Bulldogs Track and Field Score 14 Top-Five Finishes at Liberty Open
January 24, 2009 | Track & Field
Lynchburg, Va. – The Gardner-Webb men's and women's indoor track and field teams combined to pick up 14 top-five finishes, including four first-place showings, on Saturday at the Liberty Open in Lynchburg, Va.
On the women's side, the Bulldogs continued to set a number of personal bests on Saturday, particularly in the field and distance events.
In the women's pole vault, the Bulldogs dominated taking first, second and sixth-place overall. Senior Kelly Bridges took first-place overall with her attempt of 11-09.75 feet (3.60 meters), a new personal best. Fellow teammate Carrie Long cleared the bar at 11-03.75 feet (3.45 meters), which was good enough for a second-place finish overall. GWU's Brook Yeakley finished sixth overall, clearing the bar at 10-04.00 feet (3.15 meters).
In the women's shot put, the Bulldogs Gwennetta Jones and Caryn Daane both finished in the top three overall. Jones turned in a throw of 40-04.75 feet (12.31 meters), edging out fellow teammate Daane for second-place. Daane's throw of 39-08.50 feet (12.10 meters) placed her in third-place overall.
Continuing with their stellar performances in the field events, Gardner-Webb's Ann Howell took ninth-place in the high jump event, clearing the bar at 5-01.00 feet (1.55 meters), a new personal record.
Senior Beth Long turned in a personal best time of 3:06.58 in the 1000 meter run to take fourth-place, while fellow classmate and teammate Abby Callahan crossed the finish line at 3:14.80, a personal best time which placed her 13th overall.
In the 3000 meter run, GWU's Laura Scott turned in a personal best time of 11:10.25 to finish eighth overall, while senior Bree Tharpe took 15th-place with her final time of 11:33.71.
School records fell in the 500 meter dash, as freshman Cherish Richardson crossed the finish line in 12th-place with a time of 1:24.06, setting a new personal best along the way. Teammate Dina Nshisso, who did old the record with a time of 1:27.58, ran past her old time as well, finishing in 15th-place with her new personal best time of 1:26.65.
On the men's side, the Bulldogs had 13 top-10 finishes, highlighted by three first place showings.
The Bulldogs dominated the distance events taking first-place in the 800 meter run, the 1 mile run and in the 4x4 meter relay.
Sophomore Jason Wenzel won the 800 meter run, crossing the finish line in first with his time of 1:58.04, almost two whole seconds ahead of the next competitor.
Not to be outdone, senior Tim Israel took first-place overall in the 1 mile run, crossing the finish line with a time of 4:25.81. Israel held off fellow teammate Nick Kelly who finished third overall with a time of 4:27.52. Kelly also took second-place overall in the 1000 meter run, crossing the line with a time of 2:37.12, a personal best.
In the 4x4 meter relay, the Bulldogs ran past the competition, edging out Winthrop for first-place with their time of 3:28.13.
The Bulldogs got a second-place finish by way of Paul Steinke in the 500 meter dash, as he turned in a time of 1:07.67.
GWU's Adam Reed took second-place overall in the men's pole vault event, as Reed set a new personal best clearing the bar at 15-03.00 feet (4.65 meters).
Senior Jake Didion finished fourth overall in the men's long jump, finishing the day with a long jump of 22-10.00 feet (6.96 meters). Sophomore Johnathan Rucker also took home a fourth-place finish, as Rucker picked up fourth in the men's high jump, clearing the bar at 6-04.75 feet (1.95 meters), a personal best. Rucker also finished ninth with a distance of 44-00.50 feet (13.42 meters) in the men's triple jump event.
Freshman Mike McPherson set two new personal bests on Saturday, as he finished ninth in the men's shot put event with a throw of 44-02.50 feet (13.47 meters) and 10th overall in the men's weight throw with a toss of 45-00.50 feet (13.73 meters).
The Bulldog indoor track and field teams will return to action next Friday and Saturday, January 30 and 31, when GWU will travel to Johnson City, Tennessee to compete in the Niswonger Invitational hosted by East Tennessee State University.
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