Pat Springs was victorious in the long jump at the Appalachian State Invitational on Friday in Boone, N.C. |
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Currie and Springs Win Individual Events at Appalachian State
Dec. 5, 2008
Boone, N.C. – Seniors Lamarra Currie and Pat Springs got their track and field seasons off on the right foot by winning individual events as the Charlotte Track and Field team competed in the Appalachian State Invitational in Boone, N.C.
Currie sprinted across the finish line in first place in both the 55m dash (6.95) and the 200m dash (25.00), while Springs won the long jump event (19’8”), and on the men's side Darius Law broke the 400m indoor school record with his sub 48 second performance.
Charlotte fielded a full entourage of sprinters, while the distance squad remained in the Queen City after just wrapping up a successful Cross Country season.
Starting on the women’s side, Charlotte went 2-3 in the 55m hurdles with junior Lanaire Lindo (8.21) and freshman Ashley Bethune (8.35) finishing in second and third place, respectively.
Currie led the charge in the 55m dash with junior teammate Chalonda Silver finishing in third place with a time of 7.09 seconds.
The 200m dash would finish up in similar fashion with Currie at the front of the pack, but senior Toree Roseboro would be the third place finisher this time with a mark of 25.59.
With no distance runners making the trip, Charlotte used traditional sprinters to compete in the 800m run, with freshman Cecily Young taking third place in the event with a time of 2:34.87.
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In the throwing events, Charlotte’s best finish came with a 49’7” toss in the weight throw from sophomore Sharonda Bailey, who finished in fourth place. Bailey's toss was the second best in school history, while being only the second time that the sophomore competed in the event.
Charlotte’s women’s 4x400m relay squad turned in a solid third place finish with a time of 3:53.39.
Turning to the men’s side, runner-up performances from freshman Sam Jordan, sophomore Korel Mack, sophomore Darius Law and sophomore Jake Wainright paced the Niners to a solid showing.
Mack’s 55m hurdle performance of 7.60 was good enough for second place in the event, while the other top 55m hurdle performance came in the form of a sixth place finish from newcomer Michael Simmerson (7.86).
Jordan cracked the 22 second barrier in the 200m dash with a time of 21.99 to place second while Law, last year’s A-10 Outdoor Performer and Rookie of the Year, was the runner-up in the 400m dash with a time of 47.92.
Finally, Wainright’s 6’8” leap in the high jump was less than two inches off the day’s best mark as he turned in a performance which equaled his lifetime best in the event.
Charlotte’s 4x400m relay on the men’s side took home the runner-up spot in a photo finish. Charlotte’s time of 3:20.61 was a mere .03 seconds off the winning time.
Senior Ryan Thompson turned in a third place performance in the triple jump with a 48’3” leap, a personal best in the event for the senior, while newcomer Jake Deaton was the top men’s thrower with a 49’7” throw in the shot put, which was good enough for fifth place in his first collegiate competition.
“The meet went exactly how it should have and accomplished what we needed. There were many very good performances...We were able to see where people are in their training from the fall practice campaign and allowed some, especially newcomers, to taste collegiate experience and learn valuable lessons if necessary, said Head Coach Bob Olesen on the performance of his team at Appalachian State.
Friday's Appalachian State Invitational marked the only meet for the Niner track and field squad before the Christmas holiday, with the team’s next race coming on January 16-17 when they travel to Blacksburg, Va., for the Hokie Invitational.
