Both the men’s and women’s track and field teams finished in fifth place at the Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships last weekend at Memorial Center.
The teams, however, did have several individual champions over the two-day meet.
The men’s team held a one-point lead over VMI after the first day of competition led by senior Charvin Clark’s first-place performance in the long jump. Clark jumped 25 feet .5 inches (7.63 meters), topping VMI’s Kevin Solomon (23’8.75″) and meeting the NCAA provisional qualifying standard of 7.55m.
Clark jump moved him into a tie for 12th in the nation with senior Josh Rollins of Georgetown behind NCAA leader, senior Miguel Pate of Alabama (8.35m).
ETSU also received points from freshmen distance runners Brad Yewer and James Grufferty in the 3000-meter run. Yewer placed fourth overall in a season-best time of 8:34.8 with Grufferty placing fifth in 8:37.8.
Both runners came back later in the first day of competition, teaming with sophomore David Haefner and senior Jon Shaw in the distance medley relay to give the Bucs six more points with a third place finish in 10:20.19. Yewer passed The Citadel’s Robert Killian in the last lap to secure third place for the team.
Sophomore Chad Hyder also had a top-three showing on the first day of competition, placing third in the shot put with a throw of 48’2.0″.
Senior Josh Artau placed sixth in the shot put to contribute to ETSU’s first day lead with a throw of 46’7.25″.
On the second day, however, the Bucs were unable to hold on to their lead with Appalachian State coming away with the team title with 138 points followed by Western Carolina in second with 100. ETSU’s men scored 53.
The Bucs did have some good individual efforts on the second day led by Grufferty’s individual title in the 5000m run. Grufferty held off Chattanooga’s Steve Kocsis with a time of 14:50.98 to Kocsis’ 14:52.22.
Grufferty became the first ETSU athlete to win the SoCon indoor 5000m title since Seamus Power’s victory in 1994 with a time of 14:56.39.
Yewer also had a strong second day for the Bucs, placing third in the mile run (4:16.92). Yewer held off Appalachian State’s Mike Reed to get third place for ETSU.
Sophomore Kaylin Chesney also recorded a top-three showing for ETSU, placing third in the 55m hurdles with a time of 8.09.
The remainder of ETSU’s points came from the 4x400m relay team of Shaw, sophomore David Cabbler, freshman Clint Davis and sophomore Lawerence Lockhart which finished fifth overall.
—
On the women’s side, ETSU’s lone individual championship came from senior Jennifer Howard in the 400m dash (56.95).
The ETSU senior held off Chattanooga’s Tiffany Pointer to win her first individual title in the event in which she has been the runner-up in the past two indoor and outdoor Southern Conference Championships to teammate Roseline Addo, who moved up to the 800m this season.
Howard also recorded a top-three finish in the 200m (25.04) and ran a leg on ETSU’s distance medley relay team, which included senior Lauren Campbell, sophomore Tiffany Collier and Addo, that finished third overall in 12:20.09.
Addo also had a busy weekend for ETSU and placed second in the 800m (2:13.32) after being caught at the finish line by ASU’s Katie Sujkowski.
On the second day of competition ETSU also received second-place performances from freshman Chantelle Vernon in the 55m (7.05) and from the 4×400 relay team of Collier, Addo, sophomore Natasha Peyton and freshman Nicola Cornish (3:51.82).
The rest of ETSU’s points came from freshman Kim Simmons in the 800m where she finished fifth in 2:19.76 and from sophomore Cheryl Howard’s fourth place finish in the high jump (5’3″).
Appalachian State University won the women’s team title with 139 points with Western Carolina taking second with 111. ETSU’s women scored 52 points.
Notes: ETSU’s Chantelle Vernon and Charvin Clark have both provisionally qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships to be held March 8-9.
Vernon has qualified in the 55-meter dash while Clark qualified at the SoCon Championships in the long jump (25’0.5″), putting him in a tie for 12th in the NCAA rankings.

Author