GWU's Young Sets School Record, Sweeps Weight Throw and Shot Put Events at JDL College Kick-Off
December 09, 2013 | Track & Field
Winston-Salem, N.C. - Sophomore Alex Young used a GWU-record performance to win the men's shot put and added another win in the weight throw event to lead the Runnin' Bulldogs' track & field squads at the season-opening JDL College Kick-Off.
Young (LaVergne, Tenn.) picked up right where he left off from his record-setting freshman campaign, resetting his own shot put school record at 16.95 m. The personal best showing from Young earned the second-year Runnin' Bulldog an event win, and a personal best from fellow sophomore A.J. White (Hurricane, W.Va.) at 14.76 m awarded a 4th place finish in the event.
In the men's weight throw, Young paced the field, throwing an event-best 19.98 m. Gardner-Webb again put two into the Top 5 of a throwing event, getting a 5th place showing and personal best distance (16.85 m) from junior Nathan Padfield (LaVergne, Tenn.).
Gardner-Webb's throwing contingent impressed in the women's shot put and weight throw as well. Freshman Sarah Mitchell put up a distance of 13.13 m in the shot put, good for 2nd in the event, and senior Stephanie Hamilton (Blair, Neb.) finished in 4th place after throwing 12.69 m.
Senior Jasmine Miles (Amelia Va.) placed 7th to lead GWU in the women's weight throw, achieving a distance of 14.47 m, and Mitchell (Roswell, Ga.) threw the 11th furthest at 13.51 m.
Freshman Jordan Smith (Chesterfield, Va.) made his track and field debut Saturday in the men's shot put, as the rookie tossed 13.24 m (12th) to give GWU three Top 15 finishers in a deep event for the Runnin' Bulldog men.
Gardner-Webb's pole vaulters were also impressive in the season-opener, as four Runnin' Bulldogs recorded Top 15 individual finishes. Redshirt sophomore Tyler Samotis (Hendersonville, N.C.) finished 3rd (4.55 m) in the men's pole vault, Elise Moffatt (Kennesaw, Ga.) took 8th (3.50 m) in the women's pole vault, and sophomores Megan Melton (Riverside, Calif.) and Kailey Robinson (Connelly Springs, N.C.) finished 12th (3.05 m) and 14th (2.90 m) respectively.
In the men's 60 m hurdles, sophomore Josh Wembolua (Matthews, N.C.) moved up in finals to place 5th, improving on his prelims time (8.53) to cross the finish line at 8.44 during finals of the event. Versatile junior Ben Bell (Greensboro, N.C.) achieved a personal best time (9.10) in finishing 17th in the event.
Freshman runner Malik Crawford (Rock Hill, S.C.) impressed in his first collegiate meet while competing in the 60 m dash and the 300 m run. Crawford finished 18th (7.07) in the 60 m dash, just .09 from making finals, and took 16th (36.49) in the 300 m run.
Versatile freshman Kayin Mujahid (Philadelphia, Pa.) leaped 1.57 m in the women's high jump Saturday, leading the team by tying for 11th place in the event in her first meet as a Runnin' Bulldog. GWU also got a team-leading high jump performance on the men's side, as Seaver Wait (Candler, N.C.) rose up to tie for 15th after clearing 1.83 m.
Senior Katie Spiro (Sylva, N.C.) competed in the 1,000 m run at the season-opening meet in Winston-Salem on Saturday, cracking the Top 15 by finishing 12th with a time of 3:18.64. Sophomore Sarah Perkins was Top 15 in the women's 500 m dash, timing in at 1:20.52 to place 9th.
The Runnin' Bulldog men took 8th place in the men's 4x400 m relay, as William Cottrell, Crawford, Joseph Martin, and Wembolua teamed up for a time of 3:34.29.
GWU took 10th in the women's 4x400 m relay, achieving a time of 4:07.77 from the quartet of Jordan Davis, Merideth Byl, Perkins, and Nicole Saxton.
The Runnin' Bulldogs return to the track January 17-18 for the Niswonger Invitational, to be held in Johnson City, Tenn.
| Results - 2013 JDL College Kick-Off |
