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McMillen breaks SAC record in 5K at Gamecock Opener

McMillen breaks SAC record in 5K at Gamecock Opener
Posted: Jan 18, 2020

COLUMBIA, S.C. --- All-American Nicole McMillen set a Tusculum University and South Atlantic Conference record in the women's 5,000 meters Saturday at the Gamecock Opener track and field meet, hosted by the University of South Carolina.

McMillen's time of 17:01.33 was also an NCAA Division II provisional qualifying mark in the event, and one of six men's and women's school records set across 17 events over two days of competition by the Pioneers. Will Cronin broke his own record in the men's 5,000 meters and finished second overall, while Gabrielle Beckett (women's 800) and David Saruni (men's 400) also set new Tusculum records along with both the men's and women's 4x400 meter relays.

The Pioneers will return to action at South Carolina on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 for the two-day Carolina Challenge.

WOMEN'S RECAP
McMillen shattered her school indoor record in the 5,000 meters by more than a minute, having set the old mark of 18:20.47 at the 2018 SAC Championship meet. McMillen's time also broke the conference record of 17:10.78 set by Hannah Wolkenhauer of Queens in the same race that McMillen set the school record. Her time currently ranks eighth-best in Division II this season. The Pickering, Ontario native also holds the Tusculum indoor records in the mile and the 3,000 meters, set last year at the South Carolina facility.

Beckett was 14th overall in a field of 53 runners in the 800 meters, crossing the line in 2:24.81 to rank fourth among Division II competitors in the event. Beckett broke the school record of 2:27.42 set one week earlier at ETSU by teammate Hachlaine Petit. Petit was 21st in the 400 meters in 57.79 seconds to rank second in school history and fourth-fastest al-time in the conference, while her time of 26.42 in the 200 ranks her fifth on the school performance list in the event.

Also in the 400, Ke'Lah McMiller ran 59.06 to take 36th overall and earn third on the school performance list. Kenisha Stubbs (1:00.10) and Kesia Griffith (1:00.86) moved into fifth and seventh place, respectively on the Tusculum performance list in the 400. Stubbs was clocked at 9.70 seconds in the 60 hurdles for the third-best time in program history, while Brianna Oats earned her seventh spot in the school top 10 by running in 10.06 for eighth-best in Tusculum history.

The Tusculum 4x400-meter relay team of Griffith, McMiller, Stubbs and Petit ran 3:53.48 to place eighth overall and break the school record of 3:57.65 set at last year's SAC championship, with McMiller the only one to compete in each relay.

In the shot put, Alyssa Farmer placed 11th overall with a throw of 11.79 meters (38 feet, 8 1/4 inches) for the second-best mark of her career. Tynaja Stewart set a collegiate personal best in the event with a mark of 9.65 meters (31 feet, 8 inches).

MEN'S RECAP
Four of the eight fastest times in the 5,000 meters in program history were set on Saturday, led by Cronin who was second overall with a time of 14:54.28. Cronin ran even with Ryan Szklany of Embry-Riddle for the first 4,000 meters of the race before sliding back to finish 3 1/2 seconds behind. Cronin's mark broke his school record of 15:09.07 set at the 2019 SAC Championship, and gives him the four fastest indoor 5K times in school history. Caleb Archer finished 10th overall in 15:54.60, with Carson Walls in 11th at 15:55.48 and Kyler Hodges in 12th at 15:57.48, giving the trio positions two through four on the school performance list and spots five through seven on the all-time Pioneer top 10.

In the 400 meters, David Saruni was clocked at 50.70 seconds to break the old record of 51.07 set at last year's USC Open by Althiery Leontes. In the 800 meters, Kyle Stanley turned in a career-best time of 2:01.11 and moved into third place on the school top 10 list. All-American Widchard Guervil made his season debut in the 200 meters and ran 22.39 seconds to place seventh on the school all-time top 10, while Hodges took seventh place all-time in the 3000 meters with a time of 9:14.18. Jamire Thompson, the school record-holder in the 60 hurdles, placed eighth on the school all-time top 10 by running 9.20 seconds.

