GWU's Alexander Sets School Record, Takes First-Place in Shot Put on Day One of Big South Championships
February 25, 2011 | Track & Field
Clemson, S.C. - Gardner-Webb sophomore thrower Ashlei Alexander highlighted day one of the 2011 Big South Indoor Track &Field Championships for the Runnin' Bulldogs, as she set a new school record and earned all-conference honors with a first-place finish in the women's shot put event with a mark of 13.41 meters (44').
GWU had a number of individuals set personal best marks and qualify for the final heats on Friday in a handful of events, as the women's team totaled 16 points and sits in fifth-place overall in the team standings after five events, while the men's team picked up five points and finished day one in seventh-place after six events on Thursday.
Scoring for the Runnin' Bulldogs on the women's side was freshman Kyntoya Hansford, who finished eighth in the women's shot put event with a mark of 11.17 meters (36'7.75"), and Katy Milton, who picked up an eighth-place finish in the long jump with a personal best leap of 5.29 meters (17'4.25").
Also scoring for GWU was the women's distance medley relay unit of Ariel Zimmerman, Katie Spiro, Leah Steinke and Elisabeth Sawyer placed sixth overall with a time of 12:44.73.
In the women's 800 meter run preliminaries, sophomore Ivana Hughes and junior Cherish Richardson both qualified for the finals on Friday, as Hughes crossed the finish line with a time of 2:21.25 to finish sixth, while Richardson placed eighth with a personal best time of 2:20.85.
Setting personal best marks for GWU on the women's side included sophomore Yazzming Lee, who turned in a toss of 11.00 meters (36'1.25") in the shot put even to place 12th, freshman T'Keyha Bell, who turned in a personal best time of 8.11 to place 16th overall in the 60 meter dash prelims, and Milton, who placed 14th in the 200 meter dash preliminaries with a personal record time of 27.31.
Freshman Nancy Cates turned in a personal best time of 27.44 in the 200 meter dash prelims and a personal best mark of 8.27 in the 60 meter prelims, while fellow newcomers Amara Isbell and Ashley Slate both set personal best marks in the 400 meter dash prelims with times of 59.28 and 1:05.08, respectively.
The Runnin' Bulldogs had a trio of competitors in the pentathlon, as Kristen Hurley, Olivia Moody and Spiro all posted personal best marks on the day.
Hurley set a personal best mark in the 60 meter hurdles with her time of 9.61, in the long jump with a leap of 5.10 meters (16'8.75") and in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:35.73.
Moody set personal best marks in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 10.10, the shot put with a throw of 9.87 meters (32'4.75"), in the long jump with a leap of 4.37 meters (14'4") and in the 800 meter run with her time of 2:39.34.
Spiro, who crossed the finish line in first-place in the 800 meter run with her time of 2:31.50, set a personal best mark of 10.70 meters (35'1.25") in the shot put and in the long jump with a jump of 4.69 meters (15'4.75").
On the men's side, senior Evan Brusich scored for GWU with his eighth-place finish in the pole vault event, clearing the bar at 3.75 meters (12'3.50"), while fellow senior Johnathan Rucker also picked up an eighth-place finish in the high jump event with a mark of 1.90 meters (6'2.75").
Freshman Carson Sears scored for GWU in the men's shot put event, securing a seventh-place finish with a personal best mark of 14.79 meters (48'6.25"), while the men's distance medley relay team of Drew Ford, Galen Keene, Trey Crook and Mike McClay picked up an eighth-place finish with their time of 11:07.81.
Like on the women's side, GWU had a number of performers qualify for the finals on Friday including sophomore Josiah Stanton-Brooks with his third-place finish in the 800 meter run preliminaries with his time of 1:56.04 and freshman Johnathan Parks with a personal best time of 22.47 in the 200 meter dash preliminaries, which was good enough for a seventh-place showing.
Rucker took third-place in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.19 to qualify for the finals on Friday, while Brusich also qualified for the finals with his time of 8.30 and seventh-place finish.
In the 60 meter dash preliminaries, sophomore Bo Miller took sixth-place overall with his personal best time of 7.03, sending him to the finals on Friday, while Tyson Petty also set a personal best mark in the event with a time of 7.15.
GWU's Parks set a personal best mark in the 60 meter hurdles prelims with a time of 8.37, while fellow freshman Cory Palmer turned in a personal best mark of 5.90 meters in the long jump event, placing 14th overall.
Freshman Jarrett Willis turned in a personal best time of 9.53.97 in the 3000 meter run, while McClay also finished with a personal best time in the event with his time of 8.47.96.
The 2011 Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships will continue tomorrow, Friday, February 25th, at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C.
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| Day One Results - 2011 Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships |
