April 17, 2010

Complete Results

Complete Results

Memphis, Tenn. - The University of Memphis track and field program hosted the second annual Memphis Tiger Invitational on Saturday and boasted seven meet records and three new U of M records after competition was complete.

Running against a strong north wind, junior Richard Lowe broke the University of Memphis record and the meet record in the 400m hurdles with a time of 51.32 seconds to take home individual honors. Lowe was joined in the top-five by sophomore Alex Sweet who finished second with a time of 53.79 seconds and fourth place finisher Nick Harold who crossed the finish line in 54.22 seconds.

Using the wind as an aide, sophomore Karlis Pujats tied former Tiger Christos Adamies school record in the men's pole vault competition. The Riga, Latvia native cleared 5.10m (16-08.75) to garner the individual honors and a meet record in the competition. Freshman Nate Arnold cracked the top-five with a fifth place vault of 4.50m (14-09.00) and senior Brian Prackett posted his best finish of the season, vaulting 4.35m (14-03.25) to finish seventh. ). Arnold collected a fifth place finish in the javelin with a throw of 41.20m (135-02).

Friday afternoon at the Murphy Track Complex, senior thrower and three time All-American Steffen Nerdal broke the school record for the second time in consecutive days. With his first throw of the event, Nerdal launched the hammer 70.00m (229-08) to set a new meet record and he also captured his fourth-straight individual championship in as many meets.

Nerdal was joined by three other Tiger throwers in the top-10 on Friday. Junior Knut Syversen had the second-best throw on the day with a personal-best and regional qualifying throw of 60.90m (199-10). Finishing seventh for the Tigers was senior Harding Zills who posted a mark of 49.83m (163-06). Senior Seth Major rounded out the Tiger finishers with a throw of 47.10m (154-06) to finish eighth.

Syversen claimed the individual honors in the shot put competition with a season-best and meet record mark of 16.64m (54-07.25). Major finished third with a mark of 16.54m (54-03.25) followed by freshman Andrew Miller in fifth with a throw of 15.19m (49-10.00).

Memphis throwers combined for four top-10 finishes in the discus throw with Major leading the finishers in second place with a season-best throw of 53.72m (176-03). Syversen finished fifth with a throw of 47.22m (154-11) to end the weekend with three top-five finishes. Miller finished sixth with a throw of 45.96m (150-09) and finishing eighth was Zills with a mark of 44.38m (145-07).

Junior sprinter LaShundra Kershaw used the familiar surroundings of the Murphy Track Complex to post a meet record and personal-best time of 23.50 seconds to capture a first place finish in the 200m dash. The Lambert, Miss., native also finished first in the 100m dash, crossing the finish line in 12.01 seconds.

The Tigers had three finishers in the top-five in the 110m hurdles. Sophomore Robert Jackson led the way with a time of 14.52 seconds to finish first. Finishing third was senior Marvin Stewart (16.54) and fourth place went to junior Preston Williams (16.60).

In the men's 200m dash, junior Frashod Barlow crossed the finish line with the best time of the meet, a personal-best of 22.10 seconds. The Franklin, Tenn. native finished third in the 100m dash with a time of 11.13 seconds.

Freshman Brieuc Vandeleene improved his personal-best 800m run to 1:53.00 seconds to cross the line first for the Tigers. Junior Guy Hudson trailed Vandeleene by a second (1:53.99) to finish second in the event.

The Lady Tigers had five entrants into the 800m run and four crossed the finish line with top-seven finishes. Sophomore Kayleigh Brown paced the group, posting the first place finish with a meet record and personal-best time of 2:12.08. Fellow sophomore Jasmine Darden crossed the line fifth in 2:20.06 seconds followed by sixth place finisher Keyona Neal (2:20.30) and seventh place finisher Louisa Lingley (2:22.09).

The Tigers had three athletes compete in the 3,000m run for the first time this season and each came across the finish line with a top-seven finish. Junior Jacob Chapman was the highest finisher for the Tigers, crossing the finish line in 9:10.60 for fourth place. Fellow junior's Joe Coneo Jr. (9:17.40) and Jorgen Ekdahl (9:20.50) finished sixth and seventh, respectively.

Memphis captured three more top-five finishes in the women's 100m hurdles. Freshman Quaniqua Jones led the way for the Lady Tigers, posting a personal-best time of 14.57 seconds. Junior's Holland Thomas (14.60) and Desiree Blow (15.18) finished fourth and fifth respectively.

Thomas led the Lady Tigers finishers in the 400m hurdles competition with a second place finish time of 1:02.20, a personal-best outdoor time. Jones finished sixth, crossing the line with a time of 1:05.14.

In the women's field events, senior Angela Wigley and freshman Kirsten Berding each captured first place honors. Wigley won the women's hammer throw competition Friday afternoon with a throw of 48.30m (158-05). Berding won the women's high jump competition with a winning height of 1.60m (5-03.00).

Sophomore Vivian Haynes finished second to Berding in the women's high jump with a height of 1.60m (5-03.00). Senior Karmyn Clarke added two fourth place finishes coming in the hammer throw (47.09m) in the hammer and a shot put (13.07m). In the women's pole vault, freshman Lauren Gale finished sixth with a vault of 3.32m (10-11.00) followed by fellow freshman Alyssa Northcutt in seventh who vaulted 3.20m (10-06.00).

The Tigers return to the track in two weeks at the Ole Miss Classic in Oxford, Miss. The Track programs hosts the first annual high school edition of the Memphis Tiger Invitational next weekend.