GWU Women In Fourth; Men in Third-Place After Day One of Big South Championships
February 26, 2009 | Track & Field
Clemson, S.C. – The Gardner-Webb Indoor Track and Field teams find themselves in the middle of the hunt, as the women's team is in fourth-place while the men's team is sitting in fifth after day one of the 2009 New Balance Big South Indoor Track and Field Championships in Clemson, S.C.
The women's team, who has 26.16 points after Thursday's events, is
only 0.17 of a behind third-place holder Charleston Southern.
Coastal Carolina leads the way with 54.66 points, while Liberty is
in second-place after day one with 50.50 points.
The Bulldogs were led by senior Caryn Daane who took first-place
overall in the women's shot put event with her long throw of 12.72
m (41.08.75) to win the event. The winning throw was a new personal
best for Daane, shattering her old mark of 12.64 m set on earlier
this year at the Tiger Paw Invitational on February 14-15.
Fellow senior Victoria Argus and junior Kayla Morgan, as the duo
kicked off the championship meet with two-top five finishes between
them. Argus took second-place overall in the women indoor
pentathlon event, scoring 3,180 points over the five events. Morgan
was right on the heels of her teammate, as she finished third
overall in the pentathlon event with a combined score of 3,104 for
the five events.
In the process of the pentathlon, Argus set a new personal best
time of 9.08 in the 60 meter hurdles, while Morgan set personal
records in both the 60 meter hurdles, with a time of 9.21, and the
shot put with a toss of 9.30 m (30-06.25).
Also scoring for the women was freshman Ann Marie Howell, who
finished tied for eighth overall in the women's high jump, clearing
the bar at 1.50 m (4-11.00), and the women's distance medley relay
team of Cherish Richardson, Katy Milton, Elisabeth Sawyer and Abby
Callahan who finished seventh with their time of 13:32.00.
Senior Beth Long had a top-five finish in the 800 meter run
preliminaries on Thursday, as she crossed the finish line in third
with a time of 2:21.70, sealing her a place in the finals tomorrow
morning. The time was also a personal best for Long in the
event.
Other notable performances for the women's team on day one was
senior Bree Tharpe setting a new personal best time of 11:17.85 in
the 3000 meter run, while sophomore Lia Hudak also set a new
personal best in the event with her final time of 12:14.04.
Senior Dina Nshisso turned in a time of 2:30.74 in the 800 meter
run, which was a personal best, while freshman Cherish Richardson
and Caroline Arledge both set new personal records on the day.
Richardson set a personal best in the 800 meter run event with her
time of 2:27.32, while Arledge set a new personal best in the high
jump, clearing the bar at 1.50 m (4-11.00).
On the men's side, the Bulldogs find themselves in third-place
after finishing day one with 32 points.
Liberty leads the way with 83 points, while High Point is in
second-place overall with 46 points. VMI is right on the heels of
the Bulldogs, as the Keydets finished the day with 29 points, while
Radford is in fifth-place with 27 points.
Leading the pack was senior Jake Didion who took first-place in the
men's long jump event, turning in a meet long leap of 7.19 m
(23-07.25) for the win.
GWU sophomore Johnathan Rucker took sixth-place overall in the same
event, as the he turned in a long jump of 6.74 m (22-01.50). Rucker
also scored points for the Bulldogs in the high jump event, as the
sophomore cleared the bar at 2.02 m (6-07.50), a new personal
record, to take fourth-place overall.
The Bulldogs also picked up points in the men's pole vault event,
as sophomore Adam Reed took second-place overall with his height of
4.62 m (15-01.75). Freshman Daniel Mobley did not disappoint, as he
finished sixth in the event, clearing the bar at 4.27 m
(14-00.00).
Also scoring for the Bulldogs on day one was freshman Nick Kelly
who took eighth-place overall in the 3000 meter run, crossing the
finish line with a time of 8:53.60, a new personal record, and the
distance medley relay team of Charlie Steinke, Evan Brusich, Erin
Goodrum and Tim Israel who finished sixth with their time of
10:49.08.
Gardner-Webb's Charlie Steinke also performed well in the 800 meter
run, as both he and teammate Jason Wenzel qualified for the finals
tomorrow. Steinke qualified with a time of 1:57.32, a new personal
best, while Wenzel turned in a time of 1:57.15 in the preliminaries
to advance.
Not to be outdone, Paul Steinke qualified for not one but two
finals on Friday, as the junior turned in a time of 22.55 in the
200 meter dash prelims and a time of 49.11 in the 400 meter dash
prelims, both new personal bests.
GWU's Brusich will head into day two of the championships in
fifth-place in the men's heptathlon with four events down and three
remaining. Brusich currently has 2,329 combined points after four
events on Thursday and is only 325 points behind the first-place
leader Clarence Murray of Liberty.
On Thursday, Brusich set new personal bests in the high jump,
clearing the bar at 1.79 m (5-10.50), and the shot put with a throw
of 9.42 m (30-11.00).
Freshman thrower Mike McPherson also had a strong performance on
Thursday, as he set a new personal best in the shot put with a
throw of 13.87 m (45-06.25).
The final day of the 2009 New Balance Big South Indoor Track and
Field Championships will be start at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow at the
Clemson Indoor Facility. Live video and results are available at www.bigsouthsports.com.
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| Team Scores - Day One |
| Complete Results - Day One |
