Jan. 19, 2003

Boone, N.C. - The Appalachian State University Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field teams played host to 21 different schools from around the region this past Friday and Saturday in the Fifth Appalachian Indoor Meet. Western Carolina's men and women came out strong to start their 2003 season.

WCU junior Tee Alford completed the 55 meter dash in 6.23 in the preliminary round to break the school record, and then ran it in 6.24 in the final round to tie for fifth in the race. Senior Caleb Bailey was named the champion of the men's 800 meter run with a time of 1:52.70 and freshman John Robertson finished right behind him in second place in 1:53.39. Sophomores Milton Bolton and Darius Bryson turned in top 10 finishes in the 200 meter dash. Bolton clocked in at 22.76, good for sixth place, while Bryson came in at 22.84 for eighth place. Bolton also came in eighth in the 400 meter dash at a time of 49.70. Redshirt freshman Adam Puett came in third in the 3,000 meter run at 8:54.83, while senior Jesse Norman finished seventh in 9:00.47.

The men's distance medley A Team took home first place, finishing in 10:27.00, while the B Team came in fourth at 10:35.00. The 4x400 meter relay A Team finished fourth at a time of 3:22.72 and the B Team rounded out the top 10 in 3:25.05.

In the men's field events, freshman Lawrence Briscoe placed ninth at 6'2" and in the pole vault finals, junior Seajae Hartness finished sixth at 14'6". Junior Justin Davis came in second for the Catamounts in the long jump with a jump of 23'0.75", while Davis and freshman Tyler Ferguson placed eighth and 10th, respectively, in the triple jump at 46'0.75" and 45'3". Sophomore David Boyce finished seventh in shot put, throwing 46'6.25". Three Cats finished in the top 10 of the weight throw. Junior Nick McNeil placed third at 54'8.75", sophomore Jason Stepp placed sixth at 49'9" and senior Jeb Hall came in 10th, throwing 45'1.75".

For the women, senior Ashelyn Little and junior Benetta Boyd finished in the top 10 of the 200 meter dash. Little ran it in 26.35 to tie for seventh place, while Boyd came in at a time of 26.37 for ninth place. In the 400 meter dash, sophomore Leslie Martin finished fourth at 58.37 and Little came in eighth at a time of 59.10. Sophomore Tonya Edmonds and junior Becky Signoretti came in fifth and sixth, respectively, in the 800 meter run at 2:27.78 and 2:28.16. Freshman Deanna Kulesz turned in a third place finish in the one mile run at 5:20, while junior Alissa Short came in 10th at 5:34. In the 3,000 meter run, junior Melanie Cooper placed fourth at a time of 10:43.13.

The women's distance medley A Team came in fifth overall at 12:52, while the B Team finished sixth in 13:08. In the 4x400 meter relay, the A Team finished in fifth place at a time of 3:58.73.

In WCU's strongest event of the meet, the pole vault, the Cats had four finish in the top 10. Sophomore Laura Tieszen came in second with a vault of 12', juniors Michelle Velez and Dana Anglin finished in a tie for third at 11'0.25" and senior Tricia Shepard placed eighth with a vault of 10'. Junior Kamata Potts finished ninth in the long jump at 18'6", while senior Cedea Bowden came in eighth in the triple jump at 37'6". In the shot put, senior Kineta Rogers placed eighth at 38'8.75" and junior Kiley Wright came in ninth with a throw of 36'8.25". Sophomore Quiletta Dunston finished third for the Cats in the weight throw at 47'11.75", while Rogers placed fourth with a throw of 45'5.75".

The Catamounts' next meet is scheduled for January 31 as they travel to Johnson City, Tenn., for the ETSU Invitational.

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