Numerous Team-Highs Set on Saturday

Friday, April 1

Auburn, AL

All Day

Troy University

Tiger Track Classic

Photo by: Sun Belt Conference

4/2/2011 10:06:11 PM | Track & Field

Trojans continue hot start to the 2011 season

By: Travis Jarome

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

AUBURN, Ala. (TroyTrojans.com) – The Troy University track and field team set numerous team-highs this weekend at the Tiger Track Classic, on both the men's and women's side.

Ja-Courtney Alexander returned to the sprints for the second consecutive weekend, finishing seventh overall in the 100-meter dash – although she was the fifth-best collegiate athlete in the field and the top athlete from the Sun Belt Conference in the field. The sophomore crossed the line in a time of 11.99 seconds, a hundredth of a second faster than Middle Tennessee's Kiara Henry. The time is also the second-fastest time of the year for the Trojans, and for Alexander.

Sylvia Chirchir ran the fastest time of the year for the Trojans in the 1500-meters on Saturday afternoon. She crossed the line in a time of 4:55.22; two seconds faster than the time she posted at the Southern Invitational – the season opening meet for the Trojans. In other distance competition, Morgan Paulson ran the 3000-meters for the first time this season, crossing the line in a time of 10:44.92 – five seconds shy of finishing in the top 15.

Jasmine Patton ran her way to the best time in the 100-meter hurdles this season for the Trojans, crossing the line in a time of 14.31 seconds to finish 11th overall in the event. The time is 0.41 seconds faster than the time that Patton posted at the Morehouse Relays just two weeks ago. Patton also turned in a season-best in the triple jump on Saturday as she jumped a distance of 11.01 meters (36-01.50), jumping 0.16 meters further than her previous best at the Morehouse Relays.

The season-best times continued for the Trojans in the relay competition as the 4x100-meter relay team finished with a time of 46.91 seconds. The team of Ariel Cavazos, Alexander, Ashley Hall and Amiracle Watson ran a time that was 0.17 seconds faster than the time posted last week at the FSU Relays.

On the men's side, senior Stanley Arukwe ran a season-best time of 10.45 seconds in the 100-meters, finishing behind two runners from Auburn at third overall. The time was 0.23 seconds faster than his closest competitor from the Sun Belt Conference, and is the second-fastest time run by TROY this season. Teammate, Payton McGhee finished in a time of 10.78 seconds, while Antonio McLeod came in at a time of 10.80 seconds, both in the top five at the school this season.

Thaddeus Curtis turned in one of the fastest times of the year in the 200-meters, and recorded a personal best in the event, as he finished with a time of 22.27 seconds – the fifth best time of the year for the Trojans. Curtis also turned in the best time at the school this season in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.17 – beating the time of 15.31 seconds set at the FSU Relays.

In the 400-meters Chris Upshaw ran the third-fastest time in the 400-meters at the school this season, crossing the line in a time of 49.21 seconds.

Kemper Morton set a team-best in middle distance competition, as he finished 19th overall in the 800-meters in a time of 1:56.99. The time is nearly a second faster than the time turned in by Adam Vise, just last week at the FSU Relays. In distance competition, Enock Kirui made her debut at the 3000-meter steeplechase and finished fourth with a time of 9:25.74.

Terrell Irons hit the medal stand again this week, finishing third in the triple jump with a distance of 14.35 meters (47-01.00). The jump is the second-best of the year for the Trojans.

The event actually began on Friday with the hammer and javelin competition for both the men and women. Sophomore Brynn Forsythe finished eighth in the hammer throw for the women, finishing with a long throw of 50.01 meters (164-01.00) – doing so on her first throw of the competition in the finals.

Meanwhile, on the men's side, sophomore Cody Bahrke competed in his first competition of the season and narrowly missed the finals in the men's hammer throw. The sophomore finished with a distance of 48.40 meters (158-09.00), missing the finals by four meters behind Duke's David Piccirilli. In the men's javelin, Mackenzie Howell just missed out on the finals with a throw of 54.39 meters (178-05.00), finishing a meter outside the finals.

The Trojans return to action next weekend at the USA Invitational, hosted by the University of South Alabama in Mobile. It will be the second of five consecutive weeks that the Trojans will be competing inside the state of Alabama.

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