ETSU men’s and women’s track and field are halfway through their indoor season after competing in the South Carolina Invitational on Feb. 3-4 in Columbia, South Carolina.
“I think we’re making progress. This weekend is a pretty important meet with the most people we have had compete at one meet this season. Overall, I’m pleased,” said head coach George Watts.
On the first day of the meet, junior Rebekah Howard (Ashland, Kentucky) earned her third gold medal and earned a new personal best, running a 10:03.50 in the 3000m, a race she ran for the second time in her collegiate career.
In addition, senior Genevieve Schwarz (Oak Ridge, Tennessee) finished with second place in the mile in 4:47.52 and senior Brayden Hamblen (Rock Falls, Illinois) won second place in the 3000m, earning a personal best of 8:08.61.
The weekend was full of podium wins and personal bests with over 30 athletes earning a new personal best.
Senior Phelani Maduwa (Parys, Free State, South Africa) earned a personal best on Friday in the mile with a time of 4:11.31, and a second personal best on Saturday in the men’s 800m with a time of 1:50.41, which he also took gold in.
“I am looking forward to just keep competing and seeing what I can do. I don’t like setting expectations; I like to go out there and do what I need to do and see what the outcome is,” said Maduwa.
Sophomore Julia Foote (Franklin, Tennessee) ran a personal best of 17:40.74 in the 5000m, earning first place and her first collegiate win.
The women’s distance medley relay squad broke a school record on Saturday with freshman Chanelle Kreuger (Johannesburg, South Africa) running a 1200m, Schwarz running a 400m, Howard running an 800m, and sophomore Kiera Snyder (Clyde, Michigan) running the 1600m, coming in with a time of 11:40.82 and breaking the record by 6 seconds.
The team will be splitting into two this weekend, with a group going to compete at the Music City Challenge in Nashville, Tennessee, and another group at the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational in Lynchburg, Virginia. Both events will take place between Feb. 10-11.
These will be the last two meets before the indoor season wraps up with the SoCon Championships on the weekend of Feb. 25-26.
