4 Cavs Punch Ticket to Finals at NAIA Indoors
COMPLETE RESULTS
LIVE VIDEO FROM FLOTRACK
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn.—A day after sending four relays to finals, a quartet of Concordia middle distance runners survived the early rounds to advance to the finals in their respective events at the 2010 NAIA Indoor Championships held at the Mini Dome on Friday.
In the men’s 1,000, Concordia’s Jessy Brown and Martin Romero-Clark drew the same semifinal round but were able to maneuver the field so that both snagged a bid into the finals. Competing in the first heat, Brown crossed the line in 2:30.46 to claim one of the two automatic spots from the heat while Romero-Clark quickly followed in third place with a 2:30.75 for one of the two additional qualifiers.
Romero-Clark came into the championships with the second-best time in the NAIA with a 2:27.45 and Brown came in ranked third with a 2:28.23. Malone’s Christopher Sinick posted the top time in the semis with a 2:29.95.
In women’s racing, Andria Scheese and Lauren Moran each placed second in their respective heat to move on to the finals. Scheese crossed the line in 5:08.74 in the mile while Moran finished the 3,000 in 10:24.44.
Scheese eased across the line steps behind Cedarville’s Lydia Wong (5:08.81) in what turned out to be the faster of the two heats of the mile while Moran edged Jamestown’s Katie Conlon (10:24.52) to the line while trailing Aquinas’ Carly Plank (10:22.98) in what turned out to be the slower of the two heats of the 3,000.
Charles Cummings, the final individual track performer of the day, came into the competition with the 32nd-ranked time in the men’s 3,000 and finished with the 13th best time in the semifinals with an 8:47.44. Finishing in sixth place in his heat, Cummings’ time, however, fell just shy of the final qualifying spot into Saturday’s finals as Simon Fraser’s Ryan Brockerville beat Cummings to line with an 8:47.03 as the event’s final qualifier.
In the lone final on the track, the Concordia men’s 3,200-meter relay team came into the meet with hopes of a national title, but a dropped baton in the opening laps proved too much to overcome as the Cavaliers finished seventh with a 7:53.39, one place shy of earning All-America honors. Oklahoma Baptist cruised to a near meet-record performance, crossing in 7:36.60 for almost a seven second win over runner-up Dakota State.
Patrick Fennimore, one of only seven underclassmen in the heptathlon field, finished in 10th place in the two-day event with a school record 4,414-point sum. Fennimore’s total upped his previous best by 10 points. Entering the day in 10th, Fennimore held his position with a 12th-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles (9.38), a tie for seventh in the pole vault (12-3 1/2) and a 12th-place result in the 1,000-meter run (3:01.59).
Azusa Pacific placed the top three on the medal stand with Casey Stevick (5,111) holding off teammates Jeff Altizer (4,956) and Staphon Arnold (4,864). A mere 238 points separated fifth place from 10th place with Jamestown College’s Josh Ewalt grabbing the final All-American slot in sixth with 4,625 points.
The Cavalier sprinting duo of Stephanie Persaud and Eunice Makinde established school records in early rounds of action. Makinde breezed to an 8.99 in the preliminary round of 60 hurdles to crack her own school mark of 9.08 and advance to semis. Makinde matched her seed with the ninth best time in the second round with a 9.02 and did not qualify for finals in the event.
Persaud placed 20th overall with a 7.92 in the flat 60 after entering the championships seeded 47th. Persaud held the previous school record in the event with a 7.94.
In the field, Marcus Cooper placed eighth overall with a 6-8 clearance. Oklahoma Baptist’s Fletcher Carlyle and Minot State’s Zach Ryan each made successful attempts at 7-1 3/4 with Carlyle taking gold with fewer overall misses. Three competitors made attempts at 6-11 3/4 and two made jumps at 6-9 3/4.
The Cavaliers were represented by two athletes in the weight throw as freshman Gabriella Dixson placed eighth overall with a 53-4 1/2 effort, just inches shy of obtaining All-America status. Oklahoma Christian junior Denise Mattoon claimed gold with a 63-8 1/4 toss while Grandview’s Chelsea Mass claimed the final All-American position with a 53-7.Dixson, the highest placing freshman in the field, holds a career collegiate best of 54-7 1/2.
Bo Johnson was measured in 54-6 1/2 to finish in 16th place in the men’s weight throw. Johnson came into the indoor nationals ranked 25th with a 54-8 3/4.
NAIA Indoor Championships
Johnson City, Tenn.
March 4-6, 2010
DAY 2
Concordia Women’s Results:
60: 20. (3rd, Heat 5) Stephanie Persaud, 7.92.
60 Hurdles Prelims: 9. (2nd, Heat3) Eunice Makinde, 8.88.
60 Hurdles Semis: 9. (5th, Heat 1) Eunice Makinde, 9.02.
Mile Semis: 3. (2nd, Heat 2) Andria Scheese, 5:08.74
3,000 Semis: 3. (2nd, Heat 2) Lauren Moran, 10:24.44
Weight Throw: 8. Gabriella Dixson, 53-4 1/2 (16.27m)
Concordia Men’s Results:
1,000 Semis: 4. (2nd, Heat 1) Jessy Brown, 2:30.46.
1,000 Semis: 7. (3rd, Heat 1) Martin Romero-Clark, 2:30.75
3,000 Semis: 13. (6th, Heat 2) Charles Cummings, 8:47.44
3,200 Relay Finals: 7. Concordia, 7:53.39
High Jump: 8. Marcus Cooper, 6-8 (2.03m)
Weight Throw: 16. Bo Johnson, 54-6 1/2 (16.62m).
Heptathlon: 10. Patrick Fennimore, 4,414
60: 7.48 [T9th, 719 points]
Long Jump: 21-3 1/2 (6.49m) [T6th, 695 points]
Shot: 35-1 3/4 (10.71m) [8th, 528 points]
High Jump: 5-10 (1.78m) [T12th, 610 points]
60 Hurdles: 9.38 [12th, 664 points]
Pole Vault: 12-3 1/2 (3.75m) [T7th, 549 points]
1,000: 3:01.59 (12th, 649 points]
DAY 1
Concordia Men’s Results:
5,000: 3. (Heat 1) Eric Burck, 15:01.23*
3,200 Relay: 2. (Heat 2) Concordia, 7:48.69*
Concordia Women’s Results:
5,000: 4. (Heat 2) Alice Taylor, 18:07.72*
5,000: 14. (Heat 1) Samantha Robert, 19:21.59
1,600 Relay: 2. (Heat 3) Concordia, 3:43.86*
Distance Medley: 1. (Heat 2) Concordia, 12:15.08*
*Advances to finals