Lady Hawks Place 7th at NAIA Indoor Nationals
CVN Sports
03-09-2010
One universal goal shared by all athletic teams is to constantly
improve both individually and collectively. The Shorter College
men and women`s track and field teams continue to attain that
goal with each successive outing - the latest coming at the NAIA
National Indoor Track and Field Championships at East Tennessee
State University in Johnson City, Tenn., over the weekend.
Shorter`s Lady Hawks, powered by a near third individual national
championship from sophomore sensation Justyna Mudy, placed
seventh as a team while the Hawks just missed out on a second
consecutive top 10 finish, ending the meet in 11th position.
The Lady Hawks were simply phenomenal in Johnson City, improving on last year`s 21st-place finish while setting a multitude of school records in the process.
Leading the way was Mudy, a two-time individual national champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in last spring`s outdoor nationals and the medalist in this past fall`s cross country nationals, who turned in a runners-up effort in the 3,000-meter run and a third place finish in the 5,000-meters.
In the 3,000, Mudy crossed the line in a time of 9:50.92, five seconds behind senior Jacky Kipwambok of Azusa Pacific - Kipwambok finished second to Mudy at the cross country nationals earlier this year.
Mudy finished the 5,000 in a time of 17:39.76, earning her an impressive 14 points total towards the Lady Hawks` team total of 26.
She ran both the 3,000 and 5,000-meter finals on the same day.
Junior Ashlie Stewartson improved upon her breakout performance at last season`s outdoor national championships with several stellar efforts over the weekend.
Stewartson, who pulls double-duty with the Lady Hawks` volleyball team in the fall, jumped her way to a fifth place finish in the long jump on Friday with a leap of 18`10.75 before finishing fourth in the 400-meter dash finals on Saturday in a school-record time of 56.67.
Stewartson later teamed up with Kennisha Holden, Mia Jones and Tia Moreland in the women`s 4x400-meter relay to post a third place finish of 3:50.86, another Shorter record.
Sophomore Brittany Sewell advanced into the semifinal heat of the 60-meter dash and crossed the line in a personal best time of 7.78, but the time did not qualify her for the final. Still, Sewell turned in the eighth-best time in the nation, boding well for her future in the event.
Oklahoma Baptist took home the women`s team title with 68 points, edging Wayland Baptist`s 67 tallies. Simon Frasier (66), Azusa Pacific (57) and Biola (40) rounded out the top five.
The Hawks, expecting great things after a ninth place team finish in 2009, did not disappoint.
Paced by senior N`aithan Scott`s runner-up finish in the 60-meter hurdles, Shorter set and nearly matched numerous school records en route to just missing a top ten placing.
Scott, a favorite in the 60-meter hurdle event, earned eight points for his squad by crossing the line in 8.03, less than a tenth of a second behind event champion Edward Stewart of Central Methodist (7.97).
In his last indoor nationals, senior Nick Dodson finished fourth in the 200-meter dash, turning in a school record time of 21.69, eight-hundredths of a second behind third place finisher Sean Pickstock of Dickinson State.
The Hawks` Albert Huntley, just a sophomore placed fifth in the 60-meter dash (6.88) and junior Montagious Brown, just one day removed from a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds in Shorter`s Southern States Athletic Conference quarterfinal loss to Auburn-Montgomery, claimed a fifth place finish in the men`s high jump for the second year.
Brown`s jump of 6`11.75 was just off from his school indoor record of 7`.
Several other Hawks left Johnson City with personal best performances.
Sophomore Peter Limo finished eighth in the men`s mile final on Saturday with a 4:18.37. On Friday, Limo qualified for the final with a school record time of 4:17.50 - he matched up against the world`s 12th-best miler in the final on Saturday, a great experience for Shorter`s young distance runner.
The men`s distance medley relay squad of senior Allen O`Neal, sophomores Limo and Eliud N`getich and freshman Randall Dameron registered a school record time of 10:15.88 in the prelims, and although they were unable to qualify for the final, made an impression on the field as such as young group.
Shorter`s track programs will now turn their attention to the outdoor season, where each team has a valid chance to challenge for a national championship. The Lady Hawks placed seventh in the nation at outdoor nationals last season while the men posted the program`s first top five effort in St. Louis.
The outdoor season begins this Saturday, March 13, at the Southern Invitational in Birmingham, Ala.
By: Matt Green
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