GSU Women, WCU Men Win Outdoor Track and Field Championships

BOONE, N.C. ? The Georgia Southern women and Western Carolina men captured the 2007 Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field crowns at the final day of the championships hosted by Appalachian State at Kidd Brewer Stadium on Sunday.
 
The championship is the first on the women’s side for Georgia Southern, which finished with 223.50 points. Meet-host Appalachian followed in second with 173.50 points. Western Carolina (160 points), Chattanooga (69 points), The Citadel (56 points), Elon (50 points), Davidson (36 points), Furman (28 points), College of Charleston (19 points) and Wofford (four points), rounded out the field.
 
Georgia Southern also wrapped up three of the four individual awards, topped by Nicole Brown’s Most Outstanding Track Performer accolades. Brown accumulated 33 points for her team with individual titles in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, the triple jump and the long jump, as she qualified for NCAA Regionals in all four events.
 
The Lady Eagles’ Jessica Irizzary earned Freshman of the Year honors as she won the javelin throw and placed sixth in the hammer throw. After leading her team to its first-ever SoCon Championship, GSU head coach Natalie Smith was named the SoCon Women’s Coach of the Year.
 
The Citadel’s Stephanie McNeill won two throwing events, including her first SoCon shot put title after finishing second the past three years, as she earned the conference’s Most Outstanding Field Performer Honors.
 
McNeill, along with Tasha Sanders teamed up to lead The Citadel to its best-ever finish as the team’s 56 points marked a program best. Sanders won the heptathlon on Sunday with 4,396 points, making her just the second woman to ever win a SoCon Championship at The Citadel.
 
In the distance events, Chattanooga senior Lanni Marchant and Appalachian junior Meghan Gaffney each added a second individual title on Sunday. After setting a conference record in the 10,000 meter run on Saturday, Marchant won the 5,000 meter run with a time of 17:12.26. Gaffney added a 1,500 meter title to her steeplechase victory with a time of 4:32.51 on Sunday.
 
Western Carolina picked up three individual titles on Sunday as junior Raquel Ramseur won the 400 meter dash with a regional qualifying time of 54.41. Her classmate added the win in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:12,65, while Asia Davis also qualified for the regional championships with a time of 1:00.48 in the 400 meter hurdles.
 
Georgia Southern senior Brittany Chase won the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 13.92, while senior Jessica Clendenning gave Elon its lone title with an NCAA Qualifying mark of 3.80 meters (12-05.50) in the pole vault. Appalachian junior Brittani Williams won the discus throw with a mark of 42.25 meters (138-07).
 
The Western Carolina men won their second-straight team title, finishing with 284 points. Appalachian followed in second with 249 points. Davidson (104 points), The Citadel (78 points), Chattanooga (46 points), Furman (36 points) and UNC Greensboro (15 points) rounded out the field.
 
The Catamounts captured two individual awards as Dominique Young was named the Freshman of the Year and head coach Danny Williamson earned Co-Coach of the Year honors. Davidson’s Gary Andrew shared the honor with Williamson. The two also shared the honor last season. Young accumulated 18.50 points for his team, as he edged out Appalachian football star Dexter Jackson in the 100 meter dash with a Regional Qualifying time of 10.48 and finished third behind Jackson and his teammate Manteo Mitchell in the 200 meter dash with a run of 21.09, also qualifying for regionals.
 
Appalachian senior Anthony Greer earned his second Most Outstanding Field Performer honor as he won three throws events at the meet. After winning the hammer throw on Saturday, Greer  recorded his third shot put conference victory and second SoCon discus win with marks of 17.10 meters (56-01.25) and 47.06 meters (154-05), respectively, qualifying for regionals in the shot.
 
Davidson’s Douglas Noreen earned two individual titles on Sunday as he was named the Most Outstanding Track Performer. Noreen won the 800 meter run with a time of 1:53.05 and the 1,500 meter run with a mark of 3:59.52.
 
Appalachian’s Joel Gaddy won his second jumping championship of the meet with first in the triple jump with a Regional Qualifying mark of 15.23 meters (49-11.75).

Chattanooga junior Tim Clark also won his second individual title on Sunday with first place in the 5,000 meter run with a time of 15:23.64, after winning the steeplechase on Saturday.
 
Several Southern Conference performers will be headed to the NCAA Regional Meets on May 25-26.
 
Women's Awards
Freshman of the Year: Jessica Irizzary, GSU
Most Valuable Track Performer: Nicole Brown, GSU
Most Vaulable Field Performer: Stephanie McNeill, CIT
Coach of the Year: Natalie Smith, GSU

Men's Awards
Freshman of the Year: Dominique Young, WCU
Most Valuable Track Performer: Douglass Noreen, DAV
Most Valuable Field Performer: Anthony Greer, ASU
Co-Coaches of the Year: Gary Andrew, DAV and Danny Williamson, WCU