May 7, 2007

Cullowhee, N.C. - Junior sprinter Raquel Ramseur again qualified for the NCAA East Regional in the 400-meter dash, winning the event at Sunday's Duke Twilight Meet at Wallace Wade Stadium with a season-best time as the Western Carolina track & field team posted five, first-place finishes and 10 podium performances.

Ramseur, who first qualified in the 400-meter by winning the event at the 2007 Southern Conference Outdoor Championships, turned her best lap of the season in 54.29 to win on Sunday nearly four full seconds ahead of the second-place runner. Also on the track, freshman Sherrell Froneberger won the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.24, just under a second and a half off the qualifying standard.

Ramseur and Froneberger teamed with juniors Tangelia Johnson and Kerrie Savery to win the 4x400-meter relay event at the meet with a time of 3:52.78. Johnson additionally posted a runner-up finish in the 100-meter dash (12.49) with Savery placing fourth in the 800-meters (2:12.19). Senior Deanna Kulesz ran 4:43.81 in the 1,500-meter run to finish 12th.

Rounding out Western's women's performances at the meet were junior Michaela Hall, who recorded a season-best in the women's hammer throw (44.74m, 146-9) to place third, and freshman Tiana Jones who finished sixth in the women's long jump, leaping 5.44 meters (17-10.25).

On the men's side, sophomore Daniel Joseph won the triple jump with a leap of 14.72 meters (48-3.5), with the team of junior Zeb Johnson, sophomores Manteo Mitchell and Kevin Johnson and freshman Dominique Young combining to win the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 40.87, the second-quickest time for WCU this season. Mitchell and Zeb Johnson teamed with seniors Mike Malone and James Gregory to place second - the top collegiate squad - in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:12.79, just16 one-hundredths of a second in arrears.

Individually, Malone finished third in the 400-meter hurdles with a season-best time of 53.03, half a second shy of qualifying for the NCAA regional. Zeb Johnson also placed fourth in the 100-meter dash with his personal season-best time of 10.72, while Young ran sixth in the 200-meter dash (21.54). Aaron Grant and Jestin Jennings also ran eighth and ninth in the 800-meter dash.

Freshman Matt Evans, who won the men's high jump championship at SoCon's, placed third, clearing 2.01 meters (6-7.0) for the podium finish to round out Western's performances at the meet.

The Catamounts will again attempt to increase the number of student-athletes qualified for the NCAA East Regional - and improve the seeding of those already qualified - in the final tune-up prior to the NCAA meet in Gainesville, Fla., by visiting the Georgia Tech Invitational this Friday (May 11) and Saturday (May 12) in Atlanta.

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