Troy University Athletics
Sparkling Debut for Trojans
3/14/2010 3:00:00 AM | Track & Field
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Troy University track and field program made a splash in their season-opening outdoor meet, the Southern Miss Invitational, Saturday.
The Trojans walked away with 32 total medals, including 11 gold and 11 silver, in their first meet of the 2010 season. The women claimed nine of the 32 medals on Saturday, while the men claimed the other 23 (including six gold).
On the women's side, senior Tiphanie Baker walked away with a pair of individual gold medals when she claimed the title in the discus and hammer. In the discus, Baker finished atop the standings with a throw of 48.17 meters. Meanwhile, she claimed the gold in the hammer with a throw of 55.98 meters.
Baker was not the only thrower to walk away with medals, as a pair of freshmen claimed a medal in the season-opening outdoor meet. Brynn Forsythe claimed a bronze medal in the shot put with a throw of 11.82 meters, while Lizzie Clough made her track and field debut Saturday. Clough, a volleyball player in the fall, did not participate in the indoor season but claimed the gold medal in her first outdoor meet in the javelin with a throw of 41.46 meters.
The other five medals claimed by the Trojan women came on the track, including a relay event. Freshman Ja-Courteny Alexander started the outdoor season much like she finished the indoor season, with a medal. Alexander, the 2010 Sun Belt Conference Indoor Freshman of the Year, claimed the gold medal in the 100-meter dash Saturday, recording a time of 12.14 seconds. Fellow freshman Veronica Bryant, who medaled twice at the indoor championships, claimed the gold medal in the season-opening 400-meter hurdles race with a time of 1:05.32.
The Trojans won a pair of medals in the 5000-meters where Sylvia Chirchir finished second with a time of 18:17.67, and freshman Morgan Paulson finished third with a time of 18:39.12.
The final medal won by the women came in the 4x400-meter relay where the Trojans finished in silver-medal position, recording a time of 3:58.61.
Meanwhile, on the men's side, several Trojans won medals in their collegiate debuts while returning Trojans picked up where they left off in the 2009 season.
Freshman Neko Freeman walked away with a pair of individual medals on Saturday, claiming a bronze in the 100-meters and a silver in the 200-meters. Freeman crossed the line in a time of 10.93 seconds in the 100-meters, while he finished just 0.02 seconds ahead of teammate Payton McGhee in the 200-meters for the silver medal - leaving McGhee with the bronze.
Senior Burke Leonce won a medal in his final season-opening meet of his career, claiming the bronze medal in the 400-meters with a time of 49.94.
A pair of Trojans won medals in the 800-meters and the 1500-meters on Saturday. Sophomore Andre McElroy claimed the silver medal in the 800-meters with a time of 1:58.78, while senior Jeremy Moujoodi finished second in the 1500-meters with a time of 4:05.81. Senior transfer Jeff Rhodes claimed a pair of medals in the events on Saturday, finishing third and first respectively. Rhodes, a transfer who is enrolled in graduate school, claimed the bronze medal in the 800-meters with a time of 1:59.48; then claimed the gold in the 1500-meters with a time of 4:04.84.
Freshman Enock Kirui, making his collegiate debut on a track, claimed the gold medal in the 5000-meters with a time of 15:25.39; rounding out the individual competition on the track for the Trojans.
Although the individual events were done on the track, the Trojans continued to impress on the surface as they claimed five medals in the relay competition.
The Trojans claimed the gold medal (40.94 seconds) and bronze medal (42.08 seconds) in the 4x100-meter relay; then claimed the gold medal (3:23.76), silver medal (3:31.76) and bronze medal (3:33.22) in the 4x400-meter relay.
In the field competition, the Trojans were just as impressive as they claimed nine medals away from the track.
Senior Lamontrey Stamper walked away with a pair of medals in the pits for the Trojans, claiming gold in both the long jump and triple jump. Stamper claimed the gold in the long jump with a distance of 7.50 meters, while he claimed the gold in the triple jump with a distance of 14.59 meters.
Larry Henry, Grant Bullington, Eddy Lynn, Cody Bahrke and Mackenzie Howell all claimed the silver in their respective events on Saturday.
Henry finished second in the high jump with a clearance of 1.98 meters, while Bullington finished second in the pole vault with a height of 3.80 meters. Lynn finished second in the discus with a throw of 48.71 meters, Bahrke in the hammer with a throw of 50.62 meters and Howell in the javelin with a throw of 57.29 meters.
Meanwhile, Idral Bowen finished third in the pole vault with a height of 3.50 meters, while Terrell Irons finished third in the triple jump with a distance of 14.28 meters.
Several of the performances on Saturday placed the student-athletes in the top four all-time at the university. Clough moved to third in the javelin, while Lynn and Bahrke moved to third in their respective events. Howell moved to fourth in the javelin, while Stamper tied his mark for fourth all-time in the triple jump.
