University of North Florida
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ. Challenge (Outdoor)
UNF Track and Field Finishes ERAU Challenge
1/23/2010 8:50:20 PM | Men's Track, Women's Track
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Florida track and field team finished the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Challenge today in Daytona Beach, Fla., with the women having nine first-place finishes and the men having two in the Ospreys' season opener.
“This was a good return to competition for our team,” said head track and field coach Mark VanAlstyne after the meet on Saturday. “We accomplished everything that we wanted to today and we are all looking forward to starting our indoor season next weekend.”
The women showed their dominance with15 top five finishes out of the 16 events. The men on-the-other-hand had seven top five finishes out of the seven events.
Through out the meet on Saturday the weather proved to be just as good as the Ospreys performance on the track.
“The weather was outstanding which usually isn't the case when indoor season comes around,” said VanAlstyne after being able to coach on a day that saw a high of 74 degrees which was perfect conditions for the Ospreys to excel on the track and the field.
Highlighted for the men was junior William Pearce who placed first in both the mile (4:13) and the 1000-meter (15:30.32). Junior Noah Thompson, a 2009 Third Team All-Conference athlete, finished second in the pole vault with a height of 4.30m. Freshman Ashdon Mills also stood out with his second-place finish in the 600m (1:22.43).
On the women's side, senior Elise Trexler scored a personal best 1.73m in the high jump, which was good enough for a first-place finish and an even better height than her second-place finish in the Atlantic Sun Outdoor Championships last year with a height of 1.70m.
Multiple crown winner freshman Jennifer Smyth stood out in the triple jump (11.23m) and the long jump (5.39m). Freshman Jaybria Calcote won the 400m in 58.16 and 2009 A-Sun cross country stand-out freshman Shelby Kittrell topped her competitors in the 3000m (10:22.35). Junior Charisma Anderson (200m) and sophomores Laura Ragland (mile) and Brooke Baumann (1000m) were the other individuals for the Ospreys who had first-place finishes on the day.
The ninth first-place finish on the women's side came in the 4x400m relay, where Calcote, Jasmine Jackson, Anderson and Salydia James took home the crown in a time of 4:01.76.
The Ospreys will be back in action on Sunday, Jan. 31 for their first 2010 indoor track meet at the Gainesville Sports Commission (GSC) Jimmy Carnes Invitational in Gainesville, Fla.
