April 27, 2006
Southern Conference Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championship
Southern Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship
Cullowhee, N.C. - The Western Carolina men and women's track & field teams will look to improve upon last season's runner-up and third-place showings, respectively, as they travel this weekend to the Southern Conference Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Georgia Southern's new outdoor track facilities in Statesboro, Ga. The team will depart on Friday, with competition in the two-day, 22-event meet beginning at 8:00 am on Saturday (April 29) and will culminate with the awards presentations at approximately 5:45 pm on Sunday (April 30).
For a second-straight season, the SoCon's outdoor meet will be held at a brand new facility as GSU has just recently put the finishing touches on their on-campus facility. Last year, Western hosted the event at the new Catamount Athletic Complex as just the second event all-time at the facility.
"As always the conference championship meet lends a lot of excitement for Western Carolina. We feel we are going in as the underdogs on both sides, but we also understand that we are in the chase for both team titles," said SoCon and NCAA Southeast Regional Men's Indoor Coach of the Year, Danny Williamson. "To win a conference championship, everyone that is competing for Western must be at their best - and if this happens, then we have given ourselves an opportunity to be at the top of the SoCon and come home with two trophies. But regardless of the final outcome this weekend, I could not be more proud of our student-athletes and coaches for all of their efforts they have put forth this season."
The Catamount men enter the annual championship armed with a 19-point lead in the men's power rankings and a total of eight individual top performances. The defending men's indoor conference champions garnered a league-best five SoCon weekly honors during the outdoor season, including two individuals with multiple selections. Seniors Milton Bolton and Lawrence Briscoe were each tabbed as the conference's athlete of the week twice, while sophomore and SoCon Indoor MVP, Zeb Johnson, earned the honor once.
Johnson leads a host of Catamounts in two different track events, posting the quickest time in the 100-meter (10.52) and the 200-meter dash (20.88). In the shorter of the two, Johnson leads freshman teammate Kevin Johnson in second (10.68) and the defending event champion, sophomore Mike Malone, in third (10.73). Malone, dubbed as the SoCon's fastest man at last year's championship, won three individual titles and totaled 36.5 points and was named Track Performer of the Year at last season's meet. At the 200-meter distance, Zeb Johnson leads five teammates with the 25th-best time in the nation, fourth-best in the East, as Western swept the top six positions, including freshman Manteo Mitchell in second with a time of 21.11.
Bolton and Briscoe lead seasonal categories as well as Bolton ran the best 400-meter time this season (46.94) to rank 11th in the East Region and lead a top three sweep by WCU, and Briscoe is the hurdle expert, taking the top time in the 110-meter hurdles (14.26) to qualify for regionals with the 19th fastest time, as well as first in the 400-meter hurdles.
Sophomore David Bowles is the defending men's javelin champion.  |
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Western's sprinters also own the SoCon's top marks in the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relays. In the 400-meter relay event, Bolton, K. Johnson, Z. Johnson, and Malone ran a school-record and NCAA Regional qualifying time of 40.31 at the 2006 Western Invitational to lead the charts. Bolton, Mitchell, Malone, and Z. Johnson also ran the SoCon's quickest time in the 1,600-meter relay, passing the baton in 3:10.41. Senior Adam Puett and junior Dan Fassinger will run the middle-distance events, with Dylan Hermelee and Field Miller scheduled to run the distance events for Western.
In the field events, freshman Chris Gaillard leads the team and SoCon in the long jump with a distance of 23-3.25, with senior Tyler Ferguson ranking right behind in second with a leap of 23-2.0. Ferguson also ranks third in the league in the triple jump. Western's roster boasts the defending SoCon men's javelin champion in sophomore David Bowles, who ranks third this year overall in the league with a mark of 57.50m (188-8) behind second-place teammate, senior Josh Lee (60.63, 198-11), who won the event in 2004. Sophomore Chris Page will lead the Catamounts in the discus throw (43.63m, 143-2), while his classmate, Jerod Kelly, leads in the hammer (45.07m, 147-10). Junior Matt Harlfinger, who set a school-record in the men's heptathlon during the indoor championship, with tackle the decathlon this weekend.
