ATLANTA - In their second outdoor event of the season, the Anderson University men's and women's track & field teams posted strong showings at the Emory Classic with the women's team claiming fifth overall and the men's squad posting a sixth-place finish in Atlanta.
Led by junior Lauren Sloan's throwing performances, the women's squad garnered seven top-five finishes, as Sloan captured the top spot in the discus throw with a distance of 39.88 meters, while finishing second in the hammer throw with a school-record distance of 44.17 meters. The Reynoldsburg, Ohio, native also placed second in the shot put at 11.89 meters.
Sophomore Re'Jenia Evans finished fifth in the 100 meter dash in
a time of 12.98 seconds and captured 13th in the 200 meter dash
with a time of 27.43 seconds. Fellow sophomore Krishaun Hall
garnered fourth in the 400 meter dash (1:00.44) and eighth in the
100 meter dash (13.86).
Junior Sarah Solsbee finished just ahead of Evans in the 200 meter
dash with a 12th-place finish at 27.43 seconds, while freshman
Lydia Davis crossed the line in 2:27.15 to place 10th in the 800
meter run. Sophomore Emily Eckroth captured the 10th spot in the
3,000 meter run with a time of 11:19.91 with freshman Hannah Robles
just behind in 12th at 11:40.22.
The AU women's 4x100 relay, comprised of Evans, Hall, Solsbee and
Kourtney Squires posted a third-place finish with a time of 49.62.
Senior Katelyn Rodgers was second in the high jump with a height of
1.58m and also competed in the heptathlon. Freshman Elizabeth
Fastzkie finished ninth in the high jump at 1.48m.
Paced by sophomore Matt Shaffer's second-best time in the nation in the 800 meter run and Zach Hart's school-record distance in the javelin throw, the men's team posted a sixth-place finish overall. Hart also placed second in the pole vault with a height of 4.45 meters.
Shaffer also posted a school-record time of 1:53.43 in the 800 meter run, while freshman Deniz Hay was 12th at 1:59.36. Sophomore Alex Pena (9:42.09) and freshman Parks Edwards (9:42.16) were 12th and 13th , respectively in the 3000 meter and freshman Terrence Jefferson finished sixth in the high jump.
Sophomore Will Byars captured second in the hammer throw at
41.78 meters, fifth in the shot put at 13.21 meters and 13th in the
discus throw at 32.20 meters.
Freshman Brant Bullister was 10th in the hammer toss with a
distance of 33.26 meters and senior Derrike Black was 12th at 30.88
meters.
The men's 4x400 meter relay, with Nigel Reynolds, Jefferson, Hay and Shaffer collected sixth place with a school-record time of 3:28.70
Anderson will get back in action at the Duke Invitational on April 8-9 in Durham, N.C.
