Hurley Wins Pentathlon, Howell Sets School Record as Gardner-Webb Track & Field Shows Out On Day One of 2012 Big South Championships
February 25, 2012 | Track & Field
Blacksburg, Va. - Sophomore Kristen Hurley won the women's Pentathlon, senior Ann Marie Howell set a new school record in the Pole Vault, and the Runnin' Bulldogs earned 11 Top 8 finishes to highlight the performances on Day One of the 2012 Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships.
The women's team earned 25 points on the first day of competition, good enough for a 4th place standing with one day remaining. Gardner-Webb's men's track & field team tallied 28 points on day one and currently stand in 2nd place in the men's standings, edging out a tie for 3rd between Radford (27) and VMI (27) by one point.
For the women, Hurley (Columbia, Conn.) gave the Runnin' Bulldogs track squad a great start in the Pentathlon, winning the event with a personal best 3318 points. The Pentathlon champion Hurley was in the top four of the 60 m hurdles, shot put, long jump, and 800 m run to earn the win and All-Big South honors.
Fellow sophomore Olivia Moody (Plano, Ill.) finished 9th in the event, posting a career best 2884 points. Moody won the high jump portion of the event with a personal best height of 1.60 m. Between Hurley and Moody, the two pentathletes combined to record 7 personal best performances for the Runnin' Bulldogs in the event.
In the 60 m Dash, senior Katy Milton (Monroe, N.C.) was 16th fastest during prelims, posting a personal best time of 8.05. Also competing for GWU in the event was junior T'Keyah Bell (Cherryville, N.C.) whose time of 8.11 during prelims tied her personal best.
Gardner-Webb put two in the Top 8 of the Weight Throw, as junior Ashlei Alexander (Queens, N.Y.) and sophomore Jasmine Miles (Amelia, Va.) led the charge for the Runnin' Bulldogs in the event. Alexander posted a 5th place showing with a distance of 16.86 m (55'11.25") to lead GWU. Miles followed in 8th, throwing 15.78 m in the Weight Throw for the squad.
Sophomore Ashley Slate (High Point, N.C.) posted a personal best time in the 400 m Dash, finishing with a time of 1:02.72 in the event.
In 800 m Run, junior Ivana Hughes (Evans, Ga.) qualified for Finals of the event, posting the 6th fastest prelims time at 2:20.53.
Gardner-Webb put two in the Top 8 of the women's Pole Vault. Howell set a new school record with a personal best height of 3.76 m (12'4"). The previous school record for the event was shared between Howell and former GWU standout Carrie Long. GWU juniors Bethany Wright and Taylor Cook took 8th and 9th place respectively, each posting a height of 3.46 m (11'4.25") in the event.
The women's Distance Medley Relay team of Elisabeth Sawyer, Nicole Saxton, Katie Spiro, and Ariel Zimmerman ran to an 8th place finish, recording a season best time of 12:33.64.
In the women's team standings, GWU trails 3rd place Charleston Southern (26) by only point and 2nd place Coastal Carolina (31.5) by only 5.5 points going into Saturday.
On the men's side, Gardner-Webb junior Clint McManus gave the Runnin' Bulldogs a Top 8 finish, taking 4th place in the Pole Vault with a top height of 4.54 m (14'10.75").
In prelims of the 60 m Hurdles, sophomore Johnathan Parks (Douglasville, Ga.) qualified for the Finals heat of the event by posting the 4th fastest time at 8.33. The sophomore's preliminary performance on Friday marked a new personal best for the 60 m Hurdles.
Gardner-Webb senior Travis Rogers (Conyers, Ga.) garnered All-Conference honors in the men's Weight Throw, grabbing a 2nd place finish in throwing a personal best 18.82 m (61'9"). Friday's performance for the senior marks his second consecutive Top 3 finish at Big South Indoor Championships in the event.
Sophomore Carson Sears (Suwanee, Ga.) also earned All-Big South honors in blowing away his personal best with a distance of 18.40 m (60'4.5"), achieving a 3rd place finish for the Runnin' Bulldogs in the Weight Throw. The performance for Sears marks the third time he has reset a personal best in the event this season.
Sophomore distance specialist Mike McClay (Lawrenceville, Ga.) ran to a 7th place finish in the men's 3000 m Run, setting a new personal best with a time of 8:39.45 in earning valuable points for his team.
In the 400 m Dash, Gardner-Webb freshman Miles Harris (Atlanta, Ga.) set a season best mark with a time of 50.80 to finish 14th fastest during prelims. Sophomore Galen Keene (Brevard, N.C.) set a personal best time of 52.13 in the 400 m Dash.
Junior Josiah Stanton-Brooks (Seattle, Wash.) qualified for the Finals heat of the 800 m Run during Friday's preliminary heats, posting the 3rd quickest time at 1:56.09.
Gardner-Webb got a Top 8 finish from freshman Chris Darden (Athens, Ga.) in the men's High Jump, whose top height of 1.85 m (6'0.75") earned him a 6th place finish. The freshman's leap was a season best performance.
Sophomore Marquise Joyce (Greensboro, N.C.) recorded a personal best time in the 200 m Dash, racing to a time of 23.35.
Gardner-Webb achieved a new school record time and 5th place finish in the men's Distance Medley Relay. Trey Crook, Codi Merritt, Stanton-Brooks, and McClay combined for a time of 10:19.19 in the event.
The Runnin' Bulldogs track & field squad will look to enjoy similar success on Day Two of the 2012 Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships on the campus of Virginia Tech. Fans can follow all the action via Live Results, which can be accessed above courtesy of the Big South Conference.
All-Conference performers
Day One:
Women -
Ann Marie Howell (2nd, Pole Vault)
Kristen Hurley (1st, Pentathlon)
Men -
Travis Rogers (2nd, Weight Throw)
Carson Sears (3rd, Weight Throw)
