KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— The Carson-Newman track and field team posted four provisional qualifications Saturday afternoon as the Tennessee Rust Buster featured a number of highly competitive Division I schools that many C-N athletes benefited from.
Kristopher Potts-Howard (Tullahoma, Tenn.), Tanner Stepp (Jefferson City, Tenn.) T.J. Davis (Chattanooga, Tenn.) all posted marks in the men's triple, long and high jumps that provisionally qualify the athletes for the 2017 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
"Kristopher Potts-Howard had a stellar day in the horizontal jumps. He landed a huge person-best in the long jump and then followed up with a provisional qualification in the triple," coach David Needs said following the meet. "It was a great meet at a brand new track. It was a great experience for our kids who really got after it today. To see some of the teams that were there and how we competed, I can't be any more proud of our kids from top to bottom."
On a day that featured a number of Carson-Newman athletes in the spotlight, no light shined brighter than that of Potts-Howard's as the sophomore came out of nowhere to finish second in the men's long jump with a 7.44 meter leap.
The second year Eagle easily provisionally qualified for outdoor nationals as the mark needed to surpass was only 7.22 meters. Potts-Howard's second-place finish was a personal-best by nearly a meter for the outdoor season as the previous long for the horizontal leaper was 6.55 meters at the LRU Southside Power & Fitness Invitational a week ago on March 18.
Following Saturday's heroics in the long jump, Potts-Howard currently sits fourth in the nation in the event.
Stepp also took home a top-two finish on the day as the junior high jumper placed second overall in the event with a 2.08 meter leap in his first action since the 2017 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships on March 10. With the mark, Stepp is now ranked third in the nation during the early part of the season.
Another Eagle notching a top-five finish in the men's high jump was Christian Stumpf (Johnson City, Tenn.) as the sophomore's leap timed out at 1.98 meters. Davis and Timontrez Eady (Duvall County, Fla.) also impressed in the men's long jump behind Potts-Howard's impress day as the two claimed fourth and fifth-place finishes, respectively.
Other notable finishes on the day for the men was Potts-Howard again with another personal-best in the triple jump with a 14.56 meter mark—good enough for eighth-place. Marshall Shank (Granite Quarry, N.C.) tallied a sixth-place finish in the men's pole vault with a 4.35 meters leap while Amos Korir (Eldorett, Kenya) and Luke Greer (Northampton, United Kingdom) took home fifth and sixth-place times in the men's 3000 meter steeplechase.
Caleb Agee finished the day with a top-10 showing in the men's 400 meter hurdles, placing seventh with a time of 56.85 seconds.
On the women's side, both the 4X100 and 4X400 meter relay teams took home top-10 finishes as the former finished sixth with a time of 52.08 seconds while the latter qualified eighth with a 4:23.39. Tiana Mills (Chattanooga, Tenn.) placed 13th with a 5.49 meter leap in the women's long jump while Priscah Jemeli (Eldorett, Kenya) finished 11th in the women's 800 meter run with a time of 2:21.94.
Jemeli's time in the 800 meters was not only a personal-best time for the sophomore, but also a school record. Catelyn Drake previously held the Carson-Newman program record for the women's 800 meters with a 2:22.98 time back in 2009.
Carson-Newman will look to keep the good times rolling right back in Knoxville, Tenn. on April 7 for the Tennessee Sea Rays. Stay tuned into C-N track and field at cneagles.com all season long.
Carson-Newman Men
3000 Meter Steeplechase
5) Amos Korir- 10:14.96
6) Luke Greer- 10:18.52
10) Kelvin Ronoh- 10:46.34
400 Meter Dash
19) Jeremiah McCarter- 50.99 seconds
100 Meter Dash
17) Timontrez Eady- 11.05 seconds
800 Meter Run
23) Anthony Jackson- 2:00.72
30) Ray Tiller- 2:05.82
400 Meter Hurdles
7) Caleb Agee- 56.85 seconds
200 Meter Run
16) Timontrez Eady- 22.12 seconds
29) Drake McCowan- 23.19 seconds
4X400 Meter Relay
3) Carson-Newman A- 3:24.53
Javelin Throw
10) Christian Stumpf- 44.91 meters
11) Ross Ensley- 44.73 meters
Men Long Jump
2) Kristopher Potts-Howard- 7.44 meters
4) T.J. Davis- 7.27 meters
5) Timontrez Eady- 7.17 meters
15) Ray Artybridge- 6.37 meters
High Jump
2) Tanner Stepp- 2.08 meters
5) Christian Stumpf- 1.98 meters
Pole Vault
6) Marshall Shank- 4.35 meters
Triple Jump
8) Kristopher Potts-Howard- 14.56 meters
11) T.J. Davis- 13.97 meters
Shot Put
19) Logan Pender- 12.74 meters
Carson-Newman Women
4X100 Relay
6) Carson-Newman A- 52.08 seconds
400 Meter Dash
20) Holly Talbut-Smith- 1:01.75
800 Meter Run
11) Priscah Jemeli- 2:21.94
200 Meter Run
30) Madison Pickel- 26.84 seconds
31) Cassie Smith- 26.87 seconds
3000 Meter Run
19) Lindsey Wiilliams- 11:39.14 seconds
30) Bekah White- 12:15.95 seconds
4X400 Meter Relay
8) Carson-Newman A- 4:23.39
Long Jump
13) Tiana Mills- 5.49 meters
23) Shelby Reynolds- 5.14 meters
Shot Put
23) Christianna Smith- 10.26 meters
25) Abby Tinsley- 9.92 meters
30) Faith Logan- 9.39 meters
Triple Jump
6) Tiana Mills- 11.69 meters
-CN-