The Trojans return to action next week, March 18, at the Morehouse Relays in Atlanta - an event that will run all weekend.
The Trojans walked away with 32 total medals, including 11 gold and 11 silver, in their first meet of the 2010 season. The women claimed nine of the 32 medals on Saturday, while the men claimed the other 23 (including six gold).
On the women's side, senior Tiphanie Baker walked away with a pair of individual gold medals when she claimed the title in the discus and hammer. In the discus, Baker finished atop the standings with a throw of 48.17 meters. Meanwhile, she claimed the gold in the hammer with a throw of 55.98 meters.
Baker was not the only thrower to walk away with medals, as a pair of freshmen claimed a medal in the season-opening outdoor meet. Brynn Forsythe claimed a bronze medal in the shot put with a throw of 11.82 meters, while Lizzie Clough made her track and field debut Saturday. Clough, a volleyball player in the fall, did not participate in the indoor season but claimed the gold medal in her first outdoor meet in the javelin with a throw of 41.46 meters.
The other five medals claimed by the Trojan women came on the track, including a relay event. Freshman Ja-Courteny Alexander started the outdoor season much like she finished the indoor season, with a medal. Alexander, the 2010 Sun Belt Conference Indoor Freshman of the Year, claimed the gold medal in the 100-meter dash Saturday, recording a time of 12.14 seconds. Fellow freshman Veronica Bryant, who medaled twice at the indoor championships, claimed the gold medal in the season-opening 400-meter hurdles race with a time of 1:05.32.
The Trojans won a pair of medals in the 5000-meters where Sylvia Chirchir finished second with a time of 18:17.67, and freshman Morgan Paulson finished third with a time of 18:39.12.
The final medal won by the women came in the 4x400-meter relay where the Trojans finished in silver-medal position, recording a time of 3:58.61.
Meanwhile, on the men's side, several Trojans won medals in their collegiate debuts while returning Trojans picked up where they left off in the 2009 season.
Freshman Neko Freeman walked away with a pair of individual medals on Saturday, claiming a bronze in the 100-meters and a silver in the 200-meters. Freeman crossed the line in a time of 10.93 seconds in the 100-meters, while he finished just 0.02 seconds ahead of teammate Payton McGhee in the 200-meters for the silver medal - leaving McGhee with the bronze.
Senior Burke Leonce won a medal in his final season-opening meet of his career, claiming the bronze medal in the 400-meters with a time of 49.94.
A pair of Trojans won medals in the 800-meters and the 1500-meters on Saturday. Sophomore Andre McElroy claimed the silver medal in the 800-meters with a time of 1:58.78, while senior Jeremy Moujoodi finished second in the 1500-meters with a time of 4:05.81. Senior transfer Jeff Rhodes claimed a pair of medals in the events on Saturday, finishing third and first respectively. Rhodes, a transfer who is enrolled in graduate school, claimed the bronze medal in the 800-meters with a time of 1:59.48; then claimed the gold in the 1500-meters with a time of 4:04.84.
Freshman Enock Kirui, making his collegiate debut on a track, claimed the gold medal in the 5000-meters with a time of 15:25.39; rounding out the individual competition on the track for the Trojans.
Although the individual events were done on the track, the Trojans continued to impress on the surface as they claimed five medals in the relay competition.
The Trojans claimed the gold medal (40.94 seconds) and bronze medal (42.08 seconds) in the 4x100-meter relay; then claimed the gold medal (3:23.76), silver medal (3:31.76) and bronze medal (3:33.22) in the 4x400-meter relay.
In the field competition, the Trojans were just as impressive as they claimed nine medals away from the track.
Senior Lamontrey Stamper walked away with a pair of medals in the pits for the Trojans, claiming gold in both the long jump and triple jump. Stamper claimed the gold in the long jump with a distance of 7.50 meters, while he claimed the gold in the triple jump with a distance of 14.59 meters.
Larry Henry, Grant Bullington, Eddy Lynn, Cody Bahrke and Mackenzie Howell all claimed the silver in their respective events on Saturday.
Henry finished second in the high jump with a clearance of 1.98 meters, while Bullington finished second in the pole vault with a height of 3.80 meters. Lynn finished second in the discus with a throw of 48.71 meters, Bahrke in the hammer with a throw of 50.62 meters and Howell in the javelin with a throw of 57.29 meters.
Meanwhile, Idral Bowen finished third in the pole vault with a height of 3.50 meters, while Terrell Irons finished third in the triple jump with a distance of 14.28 meters.
Several of the performances on Saturday placed the student-athletes in the top four all-time at the university. Clough moved to third in the javelin, while Lynn and Bahrke moved to third in their respective events. Howell moved to fourth in the javelin, while Stamper tied his mark for fourth all-time in the triple jump.
The Trojans return to action next week, March 18, at the Morehouse Relays in Atlanta - an event that will run all weekend.
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