Feb. 25, 2011

HOUSTON, Tex. - Day One of the 2011 Conference USA Indoor Track and Field Championships was highlighted by a highly successful weight throwing session from both the men and women's teams. At the conclusion of the first day of events, Memphis' men's squad resides in second place, with 36.50 points, while the women are in eighth with 13.50.

Senior Knut Syversen led four Tigers who scored in the weight throw, as the runner-up in the event with a season-best 20.09m (65' 11.00") toss. That would make for the 23rd-best mark in the nation entering this weekend's competition.

Syversen was one of four Tigers to earn a total of 17 points in the weight throw. Sophomore Andrew Miller was the next highest-placing U of M thrower, finishing fifth following his 17.89m (58' 8.50") throw, just ahead of classmate Tom Willcox's 17.80m (58' 4.75") sixth-place showing. Freshman Elijah Mahaley rounded out the scoring, in seventh with a 17.67m (57' 11.75") mark.

Mahaley, Syversen and Miller all had season-best tosses, with Mahaley and Miller earning career-highs.

Memphis also got a number of points from the pole vault group, led by junior and now two-time C-USA Indoor Champion Karlis Pujats, who retained the title by winning a jump-off against Rice's Alec Hsu after posting a 5.20m (17' 0.75") mark. Also contributing in the vault was freshman Austin Crenshaw, who finished sixth with a 4.70m (15' 5.00") mark, and sophomore Nate Arnold, who tied for seventh at 4.55m (14'11").

Crenshaw will also be in the hunt at the end of tomorrow's heptathlon; through four events, Crenshaw is in seventh place with 2,584 points with his specialty (pole vault) sandwiched around the 60m hurdles and 1000m run to end the multi-event.

The women's squad also had big-time weight throw showings, led by redshirt freshman Britta Jaarats' third-place 17.55m (57' 7.00") toss that obliterated her previous career best of 16.60m. Freshman Cyarra Wells also earned points for Memphis in her first conference meet, finishing seventh with a 16.76m (55' 0.00") throw.

In women's high jump action, sophomore Kirsten Berding earned her second career all-conference nod, posting a tie for seventh after her 1.67m (5' 5.75") leap.

In preliminary track qualifying, the men's team had several runners who will return for tomorrow's finals. Freshmen Taurean Nixon (6.85) and Jaz Davis (6.86) qualified sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 60m dash, while seniors Nick Harold (49.71) and Richard Lowe (49.82) will represent the U of M in the 400m dash.

Senior Guy Hudson (1:54.72)will have the fourth lane in tomorrow's 800m run, while sophomore Abdi Guleed (1:55.37) was the final qualifier.

In hurdles action, junior Robert Jackson was the top qualifier with a blistering 8.02 preliminary mark; he'll be joined in tomorrow's final by senior Darius Anderson, who qualified sixth with an 8.28 time.

Both distance medley relay teams earned points for the U of M. The men's squad of freshman Nick Lingley, junior Alex Sweet, Hudson, and freshman James Maglasang finished fourth with a 10:13.40 mark, while the women's group of sophomore Louisa Lingley, senior Holland Thomas, freshman Ida Fillingsnes and freshman Ellen Kildal nabbed sixth place honors with a 12:09.05 mark.

The 2011 C-USA Indoor Championships will reach its conclusion tomorrow. The day will begin with the ending of the men's heptathlon at 11 a.m., followed by the field events, scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., and the finals in track events, scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. To follow the events live, click here.