JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. --- Tusculum University high jumper Guillaume Devries was named the Men's Field Athlete of the Meet at the ETSU Invitational Saturday afternoon after provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Devries' win in the high jump was one of six individual top-10 finishes for the Pioneers on the final day of the two-day event in the ETSU Athletics Center, which also saw both the men's and women's teams each set four school records.
Tusculum will return to competition at the two-day Gamecock Inaugural, hosted by the University of South Carolina next Saturday and Sunday in Columbia, South Carolina.
MEN
Devries, a junior from Valenciennes, France, competed in a field of 14 jumpers and passed until 1.95 meters, then cleared each of his first four jumps to clinch first place with a height of 2.06 meters. Devries continued on and made 2.10 meters on his third attempt to lock down the second-best jump in the South Atlantic Conference this season.
In the mile run, freshman Kyler Hodges set a new school record with a time of 4:33.54, breaking the previous mark by 10 seconds and placing seventh overall. Senior J'Quen Johnson also broke the old record, running 4:40.56 for a 12th-place finish in the field.
Another school record fell in the 3000 meters, with sophomore Will Cronin clocking 9:00.39 to beat his own record by 21 seconds and earn a ninth-place finish.
The Pioneer 4x400-meter relay team of Althiery Leontes, Kedar Ashford, Malek Folston and Tyree Hilliard just missed another school record, finishing sixth overall with a time of 3:30.47 that was less than a second shy of the mark of 3:29.60 set in last year's ETSU meet.
In throws, junior Christian Sisto set yet another school record as he delivered a mark of 13.46 meters (44 feet, 2 inches) in the shot put, good for fifth place and breaking his own record set last year by nearly two feet. Sophomore Zach Lane earned the second-best mark in program history in the event, with a throw of 12.70 meters (41 feet, 8 inches) to take 12th overall.
WOMEN
Senior Nicole McMillen broke her own school record in the mile run, finishing in fourth place with a time of 5:14.87. McMillen's previous best was 5:15.72 in a third-place performance at last year's SAC Indoor Track & Field Championship.
Junior Alissa Furches also toppled her own program record in the 3000 meters, crossing the line in 10:56.61 for 11th place while cutting nearly 22 seconds off her best time of 11:18.40 set last year at the SAC Championships.
In the long jump, freshman Destini Wilson had a best mark of 5.23 meters (17 feet, 2 inches) which broke the previous record of 5.10 meters and gave her a ninth-place finish. Freshman Brianna Oats also bettered the old record and finished 14th overall at 5.13 meters (16 feet, 10 inches).
Tusculum's 4x400-meter relay team of Raygene Minus, Ke'Lah McMiller, I'Keriah Day and Kesia Griffith ran 4:03.19 to finish seventh overall, breaking the old school record of 4:16.49 set last season by a quartet that included both Minus and Day.
ETSU Invitational
Tusculum results (Day 2)
MEN
Mile: 7. Kyler Hodges, 4:33.54; 12. J'Quen Johnson, 4:40.56
3000: 9. Will Cronin, 9:00.39; 23. T.J. Tupps, 9:25.89; 30. Daniel Rotich, 9:49.40
High jump: 1. Guillaume Devries, 2.10m (6-10 3/4)
Long jump: 25. Luis Morris, 5.69m (18-8); 29. Jamire Thompson, 5.12m (16-9 3/4)
Shot put: 5. Christian Sisto, 13.46m (44-2); 12. Zach Lane, 12.70m (41-8)
4x400: 6. Tusculum (Leontes, Ashford, Folston, Hilliard), 3:30.47
WOMEN
Mile: 4. Nicole McMillen, 5:14.87
3000: 11. Alissa Furches, 10:56.61
Long jump: 9. Destini Wilson, 5.23m (17-2); 14. Brianna Oats, 5.13m (16-10)
Shot put: 17. Alyssa Farmer, 10.82m (35-6); 18. Dynah Dunn, 10.46m (34-4), 25. Tynaja Stewart, 8.68m (28-5 3/4)
4x400: 7. Tusculum (Minus, McMiller, Day, Griffith), 4:03.19