VIDEO: Nathalie Schumacher Interview
VIDEO: Sights and Sounds from day one
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Just three days after winning her second career SAC Indoor Field Athlete of the Week honor, Nathalie Schumacher continued her strong indoor season, winning the women's high jump championship on day one of the Buccaneer Invitational on Friday, Feb. 4.
With a clearance of 1.61 meters, Schumacher was the only athlete to clear the mark, beating out Paige Manney of Tennessee Wesleyan and Zauren Burton of Montevallo for the win. Schumacher also beat out four Division-I competitors from ETSU, Appalachian State, UNC Asheville and Tennessee Tech. It is the second straight week Schumacher has finished on the podium in the high jump after finishing second last week at the Tiger Paw Invite.
"I felt good today," says Schumacher. "I got a good start today. The surface here is a lot different than most indoor tracks but I got used to it last season so I think that helped me. The last competition wasn't that good for me. I didn't feel as good as I did today and now I'm looking forward to the next competition."
Schumacher won the event championship at the 2021 Buccaneer Invitational with a clearance of 1.58 meters. It is the third straight season that an Eagle has finished inside the top-two of the event as Hannah Moorehouse finished second in 2020. Schumacher also won the event at the 2020 ETSU Invitational with a school record clearance of 1.68 meters.
✅ 2nd career @SAC_Athletics Indoor Field Athlete of the Week honor
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) February 5, 2022
�� First event championship of the season
What a week for Nathalie Schumacher @CN_Track pic.twitter.com/wRhiNXzcs6
For the first time in his career, Matthew Blackmon did not set a new school record in the 60 meter hurdles. However, Blackmon's time of 8.31 seconds was the fastest in the entire preliminary round by 0.10 seconds. The freshman won his heat by a whopping 0.59 seconds. Blackmon will race in the finals of the 60 meter hurdles on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 2:15 P.M.
Abby Owens once again found herself on the podium in the pole vault, finishing third with a clearance of 3.35 meters. Owens beat out a stacked field and seven Division-I representatives from Gardner-Webb, ETSU, Appalachian State, and UNC Asheville. Owens has finished inside the top four in the pole vault at every meet this season. After finishing 12th at the ETSU Invitational in 2020, Owens has finished no lower than fourth inside of the Buc Dome, winning the event at the 2021 Buccaneer Invitational.
The Carson-Newman men's distance medley relay team of Hunter Miller, Taylor Dupler, Christian Henry and Raymond Brugmans finished second in the 4000 meter DMR with a time of 10:46.71. The Eagles finished just over two seconds behind Division-I Tennessee Tech. It is the highest finish for a Carson-Newman men's DMR team since the team of Cameron McKinley, Christian Stumpf, Caleb Agee and Luke Greer finished second at the 2019 SAC Indoor Championships.
�� An event championship for Nathalie Schumacher
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) February 5, 2022
�� Another first place finish in the prelims for @Matthew_0708
�� Bronze honors for Abby Owens
�� Men's DMR was movin' @HunterMill0823
Solid day one in Johnson City for @CN_Track pic.twitter.com/XjZp74wed0
Devon Moore continued to show why he is one of the best in the nation, taking first in both the prelims and the semifinals of the 60 meter run. Moore began the day with the fastest time out of 66 racers in the event, winning his heat and earning the one seed for the semifinals with a time of 6.87 seconds. The mark was 0.05 seconds faster than the second place finisher.
Moore blew by the competition in the semis and into the finals with a season-best time of 6.82 seconds. The mark was once again 0.05 seconds faster than the second place finisher, and ties Moore with J.T. Smith of Texas A&M-Commerce and Emmett Seals of Angelo State for 23rd fastest mark in all of Division-II.
Moore also won his heat in the prelims of the 200 meter run with a time of 22.02 seconds. The mark is good for fourth overall heading into the finals. The three competitors with faster times than Moore all compete at Division-I schools.
