[Track and Field] Cavs Return to Action After Home Invite Success
BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. – The Cavs had perfect weather last weekend for their second annual Montreat College Cavalier Invitational at Pulliam Stadium and responded with stellar performances. Here are some highlights from head coach Jason Lewkowicz:
Lydia Wilson (SO/Smithfield, VA / Distance) won the 10,000m with a time of 38:03.21, besting Milligan Indoor All-American Sarah Kate Gartman by seven seconds. The time hit the NAIA Outdoor "B" standard, an achievement attained for the second consecutive year.
Rylan Hincher (JR/Wilkesboro, NC / Distance) led a trio of men in the 10k, finishing 6th with a time of 33:22.42. Garret Welsh (FR/Black Mountain, NC / Distance) raced to a time of 35:27.96 in his debut at the distance while Daniel Newcomb (JR/Candler, NC / Distance) dropped nearly two minutes off his personal best in the event with a time of 36:47.88.
A pair of freshmen established new school records in the hammer throw. Katelyn Johnson (FR/Timberlake, NC / Mid-Distance) had her best toss wiped out by a foul but still managed a mark of 23.56m to enter the Cavs record book. Joshua Auvil (FR/Stallings, NC / Throws) improved on his event debut two weeks ago with a throw of 38.59m, which was good for 6th place overall. Fellow freshman Cooper Housley (FR/Aiken, SC / Throws) also cracked the 30m barrier with a top throw of 30.18m.
SATURDAY
An action packed Saturday kicked off with Lee Wooden (JR/Rock Hill, SC / Distance) earning a 7th place finish in the 5,000m racewalk with a time of 33:21.64.
Alona Kosenko (SR/Charlotte, NC / Distance) returned to the water jump and barriers, as the AAC point scorer in the 2017 3,000m steeplechase set a new personal best with her 3rd place finishing time of 12:56.56.
The men's 4x100m relay team of Dalton Crosby II (FR/Newnan, GA / Sprints), Joshua Lester-Harris (FR/Oxford, NC / Sprints), Ahmad Perryman (FR/Roswell, GA / Sprints), and Jared Henderson (FR/Seneca, SC / Sprints) provided an early spark for the Cavs as the fab freshmen delivered a blistering time of 41.39 seconds, which was good enough for 2nd place in the event. That time hit an "A" standard for the 2018 NAIA National Championships and currently ranks as the #6 time in the NAIA.
Brien Lancaster (SR/Wilmington, NC / Distance) led a quartet of men in the 1500m, racing to a 7th place finish with a time of 4:08.71. Caleb Silver (FR/Smithfield, NC / Mid-Distance) was right behind Lancaster, placing 8th with a time of 4:09.37, while Holden Dixon (JR/Chocowinity, NC / Distance) (4:22.30) and Elijah Mitchell (JR/Milledgeville, GA / Sprints) (4:22.61) also posted strong efforts.
Delaney Scarbrough (FR/Leesburg, FL / Hurdles) posted a 10th place finish in the 100m hurdles (18.14) while Connor Duncan (SO/Lawrenceburg, KY / Hurdles) placed 8th in the 110m hurdles (16.10).
In the men's 400m, a trio of Cavs earned top finishes. Ahmad Perryman led the way, racing to a runner-up finish in a school-record time of 48.25. That time hit the NAIA "A" standard and ranks #6 in the NAIA. Dalton Crosby II won the second heat with a season-best time of 50.01 seconds which was good for 5th place while fellow freshman Brad Wilder (FR/Whiteville, NC / Sprints) placed 8t with a season-best time of 50.81.
In the men's 100m, Joshua Lester-Harris had a second consecutive strong showing, racing to a time of 10.69 seconds and third place in the event. The time was an NAIA "B" standard, which Lester-Harris also hit at the UNCC Invitational.
Isabel Salinas (SO/Resaca, GA / Mid-Distance) raced to an 8th place finish in the women's 800m (2:32.23) while Tom Hanke (SO/Grossraeschen, Germany / Hurdles) earned a runner-up finish in the men's 800m with a personal best time of 1:58.24. Caleb Silver placed 6th with a time of 2:00.58 while Brien Lancaster was 10th in a time of 2:02.37.
Delaney Scarbrough (6th) and Zekahria Spencer (FR/Virginia Beach, VA / Sprints) (7th) earned top-10 finishes in the women's 400m hurdles while Connor Duncan placed 5th in the men's 400m hurdles with a time of 56.26.
The men's 4x400m relay team of Dalton Crosby, Ahmad Perryman, Elijah Mitchell, and Tom Hanke finished the running events off on style, racing to an NAIA "A" standard time of 3:15.34, which was good for a runner-up finish and new school record.
In the men's long jump, Ernest King Jr. (FR/Asheville, NC / Jumps) led the way for the Cavs, setting a new school record with a leap of 6.50m, good for 7th place. Joseph Wilson (FR/Concord, NC / Sprints) (6.22m) and Jacob Prater (FR/Westminster, SC / Jumps) (6.05) also competed for Montreat. In the men's triple jump, it was Prater who took the lead, improving his own school record mark with a best leap of 13.70m, good for 5th place. Ernest King placed 6thwith a best leap of 13.38m.
Josh Auvil found his way into the school record books for a second time as he placed 6h in the shot put with a top throw of 12.75m. Auvil also represented the Cavs in the discus and finished with a best mark of 34.33m.
Troy Lieberman (FR/Columbus, NC / Pole Vault) set a new school record in the pole vault with a 3rd place mark of 4.15m while Dillon Hensley (JR/Black Mountain, NC / Throws) placed 10th in the javelin with a top toss of 38.18m.
Overall, the Cavaliers had twenty-nine (29) top-10 finishes to go along with ten (10) new school records set. The qualifying marks for Montreat over the weekend now give the team a total of seven (7) standards for the 2018 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships in May (5 individual, 2 relay)
Next Up: The Cavaliers were back in action yesterday and today at the Southern Wesleyan Invitational.
Pictured: Montreat celebrated its seniors before the meet on Saturday.
Photo Credit: Montreat Athletics