LEXINGTON, Va. --- The Tusculum University men's and women's indoor track & field teams began competition at the two-day VMI Winter Classic on Friday.
For the Tusculum men, Gerard Hearst advanced to the finals of the 60 meters and Caleb Archer set a new personal record en route to a sixth-place finish in the 5000. For the women, Kenisha Stubbs set a career best and placed fifth in the 400 meters, while Emily Coddington established a program record in the 1000 meters.
The Pioneers will return to action Saturday at 10 a.m., with competition in the mile run, 800 meters and 200 meters among the events for Tusculum.
MEN'S RECAP
Hearst matched his career-best time of 6.95 seconds in preliminaries to advance along with Devan Hart (6.96) and Pierre Dupuy (7.05). In the semifinals, Hearst broke his personal best with a third-place run of 6.94 seconds to move into Saturday's finals.
Zackary Nelson took fourth place in the 400 meters at 48.47 seconds, just off his school record time of 48.31 he ran in the Pioneers' last trip to VMI on Jan. 28. In the 1000, Carson Walls took 13th place with a career-best run of 2:47.41, while Evan Bruce's time of 2:48.81 places him seventh on the program performance list.
Archer's run of 15:26.37 in the 5000 meters broke his career best by 15 seconds and was 20 seconds faster than his time at VMI in January. His time is the seventh-fastest in school history in the event, while Gideon Dowling took 13th place in 16:00.96 to take sixth place on the performance list in the event.
WOMEN'S RECAP
Stubbs turned in a time of 58.43 seconds in the 400 meters, breaking her own personal record of 58.80 seconds set at the 2020 SAC Championship and moving into eighth place on the program Top 10 in the event. Stubbs also ran a career-best time of 8.11 seconds in the 60 meter preliminaries to advance to the semifinal round.
Aliyah Adderley was the Pioneers' top finish in the 60 meters, taking 17th in prelims at 8.09 seconds and 19th in the semifinals at 8.10 seconds. Silvia Bah also moved onto the Tusculum performance list in the 60 with a prelim time of 8.14 seconds.
Coddington took seventh place in the 1000 meters at 3:10.45, breaking the record of 3:20.76 set by Judy Chellah at VMI on Jan. 28. Chellah was 17th on Friday with a time of 3:22.44. Javiera Ortiz finished ninth in the 5000 meters in 19:05.04, with Nicole Griffith in 17th place with a time of 19:43.89 that places her fourth on the program performance list.
In the weight throw, Amber Hogan had a season-best toss of 12.06 meters (39 feet, 6 3/4 inches) which is fifth-best in program history.
VMI Winter Classic - Day 1 of 2
at Lexington, Va.
Tusculum results
MEN
60 (prelims): 4. Gerard Hearst, 6.95 (advances); 6. Devan Hart, 6.96 (advances); 14. Pierre Dupuy, 7.05 (advances).
60 (semis): 3. Gerard Hearst, 6.94 (advances); 11. Devan Hart, 7.00; 15. Pierre Dupuy, 7.06.
400: 4. Zackary Nelson, 48.47; 20. Stephen Brewer, 50.91; 33. David Saruni, 52.45; 58. Landen Locklear, 55.73.
1000: 13. Carson Walls, 2:47.41; 15. Evan Bruce, 2:48.81.
5000: 6. Caleb Archer, 15:26.37; 13. Gideon Dowling, 16:00.96; 18. Ray Richardson, 16:25.71.
Triple Jump: 18. Joshua Stephens, 12.59m (41-3 3/4).
WOMEN
60 (prelims): 17. Aliyah Adderley, 8.09 (advances); 18. Kenisha Stubbs, 8.11 (advances); 21. Silvia Bah, 8.14 (advances); 41. Emerald Jones, 9.29.
60 (semis): 19. Aliyah Adderley, 8.10.
400: 5. Kenisha Stubbs, 58.43; 19. I'Keriah Day, 1:01.66; 23. Destiny Lottie, 1:02.78; 29. Silvia Bah, 1:03.59.
1000: 7. Emily Coddington, 3:10.45 (school record); 17. Judy Chellah, 3:22.44.
5000: 9. Javiera Ortiz, 19:05.04; 17. Nicole Griffith, 19:43.89.
Weight throw: 26. Amber Hogan, 12.06m (39-6 3/4).