Siphosethu Boya will join Moore in the finals of the 200 meter run on Saturday. Boya finished first in his heat with a mark of 22.31 seconds in his first time running in the event for Carson-Newman. The time is good for eighth overall heading into the finals.
Boya also just missed on tying his school record in the 400 meter run, finishing first in his heat and fifth overall with a time of 50.22 seconds. Boya, Brien Pittman of Catawba, and Will McBride of Montevallo were the only three Division-II runners to qualify for the finals.
As a team, the Eagles finished Friday with 14 personal bests and 13 top-10 finishes.
Leading the way for Carson-Newman was Danielle D'Alesio, who set personal bests in the 400-meter and 200-meter runs. D'Alesio finished with a time of 28.26 seconds in the 200-meter run, beating her former best time by almost 0.30 seconds. Her mark of 1:05.15 in the 400-meter run beats her old personal best time by an astounding 0.52 seconds.
Sydney McCarty continued to shine in her freshman campaign in the long jump, finishing seventh with a distance of 5.44 meters. McCarty has made the finals of every single long jump competition she has competed in this season.
Katie Smock finished fifth in the 5000 meter run with a time of 18:57.10. That mark obliterates her old personal best time in the event by 22 seconds.
Dupler followed up his podium placement DMR run with a new personal best in the 400-meter run. His mark of 53.12 seconds beats his old personal best in the event by 0.55 seconds.
Christian Shouse finished sixth in the long jump with a mark of 6.73 meters. His teammate Camden Fritz just missed out on the finals, finishing ninth with a distance of 6.54 meters.
Morgan Stanton finished seventh in the high jump with a clearance of 1.50 meters.
The women's 4000 meter Distance Medley Relay team of Karli Yarid, Lauren Tabor, Klara Naude, and Olvia Fanning finished ninth in the event with a time of 14:49.13. It is the first time the Eagles have fielded a women's DMR team since the 2019 SAC Indoor Championships.
In her first time participating in the long jump for Carson-Newman, Jade Mattison recorded an opening mark of 4.35 meters.
Timaya Ray set a new personal best in the 60 meter run, finishing with a time of 7.94 seconds in the event. It's the first time the freshman has run under eight seconds in the event. Teammate Kennadi Yoder also set a personal best in the event, beating her old mark by 0.12 seconds with a time of 8.32 seconds.
Yoder also set a new personal best in the 200 meter run with a time of 27.64 seconds, beating her old personal best mark by 0.11 seconds. Abbie Zander just beat her personal best in the event with a time of 27.93 seconds.
Tshenelo Lemao set a new personal best in the 60 meter run for him at Carson-Newman, finishing at under seven seconds for the first time in his Eagle career with a time of 6.99 seconds. Delan Grant set a new personal best in the event as well, finising with a mark of 7.34 seconds.
Grant also set a personal best in the 200 meter run, beating his old mark by 0.07 seconds with a time of 24.07 seconds in the race. Austin Greer demolished his old personal best in the 200 meter run, beating his old mark by 0.28 seconds with a time of 22.65 seconds. Brett Lord set a new personal best in the event with a time of 24.19 seconds.
Will Kolb set a new personal best in the 5000 meter run by almost six seconds with a time of 16:07.29.
"We were down a few athletes today due to illness and injury but the one's that competed today came with the right mindset," says Director of Track & Field and Cross Country David Needs. "Nathalie and Von competed and pushed at practice this week and it resulted in great marks for both of them. Seeing people like Abby (Owens), Morgan (Stanton), and Sipho (Boya) finish inside the top-five consistently is big for us. And for Danielle (D'Alesio) to finish the day with two personal bests with her family in attendance is wonderful. Even the kids who maybe don't make the finals of their event are working hard and setting new bests. The team is starting to see results come and we're taking a step in the right direction."
The Buccaneer Invitational continues on Saturday, Feb. 5 inside the Buc Dome at ETSU. Fans can follow along with a live stats link at cneagles.com or on twitter for updates at @cn_eagles.
