ANDERSON, S.C. - Following a two-week layoff, the Anderson University men's and women's track and field teams will venture to the hills of east Tennessee for the fifth time in six seasons to compete at the Buccaneer Track and Field Invitational, hosted by East Tennessee State in Johnson City, Tenn. on Friday and Saturday.
Last season at ETSU's two-day Niswonger Invitational in mid-January, Savanna Keese finished 12th and D'Yandra Morris claimed 25th in the finals of the women's weight throw, while Olivia Gardner brought home ninth place in the 3000 meter run. Classmates Grace Gerlock and Amber Worthy crossed the line in 14th and 16th, respectively in the event. Sydney Hazel claimed 14th in the mile run, with Bari Robinson finishing 25th in the 800 meter run, while the combination of Hazel, Gardner, Robinson and Jill Baxter claimed 10th in the women's distance medley.
On the men's side a year ago, Eric Hoover finished 23rd in the finals of the men's triple jump, with Ben Boerma claiming the fifth spot in the in the 3000 meter run, while Ned Kennedy posted a 12th-place finish.
The Trojans are coming off impressive performances at Clemson's Bob Pollock Invitational, as freshman Mason Hazel claimed a win in the men's 5000 meter run and a seventh-place finish in the men's mile run. Kennedy finished seventh in the 5000 meter run, with sophomore Jonathan Shorter bringing home sixth place in the 60 meter hurdles. The freshman duo of Caleb Stephenson and Rashod Monts claimed sixth and 16th, respectively in the 400 meter dash, with Shorter claiming 21st.
Sophomore Michael Burch finished fourth in the 3000 meter run, with
freshman Joseph Siegwald posting a 15th-place finish in the 200
meter dash. Freshman Christopher Burton, sophomore Eric Hoover and
Siegwald finished 16th, 17th and 18th, respectively in the long
jump, while newcomer Anthony Aleruchi finished 15th in the weight
throw with a season-best toss.
The combination of freshmen Rashod Monts, Caleb Stephenson, Christopher Burton and Hoover took eighth in the men's seeded 4x400 meter relay, while senior Joshua Visi-Clark posted a season-best time in the 800 meter run, as he finished seventh, while Burton garnered seventh in the triple jump. Jesse Patrick and Boerma captured 10th and 11th, respectively, in the seeded 3000 meter run, with Aleruchi garnering 12th in the shot put.
On the women's side, Keese and Morris each posted season-best
efforts and finished fourth and eighth, respectively in the weight
throw. Sophomore Amber Worthy claimed eighth in the 3000 meter run,
with freshman Allison Halperin taking home 11th place in the 3000.
Sophomore Sherin Malone notched a season-best time in the 60 meter
hurdles to claim fourth, while fellow sophomore Bari Robinson
captured seventh in the 800 meter run. Newcomer Taylor Morris
finished 15th in the 800 meter.
Newcomer Ali Caldwell finished 25th in the 400 meter dash, with
freshman Alex Dixon pacing the Trojan effort in the 5000 meter run.
Sophomores Mia Swiersz and Gerlock garnered ninth and 12th,
respectively. Hazel, along with Malone, Robinson and Dixon captured
fifth in the distance medley. Gardner finished 10th in the women's
seeded 3000 meter run, while Morris posted a season-best distance
in the shot put. Hazel and freshman Haylee Love finished 12th and
18th, respectively in the women's one mile seeded run, with junior
Brooklyn Watkins capturing 24th in the triple jump.
Friday's running events will get underway at 8 a.m., with the
pentathlon's high jump beginning the field events at 8:45 a.m. at
the Buccaneers' ETSU/MSHA Athletics Center at the David E. Walker
Track and Gentry Field.
