Trojans Finish Preparation for Coach O Invitational

Friday, April 15

Auburn, AL

All Day

Troy University

Auburn Invitational

Trojans Finish Preparation for Coach O Invitational

4/16/2011 10:01:33 PM | Track & Field

Numerous season-highs and personal bests set at War Eagle Invitational

By: Travis Jarome

Full Results [.pdf] :: Quotes [.pdf]

AUBURN, Ala. (TroyTrojans.com) – The Troy University track and field program wrapped up preparations for their only home meet of the year – the Coach O Invitational – by participating in the War Eagle Invitational, hosted by Auburn University on Saturday evening.

The Trojans entered student-athletes in events they have competed in for much of the year, mixed their relay teams up to find a core group and rested others for next week. The Trojans also walked away with an individual championship in the meet as junior Martins Pildavs won his second javelin contest of the season. He finished with a distance of 63.85 meters (209-06.00), finishing with the third-best throw of the season for the Trojans. He finished over one meter ahead of second place Braydon Anderson of Georgia (62.42 meters).

Adria Hill ran the ninth-fastest time at the school this season in the 100-meters, crossing the line in a time of 12.33 seconds. The time also set a new personal best for Hill, whose previous mark of 12.44 seconds was set on this same track just two weeks ago.

Sophomore Ja-Courtney Alexander entered into two of her better events this weekend, the 200-meters and the 400-meters. The sophomore finished 12th overall in the 200-meters with a time of 24.03 seconds; the fastest time at the school this season by 0.51 seconds – beating her previous mark set at the FSU Relays. She also finished 11th overall in the 400-meters with a time of 54.98 seconds; the second-fastest time at the school this season.

In the 200-meters, Amiracle Watson finished with a time of 25.18 seconds, the fourth-fastest time at the school in 2011; while Ashley Hall finished with a time of 25.77 seconds, the ninth-fastest time at TROY this season. Meanwhile, in the 400-meters, Tiffany Slater finished with the third-fastest time at the school this season with a time of 59.32 seconds – finished 28th overall in the event. Tamara Curtis came in right behind Slater with a time of 1:00.33, the fifth-fastest time at the school in 2011.

Meanwhile, Haley Davies was just off her personal best in the 1500-meters, finishing with a time of 5:13.71 – the sixth-fastest time at the school this season. In the distance races, Sylvia Chirchir blew away the previous best at the school this season as she finished with a time of 18:22.14 in the 5000-meters; more than 34 seconds ahead of the previous best. Morgan Paulson (18:29.66) and Agnes Kapsoiyo (18:44.86) both finished under 19 minutes, while Allison Paulson (19:05.57) finished just over the mark in the 5000-meter race.

Jasmine Patton narrowly missed her personal best, and the best mark at TROY in 2011, in the 100-meter hurdles as she finished with a time of 14.51 seconds. Meanwhile, the 4x100-meter relay team ran the third-fastest time at the school this season, finishing with a time of 47.37 seconds; while the 4x400-meter relay team finished with the fourth-best time at the school this season, crossing the line in a time of 3:57.05.

Sophomore Veronica Bryant jumped the best distance at TROY in 2011 in the triple jump, as she finished 15th overall with a jump of 11.24 meters (36-10.50). The previous mark this season was 11.01 meters set by Jasmine Patton at the Tiger Track Classic just two weeks ago. Bryant wasn't the only field athlete to set a new season mark for the Trojans, as Nicole Studstill set one in the shot put with a distance of 12.56 meters (41-02.50) – beating the previous mark of 12.46 meters set by Brynn Forsythe last week in Mobile.

On the men's side, senior Stanley Arukwe finished as the fifth-best collegiate athlete in the 100-meters as he finished with a time of 10.58 seconds in the preliminary round. The time is the second-fastest for Arukwe this season, and the third-fastest at TROY in 2011. He was joined in the race by sophomore Neko Freeman who crossed the line in a time of 10.76 seconds, the seventh-fastest time at the school this season. In the finals, Arukwe finished seventh overall, and as the fifth-best collegiate athlete with a time of 10.78 (10.775) seconds.

Arukwe also ran in the 200-meters for the Trojans, finishing ninth overall and seventh among collegiate athletes, with a time of 21.45 seconds. The time is the fastest at the school this season, beating the previous mark of 21.68 seconds at the FSU Relays.

Kemper Morton, not to be outdone, also broke the season mark in the 800-meters on Saturday. Morton crossed the line in a time of 1:55.76, breaking the previous season-high of 1:56.99 set by Morton just two weeks ago on the same track in the Tiger Track Classic. The same was said for Enock Kirui in the 5000-meters as he set a new benchmark for the season for the Trojans. The sophomore finished third overall, and second among collegiate athletes, in the 5000-meters with a time of 14:55.51. The time is two seconds faster than the time that Kirui set at the FSU Relays back in March.

Thaddeus Curtis ran the second-fastest time for the Trojans this season in the 400-meter hurdles, setting a new personal best in the process. Curtis finished with a time of 54.85 seconds, beating his previous mark by almost two seconds.

The newly-developed 4x100-meter team of Arukwe, Freeman, Brandon Norwood and Curtis ran the fourth-fastest time of the year in the event for the Trojans; finishing with a time of 41.88 seconds.

Meanwhile, Grant Bullington finished with the fourth-best time of the season for the Trojans in the long jump; finishing with a jump of 6.65 meters (21-10.00). Larry Henry finished with the fourth-best jump of the season for the Trojans in the triple jump, as he finished with a distance of 13.51 meters (44-04.00).

Sophomore Cody Bahrke set a new standard for the men in the hammer throw in 2011, as he beat the previous mark of 48.40 meters he set just two weeks ago at the Tiger Track Classic. Bahrke finished 14th overall in the event, but he finished with a distance of 49.18 meters (161-04.00).

The Trojans return to action next Saturday as they host the Coach O Invitational. Check back with TroyTrojans.com for periodic updates for the meet throughout the week.

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