Tusculum's 4x400 relay team of Tyree Hilliard, Saruni, Jontavus Walker and Isaac Hybarger crossed the line in 3:27.33 for 12th place overall, while breaking the previous school record of 3:29.60 set at the ETSU Invitational in 2018.

On the school performance list, Thurlow Wilkins moved into second place in the 60 meters with a time of 6.94 seconds, while Gerard Hearst moved up to third with a time of 7.01 seconds. In the 200 meters, Walker ran 22.99 and is sixth-best in program history, followed by Devan Hart (23.00, seventh) and Wilkins (23.08, ninth). Walker also claimed sixth place in program history in the 400 meters at 52.76 seconds, with Hybarger taking 10th place at 53.58. Antonio Aparicio ran 2:02.54 and is third on the school performance list in the 800, with Saruni taking over fifth place at 2:06.62.

In the weight throw, Evan Grooms threw 11.38 meters (37 feet, 4 inches) for the sixth-best throw of his career.

Gamecock Opener
at Columbia, South Carolina
Tusculum results
WOMEN
60: 67. Kayneshia Carter, 8.37.
60 hurdles: 34. Kenisha Stubbs, 9.70; 46. Brianna Oats, 10.06.
200: 61. Hachlaine Petit, 26.42; 79. Kesia Griffith, 27.02; 81. Kayneshia Carter, 27.07; 89. Brianna Oats, 27.31; 91. Hailey Cole, 27.45.
400: 21. Hachlaine Petit, 57.79; 36. Ke'Lah McMiller, 59.06; 45. Kenisha Stubbs, 1:00.10; 52. Kesia Griffith, 1:00.86; 70. Aliyah Adderley, 1:03.64; 85. Hailey Cole, 1:07.91; 93. Brittany Bowery, 1:15.14.
800: 14. Gabrielle Beckett, 2:24.81 (school record); 51. Brittany Bowery, 2:47.54.
4x400: 8. Tusculum (Griffith, McMiller, Stubbs, Petit), 3:53.48 (school record).
5000: 1. Nicole McMillen, 17:01.33 (school record/SAC record/NCAA provisional).
Shot put: 11. Alyssa Farmer, 11.79m (38-8 1/4); 38. Tynaja Stewart, 9.65m (31-8).

MEN
60 prelims: 21. Thurlow Wilkins, 6.94.
60: 16. Gerard Hearst, 7.01; 60. Giovanni Purser, 7.23; 67. Devan Hart, 7.24; 76. Pierre Dupuy, 7.32; 89. Arlington Ferguson, 7.45.
60 hurdles: 32. Jamire Thompson, 9.20.
200: 32. Widchard Guervil, 22.39; 64. Jontavus Walker, 22.99; 65. Devan Hart, 23.00; 72. Thurlow Wilkins, 23.08; 87. Giovanni Purser, 23.33; 97. Gerard Hearst, 23.71; 99. Arlington Ferguson, 23.71; 104. Tyree Hilliard, 23.93; 110. Isaac Hybarger, 24.42; 121. Jonathan Julien, 25.48.
400: 45. David Saruni, 50.70 (school record); 77. Jontavus Walker, 52.76; 78. Tyree Hilliard, 52.84; 84. Isaac Hybarger, 53.58; 93. Jonathan Julien, 56.64.
800: 30. Kyle Stanley, 2:01.11; 40. Antonio Aparicio, 2:02.54; 57. David Saruni, 2:06.62.
3000: 27. Kyler Hodges, 9:14.18; 38. Taylor Tupps, 9:25.51; 39. Carson Walls, 9:25.62.
5000: 2. Will Cronin, 14:54.28 (school record); 10. Caleb Archer, 15:54.60; 11. Carson Walls, 15:55.48; 12. Kyler Hodges, 15:57.48; 15. Taylor Tupps, 16:17.37.
4x400: 12. Tusculum A (Hilliard, Saruni, Walker, Hybarger), 3:27.33 (school record); 18. Tusculum B (Ferguson, Guervil, Hart, Julien), 3:36.00.
Shot put: 35. Alex Higgins, 8.21m (26-11 1/4).
Weight throw: 29. Evan Grooms, 11.38m (37-4).

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