March 31, 2002
Gainesville, Fla. - The Western Carolina track and field team turned in an outstanding performance this weekend at the University of Florida Relays.
The men's 4x100, 4x800 and Sprint Medley relay teams each set a WCU record, while the women's Sprint Medley team established a school record as well. In addition, Michelle Velez cleared an NCAA provisional height of 3.82 meters (12' 6.25") in the pole vault.
The women's record-setting sprint medley relay team consisted of Cedea Bowden, Ashelyn Little, Ronetta Burgess and Leslie Martin. The event is made up of two 200-meter sprints, followed by a 400-meter sprint and an 800-meter run. Bowden and Little ran the 200 in 24.56 and 24.34, respectively, while Burgess ran the 400 in 56.68 and Martin ran the 800 in 2:15. The old school record was 4:04.06 set by Kamilah Gabriel, Rahma Mateen, Wykesha Bailey and Kristin Savery in the 1996 Florida Relays.
The men's sprint medley relay team set a school record with a time of 3:19.98. Milton Bolton and Tebysus Alford ran the 200 in 21.00 and 22.16, respectively. Darus Cofield ran the third leg (400 meters) in 45.78 and Caleb Bailey ran the 800 in 1:50.80. The previous WCU mark in the event was 3:23.18 by Derrick High, Akaba Galaspie, Tim Vaught and Bailey at the 2001 Penn Relays.
The men's 4x100 team set a school record with their time of 40.77 and was made up of James Rainer, Cofield, Bolton and Alford. The foursome's time bettered the mark of 40.80 set by Earl Bates, James Ford, Eric Rasheed and Ricky Schell in the 1984 Southern Conference Championships. The 4x800 meter relay team's time of 7:41.18 was a WCU record. The quartet included Michael Simmons, Bailey, James Irwin and Eddie Vick. The group's time was over eight seconds better than the previous mark (7:49.53), set by Simmons, Bailey, Irwin and Oyegunwa earlier this season at Clemson.
Among the 31 personal records set by Catamount student-athletes were 15 top 10 finishes in what was a very deep and talented field at the prestigious annual event. Individuals placing among the top 10 included Virginia Lacombe in the open triple jump (second) and invitational high jump (sixth), Bailey in the 1,500-meters (third), Alford in the 100-meters (ninth), Velez in the pole vault (third) and Hood in the invitational triple jump (seventh).
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WCU Results at the Florida RelaysWomen's 100 meters Open Benetta Boyd 12.59 43rd 100 meter hurdles Open Ronetta Burgess 14.44 18th Rosalyn Hood 14.80 25th Michelle Velez 14.89 28th Virginia LaCombe 15.14 30th 200 meters Open Jennifer Spivey 26.90 42nd 400 meters Open Jennifer Spivey 60.57 44th 800 meters Open Megan Thacker 2:17.03 19th 1,500 meters Open Vanita Carlson 4:59.16 30th Becky Signorotti 5:17.74 38th 5,000 meters Open Holly Bright 18:21.13 11th Jerrine Peeler 19:16.59 13th 4x100 meter relay Open Boyd, Burgess 47.08 8th Bowden, Little 4x200 meter relay Open Boyd, Potts 1:40.79 12th Velez, Hood 4x400 meter relay Open Martin, Burgess 3:51.96 18th Little, Velez 4x800 meter relay Open Thacker, Edmonds 9:40.88 9th Signoretti, Carlson 4x1500 meter relay Open Thacker, Bright 20:20.05 6th Edmonds, Carlson 1600 Sprint Medley Open Bowden (24.56), Little (24.84) 4:01.90 (WCU record) 10th (200,200,400,800 meters) Burgess (56.68), Martin (2:15) Triple Jump Open Virginia LaCombe 12.01 (39'5") 2nd High Jump Invitational Virginia LaCombe 1.75 (5'8.75") 6th Pole Vault Invitational Michelle Velez (NCAA Provisional) 3.82 (12'6.25") 3rd Pole Vault Open Dana Anglin 3.37 (11'0.75") 15th Long Jump Invitational Rosalyn Hood 5.63 (18'5.75") 11th Triple Jump Invitational Rosalyn Hood 11.88 (38'11.75") 7th
Men's 100 meters Open Tubysus Alford 10.68 9th James Rainer 10.84 21st 110 meter hurdles Open Jared Maliska 15.35 38th Deonte Cook 15.75 43rd 400 meters Open Darus Cofield 47.90 12th Akimbolade Oyegunwa 48.22 14th Milton Bolton 48.43 17th Bryan Dobbins 50.64 47th 400 meter hurdles Open Jared Maliska 56.03 31st Deonte Cook 57.17 39th 800 meters Open James Irwin 1:57.41 37th Michael Simmons 1:59.26 44th 1,500 meters Open Caleb Bailey 3:52.69 3rd Eddie Vick 4:16.81 48th 5,000 meters Open Jesse Norman 15:21.04 16th Ben Watkins 15:44.96 21st 4x100 meter relay Open Rainer (10.45), Cofield (10.84) 40.77 (WCU Record) 8th Bolton (9.05), Alford (10.27) Oyegunwa, Bryson 41.76 13th Dobbins, Cook 4x200 meter relay Open Oyegunwa, Rainer 1:26.64 10th Bryson, Dobbins 4x400 meter relay Open Oyegunwa, Bolton 3:10.75 6th Bailey, Cofield Simmons, Dobbins 3:18.42 18th Bryson, Maliska 4x800 meter relay Open Simmons (1:56), Bailey (1:51) 7:41.18 (WCU Record) 7th Irwin (1:55), Vick (1:57) 1600 Sprint Medley Open Bolton (21.0), Alford (22.16) 3:19.98 (WCU Record) 4th Cofield (45.78), Bailey (1:50.80)
