner, placing sixth in the 5,000m with an effort of 18:46.66 while teammate Carrie Minard was 12th in 20:31.68.
Katherine Warden continued to impress in the 800m, this time finishing in 2:17.23, which was good enough for seventh. Teammate Beth Long was 14th in 2:21.45.
In the 1,500m, Abby Callahan was 13th in 4:59.29 while Bree Tharpe garnered the 20th spot in 5:09.29.
The Bulldogs have some time off before heading to the Atlantic Sun Championships on May 11-12 in Johnson City, Tenn.
