BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - In the first meet back since the cancellation of the 2020 spring season, the Carson-Newman track & field team leave Birmingham with two event wins and 17 new personal records.
"After 329 days it was great to compete and get the rust off" says Director of Track and Field and Cross Country David Needs. Our young freshmen did well and were accountable. None of our athletes were intimidated by the venue or the talent they were up against and while we're still not where we want to be, it's a good start."
Joseph Oreva started his Carson-Newman track & field career with a bang, winning the long jump by more than 0.30 meters with a jump of 7.50 meters. The jump currently stands as the second longest in the nation.
"Joseph was insane," says Needs. "He was joking that he wished he had 12 jumps because he kept getting better and better. Coach Stepp has done a great job with him."
Nathalie Schumacher kept up her momentum from the end of last season, winning the high jump with a jump of 1.65 meters. Schumacher also won the high jump at the Finn Pincus Invitational in Salem, Virginia with a jump of the same height exactly one year ago.
Josh Whitaker took third in the pole vault with a school record tying jump of 4.55 meters in his first-ever collegiate event. The record was set in 2016 by Marshall Shank.
Freshmen phenoms Shane Connell and Sam Cleek finished second and third in the high jump, with Connell setting a personal best of 2.00 meters and Cleek setting his personal record at 1.95 meters. Danilo Cardoso finished seventh with a jump of 1.90 meters.
After winning the SAC indoor championship in the pole vault, Abby Owens tied her own personal best in the pole vault, finishing second with a jump of 3.35 meters.
Rachel Strayer started her 2021 indoor season strong with a fourth place finish in the women's 3000 meter run with a time of 10:49.40.
Morgan Stanton competed in her first collegiate event, finishing fifth in the high jump with a jump of 1.55 meters.
In the women's 60 meter dash, Tia Davis finished 25th in the first preliminary round with a personal record of 7.89 seconds. Davis advanced to the semifinals, finishing 15th. Timaya Ray finished 16th in the preliminary round with a time of 8.15 seconds and set a new personal record of 8.07 seconds in the semifinals, finishing 22nd. Amanda Lowe placed ninth in the preliminary round with a time of 7.80 seconds and finished just 0.01 seconds away from qualifying for the finals with a time of 7.81 seconds.
In the men's 60 meter dash, Zuriel Jimpson set a personal record of 7.00 seconds in the first preliminary round. Jimpson finished 12th in the semifinals with a time of 7.04 seconds. Devon Moore finished third in the first preliminary round with a time of 6.91 seconds. A false start in the semifinals ended Moore's day in the 60 meters.
In his first race in the United States, Netherlands native Ray Brugmans finished fifth in the mile with a personal best time of 4:27.29.
Anslee McGlocklin set a collegiate personal best of 1:03.62 in the 400 meter run, placing her 12th. Danielle Da'lesio would finish 22nd with a time of 1:13.35.
The freshman duo of Isaiah Weasby and Jackson Bostick competed in the men's 400 meter run. Weasby set a personal best of 49.79 seconds and finish fourth while Bostick set his first personal best at 56.33 seconds to finish 27th.
Ashton Abbott began her newly granted year of eligibility competing in the weight throw and shot put inside the Birmingham Crossplex. Abbott finished 12th in the weight throw with a toss of 11.20 meters and placed 15th in the shot put with a throw of 9.31 meters.
In the women's 200 meter, Tia Davis took sixth with a time of 26.15 seconds. Timaya Ray set a personal record of 26.54 seconds while finishing 11th. Faith Nelms finished 38th with a time of 30.28 seconds.
Devon Moore continued his strong showing in the 200 meter run, finishing fifth with a time of 21.90 seconds. Zuriel Jimpson and Jordan Hibbert set their collegiate personal bests with Jimpson finishing 11th with a time of 22.49 seconds and Hibbert finishing 15th with a time of 22.79 seconds.
Luke Smith demolished his old personal record in the shot put by almost two meters, finishing ninth with a toss of 13.83 meters. Tryazell Jureidini-Wyche finished 15th with a toss of 11.26 meters.
For the first time in his indoor career, Hunter Miller competed in the men's 3000 meter run, finishing 25th with a time of 9:50.88.
Courtavious Garrett competed in both the triple jump and long jump, finishing seventh in the triple with a jump of 12.61 meters and 18th in the long jump at 6.25 meters.
In the women's long jump, Susan Nelson finished 12th with a jump of 4.91 meters.
The entire eagles' track & field team is currently scheduled to head north to the Virginia Military Insititute in Lexington, Virginia to compete in the VMI Winter Relays on Jan. 29-30.
