GWU Track & Field Finishes Impressive Weekend at USC's Weems Baskin Invitational
March 24, 2013 | Track & Field
Columbia, S.C. - Gardner-Webb's track & field squad put up eighteen Top 10 finishes and saw both Ashlei Alexander and Tyler Samotis finish in the Top 3 in their respective events during an impressive weekend at the Weems Baskin Invitational, hosted by the University of South Carolina.
The Gardner-Webb women enjoyed a stellar weekend at the Weems Baskin over the weekend, resetting a host of season best marks.
Senior Ivana Hughes (Evans, Ga.) recorded a sixth place finish in the women's 800 meter run. Hughes, the reigning Big South champ in the event, recorded a season best time of 2:17.58, and was followed by fellow senior Ariel Zimmerman (Williamsburg, Va.), who took tenth in a season best 2:25.97.
Zimmerman added a 12th place finish and a time of 5:05.34 in the women's 1500 m run.
Senior Taylor Cook (Boone, N.C.) tied her personal best height to finish third overall in the women's pole vault. Cook vaulted 3.55 m (11' 7.75") in the event, while freshman pole vaulter Megan Melton (Riverside, Calif.) added a ninth place finish at 3.05 m.
In the women's 400 m hurdles, Nicole Saxton achieved a fourth place finish, turning in a season best time of 1:06.25 to lead the Runnin' Bulldogs in the event. The sophomore from Tampa, Fla. came away with her first-ever Top 5 collegiate finish in the event.
Freshman Sarah Perkins (Gorham, Maine) added an eighth place finish in the event, also running a season best at 1:08.18, and senior Leah Steinke (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) took 20th in the event with a time of 2:12.40.
A strong showing in the women's hammer throw placed three Gardner-Webb throwers in the Top 20. Senior Ashlei Alexander (Queens, N.Y.) led the way, finishing third after throwing 50.78 m (166' 7"). Fellow senior Yazzming Lee (Paterson, N.J.) was stellar as well, achieving the eighth best distance at 46.97 m (154' 1").
Kyntoya Hansford (Miami, Fla.) added a 16th place finish in the event. The junior tossed 38.61 m (126' 8") in the hammer throw, and added a ninth place effort (34.26 m) in the discus throw. Jasmine Miles placed 13th in the discus with a distance of 29.45 m.
In the shot put, Lee placed tenth, letting loose for a distance of 11.24 m.
In the high jump, GWU's Jessica Norris led the squad with a maximum height of 1.50 m. The freshman from Johnson City, Tenn. placed 16th in the event, tying her season best.
Senior T'Keyah Bell (Cherryville, N.C.) turned in a Top 20 showing in the women's 100 meter dash, sprinting to a time of 12.92 to lead GWU in the event. Bell placed 19th at the Weems Baskin Invitational in the event, and Hughes (Evans, Ga.) led GWU in the women's 200 meters by placing 13th with a time of 26.06.
In the women's javelin throw, junior Katie Spiro (Sylva, N.C.) threw 34.56 m (113' 5"), seventh best to lead the GWU women in the event. Fellow junior Olivia Moody (Plano, Ill.) was tenth-best at 29.32 m (96' 2"), junior Tomora Parker (Maiden, N.C.) finished with the 12th best distance at 28.60 m (93' 10"), and junior Nancy Cates (Waynesboro, Ga.) placed 14th after throwing 26.19 m (85' 11").
Perkins cracked the Top 10 of the women's 100 m hurdles, coming in ninth place with a time of 17.11. Junior Olivia Moody (Plano, Ill.) also finished in the Top 20 in the event with a 14th place finish (19.39).
Sophomore Kristen Hurley (Columbia, Conn.) sailed 4.99 m in the women's long jump, leading GWU in the event with a fifth place finish.
On the men's side, pole vaulter Tyler Samotis (Hendersonville, N.C.) tied for third place in the men's pole vault. Samotis cleared 4.58 m at the Weems Baskin Invitational on Saturday.
Alex Young put up two Top 5 performances over the weekend. The freshman thrower topped out at 15.69 m in the men's shot put, a season best performance and third best at the meet on Saturday.
Young (LaVergne, Tenn.) also threw 59.01 m (193' 7") in the hammer throw in the second Outdoor meet of his collegiate career, fifth best in the event to lead the Runnin' Bulldog men.
Sophomore Nathan Padfield (LaVergne, Tenn.) placed 15th in the hammer throw, hurling 46.53 m (152' 8"). Freshman A.J. White (Hurricane, W.Va.) tossed 11.64 m (15th) in the shot put and added a distance of 42.08 m (10th) in the discus throw, leading the Runnin' Bulldog men in that event.
Padfield achieved a maximum distance of 35.28 m in the discus throw, placing 17th in the event.
In the 400 m dash, Jonas Nader (Monroe, N.C.) achieved a 16th place showing, racing to a time of 52.54. In the 800 m run, junior Trey Crook (Lexington, N.C.) finished with a time of 2:01.37, good enough for 19th in the event.
Freshman Josh Wembolua raced to finish in fifth place in the men's 110 m hurdles. The Gardner-Webb rookie finished with a time of 15.50 in the event.
GWU junior Drew Ford achieved a sixth place showing in the 3000 m steeplechase. A native of Wasilla, Alaska, Ford led the Runnin' Bulldog men with a time of 10:52.28 in the event.
| Final Results: 2013 Weems Baskin Invitational |
