HICKORY, N.C. --- Tusculum University posted three individual victories and had two NCAA provisional qualifiers during the Lenoir-Rhyne Classic on Saturday at the Irwin Belk Track.
All-American Widchard Guervil won the men's 100 meters and qualified for nationals while Nicole McMillen posted a qualifying time en route to winning the women's steeplechase. Will Cronin was also a winner for the Pioneers as he took first in the men's 5,000 meters.
WOMEN
McMillen ran 10:51.34 to win the steeplechase and beat the NCAA provisional qualifying time of 11:01.67. She was one of five Pioneer individual competitors to earn a top-five finish during the meet
Alissa Furches took third place in the 5000 meters at 18:54.27, with Brooklyn Smith in eighth at 20:52.10. Ke'Lah McMiller was fourth in the 400 meters at 58.80 seconds, followed by Kesia Griffith in sixth place at 59.10 seconds and I'Keriah Day in ninth at 1:00.64.
In the 200 meters, Earthaiza Watkins finished ninth but set a school record witha time of 25.57 seconds, followedby Day in 11th at 25.74 and Griffith in 15th at 26.03. The Tusculum 4x400 relay team of Griffith, McMiller, Yoland Boyce and Watkins also broke the school record with a runner-up time of 3:56.78.
In field events, Alyssa Farmer shattered the school record in the discus throw with a toss of 40.16 meters (131 feet, 9 inches). She broke the previous record of 30.60 meters (100 feet, 5 inches) set by teammate Dynah Dunn last season. Farmer was also 11th in the shot put (10.99 meters) and 14th in the hammer throw (31.84 meters).
Destini Wilson finished in a tie for third place with a height of 1.60 meters (5 feet, 3 inches) and took eighth in the long jump with a top mark of 4.88 meters (16 feet, 3/4 inch).
MEN
Guervil won the 100 meters with a time of 10.50 seconds, which ties him for the fifth-best time in Division II this season. Joining him in the top 10 were Kedar Ashford in sixth place with a career-best time of 10.82 seconds and Xavier Billups in 10th also with a career-best mark of 11.09 seconds. Ashford was also fifth in the 200 meters (22.10 seconds) and ran anchor on the 4x100 relay with Gibran Williams, Guervil and Zaveon McCluney which took second place in 41.26 seconds.
Cronin led wire-to-wire in the 5000 meters and crossed the line in 15:14.84, which shaved 5 1/2 seconds off the school record in the event he set last week at Wofford. In the steeplechase, Kyler Hodges shattered the school record and finished second overall in 10:07.90. Also breaking the old record of 10:45.94 were Carson Walls, who finished fourth in 10:28.72, and Alejandro Perez who was clocked in 10:32.60 for fifth place.
The Pioneers also set school records in both hurdles events, with Malek Folston taking third place in the 400 hurdles at 57.02 followed by Jaydon Johnson in fourth at 57.36 seconds. In the 110 hudles, Jamire Thompson placed 11th overall with a time of 15.74 seconds.
Tusculum's 4x400 relay team of Althiery Leontes, Jaydon Johnson, Isaac Hybarger and Kyle Stanley finished third with a time of 3:27.25.
In the high jump, Devries cleared 2.05 meters (6 feet, 8 3/4 inches) for the second week in a row but settled for second place to Israel Diaz of Montreat, who had fewer misses. Luis Morris was third in the pole vault at 4.05 meters (13 feet, 3 1/2 inches) which was a full two inches above his mark of 4.00 meters (13-1 1/2) set last week at Wofford.
In throws, Michael Peppin and Morris each broke the record of 39.85 meters set at Wofford. Peppin threw 40.81 meters (133 feet, 11 inches) to take fifth overall and Morris was measured at 40.53 meters (133 feet) for sixth place. Christian Sisto also continued to improve on his school record in the shot put, taking sixth place at 13.70 meters (44 feet, 11 1/2 inches).
Lenoir-Rhyne Classic
Tusculum results
MEN
100: 1. Widchard Guervil, 10.50; 6. Kedar Ashford, 10.82; 10. Xavier Billups, 11.09; 15. Gibran Williams, 11.19; 21. Zaveon McCluney, 11.44.
110 hurdles: 11. Jamire Thompson, 15.74.
200: 5. Kedar Ashford, 22.10; 18. Gibran Williams, 22.80.
400: 18. Kyle Stanley, 52.35; 20. Isaac Hybarger, 52.84; 24. Tyree Hilliard, 54.14; 28. Jonathan Julien, 1:00.97.
400 hurdles: 3. Malek Folston, 57.02; 4. Jaydon Johnson, 57.36.
3000 steeplechase: 2. Kyler Hodges, 10:07.90; 4. Carson Walls, 10:28.72; 5. Alejandro Perez, 10:32.60.
5000: 1. Will Cronin, 15:14.84; 12. T.J. Tupps, 16:42.48.
4x100: 2. Tusculum (Williams, Guervil, McCluney, Ashford), 41.26.
4x400: 3. Tusculum (Leontes, Johnson, Hybarger, Stanley), 3:27.25.
High jump: 2. Guillaume Devries, 2.05m (6-8 3/4); 9. Nick Jackson, 1.85m (6-3/4).
Long jump: 19. Nick Jackson, 5.95m (19-6 1/4); 26. Jamire Thompson, 5.17m (16-11 1/2).
Shot put: 6. Christian Sisto, 13.70m (44-11 1/2); 14. Zach Lane, 12.27m (40-3 1/4); 15. Evan Grooms, 11.76m (38-7).
Hammer throw: 17. Evan Grooms, 33.64m (110-4); 21. Joseph Schwarz, 28.34m (93-0).
Discus: 5. Michael Peppin, 40.81m (133-11); 6. Luis Morris, 40.53m (133-0); 11. Joseph Schwarz, 38.21m (125-4); 12. Evan Grooms, 38.15m (125-2); 27. Christian Sisto, 30.51m (100-1); 28. Zach Lane, 30.17m (99-0).
Pole vault: 3. Luis Morris, 4.05m (13-3 1/2).
WOMEN
100: 20. Kaynashia Carter, 14.72.
100 hurdles: 12. Brianna Oats, 17.63.
200: 9. Earthaiza Watkins, 25.57; 11. I'Keriah Day, 25.74; 15. Kesia Griffith, 26.03; 30. Brittany Bowery, 28.70.
400: 4. Ke'Lah McMiller, 58.80; 6. Kesia Griffith, 59.10; 9. I'Keriah Day, 1:00.64; 17. Karla Angulo, 1:03.98; 21. Brittany Bowery, 1:06.48.
1500: 9. Yoland Boyce, 5:13.98.
3000 steeplechase: 1. Nicole McMillen, 10:51.34.
5000: 3. Alissa Furches, 18:54.27; 8. Brooklyn Smith, 20:52.10.
4x400: 2. Tusculum (Griffith, McMiller, Boyce, Watkins), 3:56.78.
High jump: 3. Destini Wilson, 1.60m (5-3).
Long jump: 8. Destini Wilson, 4.88m (16-3/4).
Shot put: 11. Alyssa Farmer, 10.99m (36-3/4); 12. Dynah Dunn, 10.72m (35-2); 19. Tynaja Stewart, 9.06m (29-8 3/4).
Hammer throw: 14. Alyssa Farmer, 31.84m (104-5); 16. Dynah Dunn, 29.90m (98-1).
Discus: 2. Alyssa Farmer, 40.16m (131-9); 16. Dynah Dunn, 28.95m (95-0).
Javelin: 14. Tynaja Stewart, 18.01m (59-1).
