Video: Kieran Showler-Davis Interview
HICKORY, N.C. - Seven Carson-Newman athletes medaled on day one of the South Atlantic Conference Championships as two of those Eagles earned league titles following Thursday's events from the Irwin Belk Track at The Moretz Sports Athletic Complex.
Amy Zadroga grabbed C-N's first championship of the day in the Javelin after recording a throw of 38.23 meters which was nearly a full meter better than the next best mark. The sophomore's throw also earned her a new personal-best distance. Earlier in the day, Zadroga earned the bronze medal in the pole vault after clearing 3.35 meters.
✅ @CN_Track's first Conference Champion of the week is Amy Zadroga! pic.twitter.com/NXzRQ7Jbgv
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) April 19, 2019
Luke Greer grabbed his third conference championship in 2018-19 after recording two during the indoor season. The Northhampton, England native fought off a late push from Queens' Anthony Raftis in the 10k run to grab the No. 1 spot with a time of 30:43.73.
The 10000-meter @SAC_Athletics Champion is a guy you may have heard of once or twice @LukeGreer_ pic.twitter.com/N721Eil2cp
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) April 19, 2019
Kathie O'Neill earned a silver medal in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 11:16.58, just shy of a new personal-best to earn all-conference plaudits. Cameron McKinley was the second Eagle to earn a silver medal on the day as a second-place finisher in the same event with a time of 9:42.72 for a new personal best. He has earned a new personal-low time in the steeplechase for the third-straight time during the 2019 outdoor campaign.
Devon Moore continued to shred the competition after first-place finishes in both the 100-meter and 200-meter preliminary races, all while fighting a viral infection. Moore turned in a time of 10.30 seconds in the 100m which was .10 seconds better than the next best time and is the second-best time in program history in sprints with less than 3.0 wind.
After three hours of rest and recuperation, the Baxley, Ga. native ran the 200m in 21.42 seconds, a full .28 seconds better than second-place finisher P.J. Lotharp of Lenoir-Rhyne. Moore had only run the 200-meter dash once this season entering the day when he recorded a time of 20.87 seconds at the Montreat Invitational on March 30.
"I was happy with how today had gone for them," Coach Kieran Showler-Davis said. "All the kids have stepped up and there had been either PRs or season-bests made by all of them. Devon just keeps on surprising you every week doing something. He still comes out with a virus and shuts it off prior to the race and runs a 10.30. That guy has worked hard this year and it's showed off on the track."
Freshman Toot Johnson will appear in the short sprint finals after delivering a seventh-place finish with a time of 10.60 seconds. His time is .37 seconds better than his previous career-low time.
"I knew I had a target on my back and people would say that they wanted to race me," Moore said. "I just had to go out and execute and do what I was trained to do. Coach Kieran has really helped me work on my form and that's allowed me to do what I've been doing. It's been a blessing to have him assist every day at practices and meets."
Tia Davis will be the lone Eagle to compete in both the women's 200m and 100m finals on Saturday, April 20 after first (25.05) and third-place (12.05) finishes respectively. The 100m time is a new personal-best for the sophomore.
"Tia has had a lot of growth this season," Showler-Davis said. "She's very mature now and each week she is getting better and better. We've been more focused towards outdoors and its where we feel we are better whereas a lot of other teams compare themselves to indoors. I'm excited for her when the finals come around on Saturday."
Caleb Agee held the top time in the 400-meter hurdle prelims as he looks to defend two-straight SAC Championships in the event after coming in with a time of 54.93 seconds. Holly Talbut-Smith qualified for the event finals with a sixth-place finish matching her personal-best time on the dot at 1:06.22 which she set earlier this season at the Montreat Invitational.
Kristofer Potts-Howard grabbed the bronze medal for C-N in the long jump clearing 7.13 meters. Jahvad McDermott followed in fourth with a distance of 7.09 meters. Ray Artybidge rounded out the top-eight at 6.83 meters.
Christian Stumpf was a bronze medalist in the Javelin with a throw of 53.21 meters. Ross Ensley followed with all-league honors with a seventh-place throw at 47.99 meters. Both athletes added to the Eagles total of eighth who created new personal-bests. Trayzel Juredini-Wyche rounded out the top-nine with a mark of 44.16 meters.
Samantha Gudger was the final Eagle on the day to earn a bronze medal with a third-place mark in the long jump at 5.55 meters.
Klara Naude will compete in the 800-meter final on Saturday with a seventh-place finish at a time of 2:23.18.
The final day of the championships will pick back up on Saturday, April 20 at 11:00 a.m. Originally scheduled as a three-day meet, Friday was canceled due to the threat of rain and thunderstorms.
Follow along on our social media pages @CNAthletics and at cneagles.com for news and the full recap on the final day of the league championships.
Male Teams
| PL | Team | Code | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queens (N.C.) | QUEE | 54 |
| 2 | Carson-Newman | CANE | 39 |
| 3 | Wingate | WING | 37 |
| 4 | Lenoir-Rhyne | LERH | 27 |
| 5 | Anderson (S.C.) | ANDE | 18 |
| 6 | Tusculum | TUSC | 13 |
| 7 | Newberry | NESC | 4 |
| 8 | Catawba | CATA | 3 |
Female Teams
| PL | Team | Code | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queens (N.C.) | QUEE | 66 |
| 2 | Lenoir-Rhyne | LERH | 57.5 |
| 3 | Carson-Newman | CANE | 33 |
| 4 | Anderson (S.C.) | ANDE | 20 |
| 5 | Wingate | WING | 19.5 |
| 6 | Tusculum | TUSC | 11 |
| 7 | Catawba | CATA | 10 |
| 8 | Mars Hill | MAHI | 8.5 |
| 9 | Newberry | NESC | 5.5 |
| 10 | Coker | COKE | 2 |
-CN-
