Feb. 22, 2009
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - The Owls gave a valiant effort, but were unable to overtake the defending champion, Jacksonville Dolphins, on their way to a second place finish in the Atlantic Sun Indoor Track and Field Conference Championships on February 20-21.
The Owls came out strong on day one of the competition. Freshman, Jessica Wilcox, represented the team in the Pentathlon, placing third in the 60m hurdles (9.43), fifth in the high jump (5-00.50), fifth in the shot put (22-04.50), fourth in the long jump (15-11.50), and third in the 800m for a third place overall finish, racking up 2802 points.
In the high jump, Jakia Ragland tied the conference record, while taking first with a height of 1.73m, a new school record.
The Owls had a successful day in the long jump as well, with Suzzette Van-Lare placing second with a distance of 5.75m, a new school record, and Jill Arthur taking third (5.72m).
Jessica Irizarry led the Owls' throwers on Friday, placing fifth in the shot with a distance of 11.81m, while setting a new school record.
On the track, the duo of Mackenzie Howe and Erin Sutton earned the owls points in the 3k, taking first and third respectively. Howe crossed the line with a time of 10:10.47, with Sutton right behind at 10:16.43.
In the Distance Medley Relay, the team of Kristen Gibson, Soibhan Wolcott, Caitlin German, and Brittany Robinson led the Owls to a third place finish, with a time of 12:33.05.
By the end of the first day of competition, the Owls were trailing the defending champion, Jacksonville by only 4 points after they tallied 55, to the Dolphins, 59.
On day two of the competition, Lakeshia Stinson added a point to the Owls score with a sixth place finish in the 60m hurdles (9.24), a new school record, while German added a point of her own in the 800m Run, crossing the line with a time of 2:21.61.
Howe and Sutton came back strong on day two as well, placing second and third in the 5k. Howe finished with a time of 17:39.71, while Sutton came in at 17:51.27.
In the 4 X 4 Relay, the team of Brittany Robinson, Shelby Hines, Sandi Brown, and Shantela Davis crossed the line in fourth with a time of 4:01.20.
Off the track, the Owls earned points in the pole vault as well. Kacey Hightower led Kennesaw, with a second place finish in the event, reaching a height of 2.90m. Rosemary McCollum also scored points for the Owls with a fifth place finish at 2.75m.
Arthur and Van-Lare continued to look strong on day two as well. In the triple jump, Arthur added eight points to the Owls total with a second place finish (11.88m), while Van-Lare contributed six points and a third place finish (11.87m).
In the weight throw, Jessica Lumpkin continued to lead the Owls, earning a second place finish and a new school record, with a throw of 17.62m, while Irizarry added another fifth place finish with a distance of 14.99m.
The Owls finished the day with 109 points, second to only Jacksonville's 171. To put the Owls accomplishment into perspective, in the former three Indoor Championship meets, Kennesaw State scored a combined total of 128 points.
"When we put the team together four years ago, we were at the bottom," Head Coach Don McGarey said. "Now we are the second best team in the conference. Everyone ran with a great deal of heart. I could not have asked for more."
The Owls will now turn their focus to the upcoming Outdoor season, which is set to kick off on March 6, at the North Florida Invite.
Results
60m Hurdles
6. Lakeshia Stinson -9.24
200m Dash
14. Lakeshia Stinson -26.60
15. Naomi Mack -26.69
16. Jenae Todd -26.85
17. Shantela Davis -27.38
400m Dash
9. Sandi Brown -1:00.02
11. Shelby Hines -1:01.64
12. Naomi Mack -1:01.89
13. Jenae Todd -1:01.98
14. Shantela Davis -1:02.34
800m Run
6. Caitlin German -2:21.61
12. Brittany Robinson -2:28.14
One Mile
7. Soibhan Wolcott -5:15.06
14. Kristen Gibson -5:26.14
3000m Run
1. Mackenzie Howe -10:10.47
3. Erin Sutton -10:16.43
19. Katie Charles -11:49.68
5000m Run
2. Mackenzie Howe -17:39.71
3. Erin Sutton -17:51.27
8. Britany Reilly -18:38.37
15. Lorena Jaime -19:18.58
Distance Medley Relay
3. Kennesaw State -12:33.05
4 X 4 Relay
4. Kennesaw State -4:01.20
High Jump
1. Jakia Ragland -1.73m
6. Jessica Wilcox -1.53m
Pole Vault
2. Kacey Hightower -2.90m
5. Rosemary McCollum -2.75m
Long Jump
2. Suzzette Van-Lare -5.75m
3. Jill Arthur -5.72m
Triple Jump
2. Jill Arthur -11.88m
3. Suzzette Van-Lare -11.87m
Shot Put
5. Jessica Irizarry -11.81m
9. Jessica Lumpkin -11.12m
Weight Throw
2. Jessica Lumpkin -17.62m
5. Jessica Irizarry -14.99m
Pentathlon
3. Jessica Wilcox -2802
