CHARLOTTE, N.C. --- The Tusculum men's and women's track and field teams completed day one of the South Atlantic Conference Outdoor Championships Thursday at the Irwin Belk Complex on the Johnson C. Smith campus.
The Pioneer women are in a three-way tie for seventh place with five points following a fourth-place finish by I'Keriah Day in the long jump, while the men are in ninth place with three points after scoring in a pair of events on Thursday.
Six of the 21 events in both the men's and women's championships were completed on Thursday, with finals in the remainder of the events beginning Friday morning.
WOMEN
Day leaped 5.39 meters (17 feet, 8 1/4 inches) in the long jump to surpass her season best mark by more than a foot and improve 13 spots from her finish at the conference indoor championship meet.
Qualifying for Friday's finals were Raygene Minus in the 400 meters and Nicole McMillen in the 1500 meters. Minus ran a season-best 1:01.39 to earn the eighth and final spot in the field for Friday's finals. McMillen, who was third in the mile at the SAC Indoor championship, was clocked at 4:52.58 and qualified seventh for the finals.
Among the season-best times recorded by the Pioneers on Thursday were all three entrants in the 100 meters: Jayla Lewis (12.57, 11th), Autumn Blackwood (13.19, 15th) and Drew Wildman (14.03, 18th). Tusculum also saw all seven of its competitors in the 200 meters post season bests, led by Minus in 15th at 26.43, Lewis in 16th at 26.56 and Day in 17th at 26.68. Also competing were Blackwood in 19th at 26.91, Bailey Pruiett in 21st at 27.03, Wildman in 24th at 28.90 and Brittany Bowery in 26th at 29.56.
Pruiett just missed qualifying for the finals in the 400 meters, but posted a season-best time of 1:01.41 to take ninth place. Kesia Griffith was 14th in 1:03.59, followed by Deondra Thomas in 22nd at 1:08.26 and Bowery in 23rd at 1:12.13. Hayden Fobare registered a season-best 2:34.45 in the 800 and took 21st place overall.
In throws, Dynah Dunn threw a season-best 31.07 meters (101 feet, 11 inches) in the hammer throw and finished 15th, and took 16th in the javelin with a mark of 19.30 meters (63 feet, 4 inches).
MEN
Running in the event for the first time this season, Cronin was clocked at 33:26.88 in the 10000 meters to give the Pioneers their first points of the meet. Boyd, who was fourth in the long jump at the SAC Indoor championships, had a season-best jump of 6.71 meters (22 feet, 1/4 inch) to earn an eighth-place finish.
All-American Widchard Guervil will be the top seed in the finals of the 100 meters after running a wind-aided 10.30 seconds in his heat. He was the lone Pioneer to advance through trials on Thursday, but several other competitors just missed the cutoff to move into the finals.
In the 100 meters, Jacob Acklin was 12th with a time of 10.90 seconds, with Evan Altizer in 14th at 10.97 seconds as both set season bests in the event. Acklin was the Pioneers' top finisher in the 200 meters at 22.47 seconds for 15th place, followed by Altizer in 16th at 22.51 and Kedar Ashford at 22.68 seconds for 19th place. Guervil started his heat but pulled up to avoid injury and prepare for the 100 finals.
In the 400 hurdles, Jaydon Johnson shaved more than a second off his seed time but just missed advancing as he finished ninth in 58.35 seconds. Xavier Hayes took 13th place in 1:00.52, followed by Reginald Titre-Barnor in 14th at 1:00.83. J'Quen Johnson also missed advancing to the finals by one position, taking 10th in the 800 meters at 1:59.18, while Malik Tann was 19th in 2:02.82 and Isaac Hybarger placed 26th in 2:08.42.
Jackson Beason competed in a pair of events for the Pioneers on Thursday, taking 11th place in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:14.11 and 13th in the steeplechase at 10:45.94. In the long jump, Yannick Rosalie finished 13th overall and set a season best with a mark of 6.22 meters (20 feet, 5 inches).
Tusculum had several competitors in throwing events on Thursday, with Evan Grooms finishing 22nd in the hammer throw at 31.79 meters (104 feet, 3 inches), Nicholas Sisto in 13th in the javelin at 38.86 meters (127 feet, 6 inches) and Zach Lane placing 22nd in the javelin at 29.98 meters (98 feet, 4 inches).
South Atlantic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship
at Irwin Belk Complex - Charlotte, N.C. (Day 1 of 2)
Tusculum results
MEN
100: 1. Widchard Guervil, 10.30 (advances to finals); 12. Jacob Acklin, 10.90; 14. Evan Altizer, 10.97.
200: 15. Jacob Acklin, 22.47; 16. Evan Altizer, 22.51; 19. Kedar Ashford, 22.68; Xavier Billups, DNF; Widchard Guervil, DNF.
400 hurdles: 9. Jaydon Johnson, 58.35; 13. Xavier Hayes, 1:00.52; 14. Reginald Titre-Barnor, 1:00.83.
800: 10. J'Quen Johnson, 1:59.18; 19. Malik Tann, 2:02.82; 26. Isaac Hybarger, 2:08.42.
1500: 11. Jackson Beason, 4:14.11.
3000 steeplechase: 13. Jackson Beason, 10:45.94.
10000: 7. Will Cronin, 33:26.88.
Long jump: 8. Jay Boyd, 6.71m (22-1/4); 13. Yannick Rosalie, 6.22m (20-5); Kedar Ashford, foul.
Hammer throw: 22. Evan Grooms, 31.79m (104-3); Christian Sisto, foul.
Javelin: 13. Nicholas Sisto, 38.86m (127-6); 22. Zach Lane, 29.98m (98-4).
Team scores (through 6 events): 1. Queens, 85.5; 2. Wingate, 49; 3. Carson-Newman, 29; 4. Anderson and Lenoir-Rhyne, 20; 6. Mars Hill, 14; 7. Lincoln Memorial, 7; 8. Catawba, 6.5; 9. Tusculum 3; 10. Newberry and Coker, 0.
WOMEN
100: 11. Jayla Lewis, 12.57; 15. Autumn Blackwood, 13.19; 18. Drew Wildman, 14.03.
200: 15. Raygene Minus, 26.43; 16. Jayla Lewis, 26.56; 17. I'Keriah Day, 26.68; 19. Autumn Blackwood, 26.91; 21. Bailey Pruiett, 27.03; 24. Drew Wildman, 28.90; 26. Brittany Bowery, 29.56.
400: 8. Raygene Minus, 1:01.39 (advances to finals); 9. Bailey Pruiett, 1:01.41; 14. Kesia Griffith, 1:03.59; 22. Deondra Thomas, 1:08.26; 23. Brittany Bowery, 1:12.13.
800: 21. Hayden Fobare, 2:34.45.
1500: 7. Nicole McMillen, 4:52.58 (advances to finals).
Long jump: 4. I'Keriah Day, 5.39m (17-8 1/4).
Hammer throw: 15. Dynah Dunn, 31.07m (101-11).
Javelin: 16. Dynah Dunn, 19.30m (63-4).
Team scores (through 6 events): 1. Queens, 94; 2. Wingate, 43.5; 3. Carson-Newman, 27; 4. Lenoir-Rhyne, 26.5; 5. Lincoln Memorial, 18; 6. Catawba, 6; 7. Tusculum, Mars Hill, Anderson 5; 10. Coker, 2; 11. Newberry, 1.
