Alex Young and Tyler Craig Win Individual Events to Lead Gardner-Webb Track & Field at the Niswonger Invitational
January 20, 2014 | Track & Field
Johnson City, Tenn. - Throwing standout Alex Young won the men's shot put and freshman pole vaulter Tyler Craig recorded an individual title as well to lead the Runnin' Bulldogs track & field squads at the Niswonger Invitational.
The meet was hosted by East Tennessee State University and fielded over twenty intercollegiate institutions.
On the women's side, distance specialist Jenna Ford (Wasilla, Alaska) paced the Runnin' Bulldogs in the women's 5,000 m run, placing 4th after finishing at the 19:28.46 mark. Ford, a standout cross country runner as well, led GWU in each race this fall in her first year running in the collegiate ranks.
Sophomore Claire Cates (Hillsborough, N.C.) added a 9th place finish in the 5,000 m run after timing in at 20:00.69.
In the women's shot put, freshman Sarah Mitchell (Roswell, Ga.) turned in a top 10 performance, recording a distance of 12.85 m. The first-year Runnin' Bulldog added a 9th place finish in the weight throw after tossing 15.53 m.
Sarah Perkins led the GWU women in the 400 m dash, her signature event. Perkins placed 14th, breaking the 1:00 barrier with a time of 59.53.
Perkins (Gorham, Maine) added a 19th place showing in the women's 60 m hurdles. The sophomore finished in 9.56 in the event.
In the women's high jump, freshman Kayin Mujahid (Philadelphia, Penn.) turned in a 9th place finish in her first collegiate meet, clearing 1.68 m to lead the Runnin' Bulldogs in the event.
GWU cracked the top 10 in the 4x400 m relay, getting an 8th place showing from the the quartet of Jordan Davis, Nicole Saxton, Mujahid, and Perkins. The 8th place finishers combined for a time of 3:58.78 in the event.
Leading the men's throwing unit was Young (LaVergne, Tenn.), who won at least one event for the second consecutive meet, leading a 1-2 finish in the men's shot put alongside fellow second year Runnin' Bulldog A.J. White with an event-best distance of 16.14 m. White (Hurricane, W.Va.) took 2nd, tossing 14.95 m in the event, and freshman Jordan Smith (Chesterfield, Va.) added an 11th place finish with a distance of 13.42 m.
Young also recorded the furthest distance among collegiate participants in the men's weight throw, with a distance of 20.63 m. Fellow LaVergne, Tenn. Nathan Padfield finished 5th in the event, and White was 15th, further adding to a strong throwing weekend for Gardner-Webb with distances of 16.03 m and 13.53 m, respectively.
Craig (Matthews, N.C.) opened his collegiate career in style, topping the field in the men's pole vault by achieving a height of 5.10 m. Saturday's winning performance marked Craig's first as a Runnin' Bulldog.
Sophomore Brandaun Addison (Easley, S.C.) moved up in finals to finish 2nd in the men's 60 m dash. Addison improved on his prelims race (7th, 6.97), sprinting to a time of 6.94 to lead GWU in the event.
Also achieving a Top 20 finish was freshman Malik Crawford (Rock Hill, S.C.) who raced to a time of 7.03 in prelims, good for 14th in the event.
The pair of GWU sprinters added top 20 showings in the men's 200 m dash. Crawford (13th) led the way with a time of 22.62 and Addison (14th) finished at 22.74.
In the men's triple jump, sophomore Chuboy Umeadi placed 6th in the men's triple jump, achieving a distance of 14.19 m in the event. Freshman Seaver Wait (Candler, N.C.) rose up to clear 1.83 m in the men's high jump and place 14th.
Distance runner Mike McClay added an 8th place finish in the men's 5,000 meters for the Runnin' Bulldogs. The seniro from Lawrenceville, Ga. finsihed with a time of 15:12.34.
In the men's 4x400 m relay, Gardner-Webb's Richard Jules, Joseph Martin, Titus Hamilton, and Crawford combined to race to a 12th place finish and a time of 3:28.52.
Gardner-Webb returns to action Saturday, Jan. 25 for the Tar Heel Open.
| Results - 2014 Niswonger Invitational |
