CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Paced by freshman Philip Quillen's first-place finish, the Anderson men's track and field team is tied for fourth and the women's team is tied for seventh, following the opening day of the 2018 South Atlantic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
The two-day event is being hosted at the Irwin Belk Complex on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University.
Quillen earned First-Team All-Conference accolades after winning the men's 3,000 meter steeplechase in a time of 9:45.52, while senior John Drummond (10:19.81) and freshman Riley Dixon (11:19.39) finished eighth and 15th, respectively.
Senior Mason Hazel claimed Second-Team All-Conference honors after finishing second in the men's 10,000 meter run in a time of 31:11.73. Freshman Weston Hutto finished eighth in a time of 33:34.29. The duo of sophomore Chandler Johnson (30.94 meters) and freshman Connor Wheatley (30.80 meters) finished 23rd and 24th, respectively in the men's hammer throw, with Wheatley taking home 20th place in the javelin throw with a distance of 34.32 meters.
Senior Christopher Burton qualified for the men's 100 meter dash finals by finishing sixth in a time of 10.71 in Thursday's prelims. Burton also advanced to the finals of the 200 meter dash after claiming second place in a time of 21.48. The Johnston, S.C. native is the defending conference champion in both events.
Freshman Cameron Owens-Hunter was ninth in the prelims of the men's 800 meter run with a time of 1:58.79 and qualified for Friday's finals.
Junior Jolyn Copeland claimed 13th place in the women's hammer throw with a toss of 33.62 meters, while the freshman tandem of Olivia Evans (10.57 meters) and Lydia Gambrell (4.31 meters) finished 18th and 19th in the women's javelin throw.
Juniors Martha Coleman (12:50.49) and Maddie Buddenberg (12:57.26) claimed sixth and seventh place, respectively, in the women's 3,000 meter steeplechase.
Sophomore Morgan Bridges moved on to Friday's finals in the women's 1,500 meter run after claiming fifth place in the prelims with a time of 4:53.54. Junior Abigail Bozarth also qualified for the finals after turning in a time of 4:54.14 and finishing eighth in the prelims. Bridges also qualified for the finals of the women's 800 meter run after turning in a time of 2:21.90 and finishing third in the preliminary rounds.
Sophomore Jasmine Barmore claimed a spot in the finals of the women's 400 meter dash after crossing the finish line in a time of 1:01.18 and finishing fourth in the prelims. Junior Madison Seay posted a third-place finish in the prelims of the women's 400 meter hurdles in a time of 1:05.22 and earned a berth in the finals.
Friday's decathlon is slated for a 9 a.m. start, while the heptathlon will begin at 10 a.m. and the track and field events will get underway at 1 p.m. with the men's shot put.
Women - Team Rankings - 6 Events Scored
1) Queens 94
2) Wingate 43.5
3) Carson-Newman 27
4) Lenoir-Rhyne 26.5
5) Lincoln Memorial 18
6) Catawba 6
7) Tusculum 5
7) Mars Hill 5
7) Anderson 5
10) Coker 2
11) Newberry 1
Men - Team Rankings - 6 Events Scored
1) Queens 85.5
2) Wingate 49
3) Carson-Newman 29
4) Anderson 20
4) Lenoir-Rhyne 20
6) Mars Hill 14
7) Lincoln Memorial 7
8) Catawba 6.5
9) Tusculum 3
