COLUMBIA, S.C. --- The Tusculum University men's and women's indoor track & field teams competed in their final regular-season competition of the winter at the USC Open on Saturday at the University of South Carolina.
The Pioneers set three men's and seven women's school records ahead of the South Atlantic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships, which will be held Friday and Saturday, Feb. 22-23 at the JDL Fastrack in Winston-Salem, N.C. Nicole McMillen posted an NCAA Division II provisional qualifying time in the women's mile run, and All-American Widchard Guervil had a provisional mark in the men's 200 meters.
WOMEN
McMillen finished fourth with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 4:58.23 in the mile run. McMillen's time was the fastest in the SAC this season by more than two seconds and broke her own school record of 5:07.60 set at the Liberty Kickoff on Jan. 25.
Destini Wilson tied for second in the high jump with a mark of 1.57 meters (5 feet, 1 3/4 inches), nudging past her previous school record of 1.55 meters (5 feet, 1 inch) set at the ETSU Invitational on Feb. 1.
In the 200 meters, I'Keriah Day finished 15th overall and broke her own school record with a time of 25.36 seconds. Also setting season bests were Earthaiza Watkins (25.87 seconds), Raygene Minus (26.08), Kaynashia Carter (26.32), Hailey Cole (26.43), Kesia Griffith (26.70) and Deondra Thomas (29.15).
Minus trimmed a second off her school-record time in the 400 meters, finishing 14th in 57.22 seconds and creeping to less than a tenth of a second from the top mark in the SAC this season. Day (1:00.57) had a season best in the 400 while Griffith (1:02.25), Thomas (1:05.92) and Brittany Bowery (1:08.94) posted their best collegiate times in the event.
Yoland Boyce set a school record in the 800 meters (2:30.47) and finished 12th overall, and Alissa Furches posted a school-record time of 10:45.30 and took 12th in the 3000 meters. Furches moved into the top 10 on the SAC performance list with her effort.
In the shot put, Alyssa Farmer was 13th and broke her own school record with a heave of 11.97 meters (39 feet, 3 1/4 inches), easily breaking her previous record of 11.46 meters (37 feet, 7 1/4 inches) established last month at Liberty.
MEN
Widchard Guervil earned an NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 200 meters, crossing the line in 21.58 seconds to shattered his own school record of 22.19 seconds set two weeks ago at ETSU. His mark ranks third in the South Atlantic Conference this season. Guervil also ran in the open 60 meters and just missed a spot in the finals with a time of 6.83 seconds which placed him ninth overall.
In the 200, Xavier Billups had a career-best time of 22.85 seconds as did Gibran Williams at 22.90 seconds and Jaydon Johnson in 23.39 seconds.
Kyler Hodges set a school record in the mile run with a time of 4:25.40, which improved upon his own school mark set at the ETSU Invitational on Jan. 11 by eight seconds. Hodges finished ninth overall, while Will Cronin took 18th in a time of 4:31.53.
In the 400 meters, Althiery Leontes ran 51.07 to break the school record of 52.16 seconds set last season by Khalil Green. Also setting season-best times were Tyree Hilliard (52.07 seconds) and Jaydon Johnson (54.14).
T.J. Tupps placed 10th overall in the 3000 meters and just missed Cronin's school record, settling for the second-best mark in program history at 8:56.43. Carson Walls (9:30.61) and Alejandro Perez (9:35.57) also had season bests in the event.
In field events, Evan Grooms was 15th in the weight throw at 11.67 meters (38 feet, 3 1/2 inches) and Joseph Schwarz placed 19th at 9.56 meter (31 feet, 4 1/2 inches). Zach Lane took 20th in the shot put at 12.17 meters (39 feet, 11 1/4 inches).
South Carolina Open - at Columbia, S.C.
Tusculum results
MEN
60 (open): 9. Widchard Guervil, 6.83
60 (qualifier): 25. Gerard Hearst, 7.08; 28. Gibran Williams, 7.01; 31. Kedar Ashford, 7.12
200. 12. Widchard Guervil, 21.58; 49. Kedar Ashford, 22.70; 52. Xavier Billups, 22.85; 54. Gibran Williams, 22.90; 68. Jaydon Johnson, 23.39; 75. Jamire Thompson, 23.63; 80. Malek Folston, 24.08; 82. Tyree Hilliard, 24.23; 88. Gerard Hearst, 24.75
400: 50. Althiery Leontes, 51.07; 60. Tyree Hilliard, 52.07; 71. Jaydon Johnson, 54.14; 72. Isaac Hybarger, 54.41
1 mile: 9. Kyler Hodges, 4:25.40; 18. Will Cronin, 4:31.53
3000: 10. T.J. Tupps, 8:56.43; 32. Carson Walls, 9:30.61; 35. Alejandro Perez, 9:35.57
Weight throw: 15. Evan Grooms, 11.67m (38-3 1/2); 19. Joseph Schwarz, 9.56m (31-4 1/2)
Shot put: 20. Zach Lane, 12.17m (39-11 1/4)
WOMEN
60 (qualifier): 24. Kaynashia Carter, 8.19
60 hurdles (qualifier): 18. Brianna Oats, 9.53
200: 15. I'Keriah Day, 25.36; 27. Earthaiza Watkins, 25.87; 35. Raygene Minus, 26.08; 40. Kaynashia Carter, 26.32; 43. Hailey Cole, 26.43; 47. Kesia Griffith, 26.70; 59. Brianna Oats, 27.25; 71. Deondra Thomas, 29.15; 78. Brittany Bowery, 30.87
400: 14. Raygene Minus, 57.22; 36. I'Keriah Day, 1:00.57; 39. Earthaiza Watkins, 1:00.93; 49. Kesia Griffith, 1:02.25; 56. Deondra Thomas, 1:05.92; 59. Brittany Bowery, 1:08.94
800: 12. Yoland Boyce, 2:30.47; 15. Karla Angulo, 2:32.06
1 mile: 4. Nicole McMillen, 4:58.23
3000: 12. Alissa Furches, 10:45.30
High jump: t2. Destini Wilson, 1.57m (5-1 3/4)
Long jump: 26. Destini Wilson, 4.92m (16-1 3/4)
Shot put: 13. Alyssa Farmer, 11.97m (39-3 1/4); 19. Dynah Dunn, 10.57m (34-8 1/4); 25. Tynaja Stewart, 8.97m (29-5 1/4)
Weight throw: 37. Dynah Dunn, 9.35m (30-8)
