Feb. 7, 2009

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis track and field team completed competition at the Rod McCravy Invitational on Saturday.

On the men's side, the meet's best performance came from Steffen Nerdal, who recorded an NCAA Automatic qualifying mark in the weight throw with a season-best first-place toss of 21.56m (70-09.00).

An NCAA Provisional mark was set by Aaron Evans with a third-place finish in the 800m run recording a time of 1:50.18.

Knut Syversen finished the weight throw in eighth-place, recording a throw of 17.46m (57-03.50) and placed fourth in the shot put with a toss of 16.59m (54-05.25). Aaron Whetstone grabbed second-place in the triple jump with a mark of 14.93m (48-11.75) and Jerome Leslie took fifth-place with a leap of 14.15m (46-05.25).

Whetstone also grabbed a third-place finish with a leap of 6.91m (22-08.00). Edwin Kipkorir notched a sixth-place finish with a 4:16.59 time in the Bill Lee mile run, and Robert Jackson grabbed a seventh-place finish in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.24.

The women's squad also had an NCAA Provisional qualifier in Sivan Aballi with her performance in the shot put. She recorded a second-place toss in the shot put with a throw of 16.03m (52-07.25).

Other of Memphis' performers of the meet included a pair of pole vaulting seniors, Ashton Baldwin with a sixth-place height of 3.55m (11-07.75), and Whitney Bolton with a seventh-place height of 3.55m (11-07.75). Freshman Inger Anne Froyesdal recorded a fourth-place finish in the triple jump with a leap of 11.90m (39-00.50) and freshman Kyosha Yarbrough placed seventh in the triple jump with a mark of 11.69m (38-04.25).

Next week, the Tigers will head to Fayetteville, Ark. To participate in the Tyson Invitational Meet on Friday and Saturday, Feb 13-14.