Williamson feels that the 2006 championship run is once again shaping up as a two-team race between the mountain-rivals, Appalachian State and Western Carolina.
"As the defending champion in outdoor, Appalachian State comes in as the favorite to claim yet another outdoor championship. They have a well-rounded team and can score well in every event. In order for us to challenge them, we will have to be very good at in our strong events. I expect numerous individuals to step up and provide a major boost to our team effort as a team championship is within our grasp, but ASU also has a hand on it," explained Williamson.
In addition to the perennial favorites, defending champion Appalachian State and Western Carolina, Williamson feels that Georgia Southern will make it a three-team race in the women's championship competition. ASU leads the power rankings entering the weekend with 199.5 points over Georgia Southern in second with 168.5. Western is third overall despite leading seven SoCon performance charts with 150.5 points thus far this season.
"Any one of three teams (ASU, GSU or WCU) could leave Statesboro on Sunday with the team title," said Williamson. "Appalachian comes in as the defending champion and leads the power rankings, while Georgia Southern will be fired up as they are hosting their first home track and field meet ever. All three of these teams have areas of strengths and it will again come down to who can do what they do best and receive a major contribution from the unexpected as to who will claim the title."
Leading the way for Western are a pair who earned SoCon track athlete of the week honors during the regular season in sophomores Tangelia Johnson and Raquel Ramseur. Johnson, who qualified for the NCAA East Regional in the 100-meter dash, leads the event in the conference performance charts with her time of 11.63 run at the Sea Ray Relays, which ranks 44th nationally and 11th in the East region. She also holds the top spot in the 200-meter event (24.11), a strong suit of classmate Raquel Ramseur who is second by one-hundredth of a second (24.12) as the two finished first and second at the Western Invitational. Ramseur leads the 400-meter dash with a time of 54.69, with freshman Aneesha Lane in third in the event.
Also leading performance charts for Western are juniors Asia Davis and Brittany Whitaker, as well as both relay teams. Davis has thrice qualified for the NCAA regional in the 400-meter hurdles, turning in the quickest time in the conference this season at the Western Invitational in a facility-record 59.56, which ranks sixth in the East and 25th in the nation. Whitaker, the defending event champion, leads three Catamounts in the high jump (1.65m, 5-5), followed by All-SoCon selection from last season, sophomore Jessika Johnson and freshman Angela Stark, all with the same height. In the 4x100-meter relay, Johnson, Ramseur, senior Cassie Gentry, and Davis ran a school-record time of 45.72 this year, also setting a Catamount Athletic Complex record at the Western Invitational. The 1,600-meter relay squad of Lane, Ramseur, Davis, and Johnson leads the SoCon with a time of 3:43.77.
Sophomore Kerrie Savery, who was named MVP of the women's cross country season, leads Western and is ranked third in the SoCon in the 800-meter run, while Jessica Wilkerson also holds the second runner-up slot in the women's heptathlon. Also slated to run middle distance in her final SoCon championship appearance is senior Deanna Kulesz.
Two-sport athlete, sophomore Jessika Johnson, has placed in the top three in each of her SoCon high jump events. |
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It will be in the field events where Western will need to have solid performances. In the jumps, GSU holds the top spot in the long jump, with Western's Rashanda Simmons ranking sixth on the charts this season, and in the triple jump, the Eagles hold the top four slots with WCU's NaShay McGriff ranking seventh. Appalachian controls four of the top five positions in the discus, three of the top four in both the hammer and shot put. Western will look to seasonal leaders in the discus and shot put, sophomore Nicole Lopez, javelin leader Tara Tounzen, and hammer leader Sharhonda Bell to have strong showings to score points towards the team goal. Yet, it will be a collective effort of everyone entered in those events, including Michaela Hall and Rachel Karriker, to reach the finals to score.
Pole vaulting leader, Jessie Wilson, will attempt to keep Western perfect in the event as a Catamount has won the event every year since it was added into competition in the SoCon. Wilson most recently vaulted a seasonal best, 3.19m (10-5.50) at last Friday's Catamount Classic.
Fans fan follow all of the action on-line at www.SoConSports.com, with recaps of the activities from Statesboro posted to www.CatamountSports.com at the conclusion of each day.
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