April 12, 2008

Solid Orange Classic Final Results

Clemson, S.C. - In one of the last races before they head to the Southern Conference Championships, the Western Carolina Track & Field teams brought home a combined seven victories on Saturday at the Solid Orange Classic, in Clemson, S.C. A pair of Catamounts also added their names to the list of athletes qualified for the NCAA East Regionals, and over 15 WCU athletes posted top-ten finishes.

In the women's 1500-meter run, WCU ran away from the competition, taking the top two spots in the event, with the next competitors over 12 seconds behind the two Catamount runners. Senior Kerrie Savery was the victor, crossing the tape in 4:42.06, with teammate Megan Isaacs right behind her in second place, with a time of 4:42.25. Jordan Gaddy rounded out the three Cats in the top five, with a fifth-place finish in 5:03.37.

Annie Bailey took home second place in the women's 800-meter dash, with a time of 2:19.96. Bailey was a mere .86 seconds behind the winning time of 2:19.10.

The Catamount dominance of the distance races continued in the women's 5,000-meter run, with WCU runners again holding down the top two positions. Sophomore Lindsay Groce picked up her second win in the event this season, taking top honors with a time of 19:01.06. She was joined on the podium by classmate Leah Nicholson, whose time of 19:35.38 was good for second place overall.

In one of the most impressive one-race time-improvements this season, junior Skye Aiello shaved 12 seconds off her previous top time in the 3,000-metere steeplechase, crossing the line in 12:01.56, which was good for second place in the event. Aiello's previous top mark in the steeplechase was 12:13.02, ran at the WCU Invitational.

Western had a strong hold on the number-two spot in the women's high jump on Saturday, with a pair of Catamounts sharing the position. Senior Jessika Johnson and junior Angela Stark both cleared a top height of 1.60 meters, which is tied for the top mark this season on the squad, and a personal best for Stark in the event.

Due to the threat of more severe weather in the area, the women's shot put finals consisted of the marks that the compeititors achieved in the preliminaries, which was good news for the two throwers from Western Carolina. Senior Nicole Lopez picked up her second victory of the season, with a team-high distance of 12.53 meters. Freshman Chelsea McLean broke the 12-meter mark for the first time in her collegiate career, throwing a personal-best 12.16 meters, which put her in second place overall.

For the first time this outdoor season, the Catamounts brought home a victory in the women's javelin throw. Junior Tara Touszen tossed a top distance 36.03 meters to pick up the win, beating her nearest competitor by over five meters.

On the men's side, junior Kevin Johnson ran a season-best time in the 100-meter dash, tripping the tape in 10.89 seconds, which gave him runner-up honors in the event.

The men's 200-meter dash was chalked full of Catamounts, with four runners in the top ten, including a 3-4-5 finish by Manteo Mitchell, Johnson, and Duke Craig, respectively. Jeff Reinke joined his teammates in the top-ten with a ninth-place finish.

Freshman Jordan Blazer shattered his pervious personal-best in the 110-meter hurdles on Saturday, bringing home a second-place finish in the event with a time of 15.08 seconds. Blazer was the top collegiate finisher in the event, coming in only behind a professional sprinter.

Reigning Southern Conference Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Week, Matt Evans, followed up his award-winning performance at the Florida Relays with yet another impressive showing on Saturday. In the high jump, he cleared a top height of 2.10 meters, finishing in second place, and tying the school-record height he already held from earlier this season, which is also an NCAA Regional qualifying mark.

Evans then continued his dominance in the javelin throw, picking up his third top-two finish and second victory in the event, with a top throw in the finals of 63.18 meters. That mark would be good for a spot in the Regionals, but Evans already surpassed the baseline distance last weekend with a school-record throw of 66.66 meters.

Junior Daniel Joseph added his name to the growing list of Catamounts who have qualified for the NCAA East Regionals this season, with his mark of 15.16 meters in the men's triple jump. He took home the victory in the event as well, and was the only competitor to clear the 15-meter mark. Joseph's distance was by far the best on the team this year, topping his previous mark of 14.60 meters, set at the Charlotte 49er Classic. He is now the ninth WCU athlete to punch their ticket for the Regionals this year.

WCU brought home another win on Saturday when sophomore Cody Lawson took top honors in the men's discuss throw, with a top distance of 44.61 meters, best on the team this year. He was joined on the podium by teammate Patrick Morris, who came in second place with a throw of 43.04 meters.

Both the men and the women will return home to the friendly confines of the Catamount Athletic Complex next weekend, as Western will host the 2008 Catamount Classic. The all-day event will take place on Friday, April 18, and will be followed the next day by the WCU High School Invitational meet on April 19.