Gardner-Webb Track & Field Impresses in Outdoor Season Opener at Coastal Carolina Invitational
March 11, 2012 | Track & Field
Boiling Springs, N.C. - The Runnin' Bulldogs recorded eight Top 3 finishes as well as a multitude of personal best performances as GWU opened its 2012 outdoor track & field season at the Coastal Carolina University Invitational.
On the women's side, Gardner-Webb got a pair of 2nd place finishes on day one of the CCU Invitational. Senior Katy Milton (Monroe, N.C.) took 2nd in the Women's Open Long Jump, jumping 5.05 m. Runnin' Bulldog junior Bethany Wright (Clayton, Ga.) achieved a 2nd place showing in Flight A of the Women's Pole Vault with a top height of 3.50 m (11' 5.75").
Junior Taylor Cook (Boone, N.C.) also grabbed a Top 5 finish in Flight A after vaulting to a height of 3.35 m (10' 11.75"), good enough for 4th place in the event.
In the Women's High Jump Invitational event, senior Sarah Herd (Cherryville, N.C.) finished 3rd, achieving a height of 1.65 m to lead the Runnin' Bulldogs in the event. Sophomore Olivia Moody (Plano, Illinois) reached 6th place in the Women's High Jump Open event, jumping 1.55 m.
Gardner-Webb junior Ashlei Alexander (Queens, N.Y.) took home a 3rd place finish in the Women's Shot Put, throwing a distance of 13.37 m for the Runnin' Bulldogs. Fellow junior Stephanie Hamilton (Blair, Neb.) threw 11.92 m (39' 1.25"), achieving 12th place. Hamilton added a 10th place showing in the Women's Discus Throw, tossing a distance of 36.97 m (121' 3").
Sophomore Jasmine Miles (Amelia, Va.) put up a 6th place performance in the Women's Hammer Throw, tossing a personal best distance of 48.19 m (158' 1"). GWU got another Top 10 finish and another personal best in the event as junior Yazzming Lee (Paterson, N.J.) was 9th with a distance of 46.98 m (154' 2").
Miles tacked on a 3rd place showing in the Women's Discus Throw, achieving a personal best distance of 41.00 m. Sophomore Kyntoya Hansford (Miami, Fla.) grabbed 13th place, throwing a personal best 35.80 m (117' 5").
In the Women's Javelin Throw, senior Caroline Arledge (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) paced the Runnin' Bulldogs with an 11th place showing, recording a distance of 34.99 m (114' 9"). Fellow senior Ann Marie Howell added a 16th place finish with a distance of 33.36 m (109' 5").
Milton paced the Runnin' Bulldog effort in the 100 m dash with a 16th place showing in a personal best 12.64. Junior T'Keyah Bell (Cherryville, N.C.) finished 20th for GWU, achieving a time of 12.71. Bell added a 15th place showing in the 400 m Dash, recording a personal best time of 59.08.
Junior Ivana Hughes (Evans, Ga.) ran to a 2nd place showing in the 400 m Dash, racing to a personal best time of 56.33. Hughes also recorded a personal best time in the 200 m Dash, achieving a 12th place showing in 25.59.
Indoor Pentathlon champ Kristen Hurley (Columbia, Conn.) gave the Runnin' Bulldogs an 11th place finish in the 100 m Hurdles, recording a time of 15.62.
Junior Leah Steinke (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) led GWU in the 400 m Hurdles with a 15th place performance, putting up a time of 1:09.82. Senior Elisabeth Sawyer (Charlotte, N.C.) finished in 1:11.33 for Gardner-Webb, 19th fastest in the event.
For the men's squad, GWU was led on day one by a 2nd place showing in the Men's Hammer Throw from Carson Sears (Suwanee, Ga.), as the sophomore shattered his previous best performance with a distance of 61.97 m (203' 4"). The throw from Sears marked a new Gardner-Webb school record in the event.
Senior Travis Rogers joined Sears in the Top 5 for the event, finishing 5th with a personal best distance of 55.28 m (181' 4"). Senior C.J. Wise (Butler, Pa.) took 8th place with a personal best showing of 51.04 m (167' 5"), and fellow senior Josh Padgett (Forest City, N.C.) grabbed 13th place after throwing a personal best 46.08 m (151' 2").
Gardner-Webb's throwers continued to impress in the Men's Shot Put, led by Sears' 3rd place showing with a distance of 15.65 m (51' 4.25"). Rogers followed with an 8th place showing (14.56 m, 47' 9.25") and junior Andy Scates (Boiling Springs, N.C.) took 16th with a personal best performance of 12.75 m (41' 10").
Sears added a 10th place finish in the Men's Discus Throw (45.68 m, 149' 10") and Scates finished 18th thanks to another personal best showing, throwing a distance of 40.52 m (132' 11").
Sophomore Mike McClay (Lawrenceville, Ga.) took 4th in the Men's 3000 m Run, finishing in a time of 8:51.57 for the Runnin' Bulldogs.
The Gardner-Webb men got an 8th place finish from sophomore Tavarus Ferguson (Evans, Ga.) in the Men's Long Jump after leaping 6.28 m for the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Sophomore Johnathan Parks (Doublasville, Ga.) finished 11th in the Men's 100 m Dash with a personal best time of 11.06. Parks, a 2012 Indoor All-Conference performer in the 60 m Dash, added a 19th place showing in the Men's 200 m Dash (22.64) as well as a 13th place finish in the Men's 110 m Hurdles (16.24).
Freshman Miles Harris (Atlanta, Ga.) put up his collegiate best time in the 400 m Dash, achieving 6th place in a time of 50.29. Another freshman, Gardner-Webb's Chris Darden (Athens, Ga.) led the squad in the Men's High Jump, tying for 10th with a top height of 1.85 m (6' .75").
GWU was led in the Men's 800 m Run by sophomore Trey Crook (Lexington, N.C.), who recorded a 19th place finish with a time of 2:01.87.
Gardner-Webb track & field returns to action next weekend at the 49er Classic (Charlotte, N.C.). The event will take place Thursday, March 15 - Saturday, March 17.
