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Jan. 22, 2008 UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Sherie Brown, Celia Whyte, Merrecia James and Tanisha Wisdom ran a new school record of 3:42.40 in the women's 4x400-meter relay at the Penn State Open this past weekend. They eclipsed the previous time of 3:47.93 and with it came just over two seconds shy of provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. They took second overall in the event to a team from Penn State who came a little over a second from qualifying. Those four ladies also ran well individually, as did many Hawks on their way to a solid showing at the meet. Also setting a new school record was James Moore who jumped 2.09 meters (6'10.25") in the high jump, eclipsing a record held by Christopher Morrison from 2005 of 2.08 meters (6'-10"). Moore took second in the event on a judges decision. Also having a solid meet was the women's shot putters who placed five throwers in the field of 23. Saisha Woodward took third with a throw of 13.58 meters (44'6.75") while Tiona Long, Joycelyn Wheeler, Soledad Maurice and Demetria Staten took eighth, 11th, 12th and 19th place respectively. Merrecia James won the women's 800-meter run for the Hawk's only gold medal of the meet. She posted a time of 2:14.85, besting runners from Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, Penn State and MEAC rival Morgan State.
Wisdom, the reigning two-time MEAC Track and Field Performer of the Week had solid showings in other events as well. She took third in a 39 runner filed in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.51 and took seventh in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.80. Other top ten men's finishes came from Jamahl Strachan who took sixth in the high jump (1.94 meters), Amon Kiprotich who was sixth in the 3000-meter run, Jerome Pyuzza who was eighth in the 800-meter run and Corey Alexander and Dexter Miller who were seventh and eighth respectively in the 400-meter dash. Miller also took eighth in the 200-meter dash. On the women's side Rashida Beckford was fifth in the high jump (1.60 meters), Brown was seventh in the 400-meter run (56.82) while Whyte and Danai Lendor tied for tenth in the same event. In other team events the women's distance medley was sixth with a time of 13:03.12, topping Morgan State and the men were ninth in the 4x400-meter relay. Woodward's throw in the shot put, Brown and Lendor's time in the 400-meter, Alexander's pace in the men's 400-meter and Pyuzza's time in the 800-meter were all personal records. "We accomplished some impressive feats today," said Head Coach Ernest Barrett. "I am proud of the way we competed and we are very close n a few areas of qualifying for nationals." UMES tries to match those qualifying times again this weekend with some athletes competing at Bucknell University and some at Penn State on the 25 and 26 of January. |
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