Feb. 26, 2006
Western Carolina Men & Women's Individual Finishes
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Full SoCon Indoor Championship Results
Clemson, S.C. - Western Carolina claimed its third team title all-time, and second in the past three years, Saturday afternoon winning the Southern Conference Men's Indoor Track & Field Championship at the Clemson Indoor Facility. The WCU women finished as the conference runner-up for the second-consecutive year.
Western outscored its nearest competitor, Appalachian State, by 64 points, 277-to-213, with The Citadel (43), Chattanooga (40), and Davidson (33) rounding out the top five. ASU won the women's championship by 26.5 points over Western, 148.5-to-122, with Georgia Southern placing third with 118 points. Chattanooga (108) and Furman (42) rounded out the top five in the women's competition.
Head coach Danny Williamson was tabbed as the men's SoCon Indoor Coach of the Year, marking the 19th time total in his career - 12th total during indoor season and fifth on the men's side - that he has earned the honor.
After watching rival Appalachian State earn seven of the 10 individual SoCon championships during day one on Friday to lead after the first day, the Western Carolina men turned the tables on the final day of competition, winning five of the 10 individual championships. During the two-day event, Western had a total of 25 podium (top three) finishes including seven total individual championships.
Junior Dan Fassinger kicked things off on Saturday for Western Carolina, holding on long enough in the men's one mile run to defeat senior teammate Adam Puett and win the event with a time of 4:18.07. Puett, who won the SoCon championship in the event the previous year, came in just behind at 4:18.16. The duo combined to win three SoCon championships and score a combined 47 points for WCU. Puett claimed the top spot in the men's 3,000-meter run on Friday and Fassinger also stood on the podium in the 800-meter run in second.
Senior Lawrence Briscoe commandeered his third-straight SoCon 60-meter hurdles championship on the day. Briscoe, who is the only SoCon champion in the event in its three-year history, tallied a time of 8.05 to win the event, tying a school record set in 2000 by Rahsaan Uldaneta at the Clemson Invitational. Briscoe also finished second in the men's high jump, clearing 1.98m (6'6.0") to edge out teammate Daniel Joseph in third at 1.93m (6'4.0").
WCU sophomore Zeb Johnson, via a time of 6.85, chalked up his first SoCon title in the 60 meter dash, besting freshman teammate Manteo Mitchell, who came in just behind with a time of 6.91. Johnson, who was tabbed Most Outstanding Track Performer at the end of the championship, then tallied his second SoCon championship of the day by winning the men's 200-meter dash with a time of 21.83, just in front of teammates Milton Bolton (22.01) and Kevin Johnson (22.21). All told, Western garnered the top five finishing positions in the 60-meter dash and all but fourth and eighth in the 200-meter event.
Bolton would capture an individual crown of his own, however. This time, the senior held off the sophomore Johnson to win the men's 400-meter dash for the second time in his intercollegiate career (2004) with a time of 49.32. Johnson came in literally a half an inch behind with a time of 49.34.
The Catamount men also claimed the top prize in the men's distance medley relay as Puett, Charleton Grant, Dylan Hermelee, and Fassinger set a WCU school record in the event, finishing with a time of 10:05.02, erasing a three-year old mark by half a second (10:05.52). Coincidentally, Puett was a part of both the previous and current WCU record. In the 4x400-meter relay, the team of Briscoe, Grant, Gregory, and Duke Craig finished third, one-one thousandth of a second behind The Citadel (3:53.053 vs. 3:53.054).
Additional podium finishes for the Western men included a third-place finish by Tyler Ferguson in the men's triple jump with a leap of 14.85m (48'8.75"). Ferguson also finished four in the long jump, two positions behind second-place teammate Rashad Herndon (6.96m, 22'10.0"). Willie Sturgis posted a runner-up finish in the men's weight throw, hurling the 35-lb. weight 16.67m (54'8.25"), while teammate Jerod Kelly posted a third in the shot put with a distance of 15.37m (50'5.25"). Finally, Matt Harlfinger broke his own school record in the men's heptathlon, scoring 4,551 points to finish second in the event. His previous mark was 4,533 points set in last year's SoCon Indoor Championship.
Western Carolina finished second on the women's side with a total of 122 points behind the efforts of sophomore Raquel Ramseur, who solidified her first SoCon women's 400-meter dash with a time of 56.24, edging out junior teammate Asia Davis in second (56.30). Ramseur tallied her second title of the day Saturday afternoon in the 200-meter dash, garnering a WCU school record time of 24.51 to beat out reigning champ Nicole Brown of Georgia Southern, who came in just behind at 24.54. Ramseur's 24.51 was thirteen one-hundredths quicker than Ronetta Burgess' 24.64 back in 2002.
Ramseur teamed with freshmen Aneesha Lane and Annie Bailey and Davis to reach the podium in the women's 4x400-meter relay, passing the baton in 3:55.50 to place second.
In the women's 60-meter dash, Tangelia Johnson ran a school-record 7.48 to win the event ahead of teammate Cassie Gentry in second (7.72). Johnson's time bumped former record holder, Daree Thompson, who ran a 7.59 in 1997.
On Friday, two-sport standout sophomore Jessika Johnson claimed first in the women's high jump, beating out teammate Brittany Whitaker for a one-two, WCU finish. Johnson, who had only practiced with the track team for two weeks prior to the event because of obligations to the Lady Catamount basketball team, cleared 1.64m (5'4.50"), as did Whitaker, but Johnson earned the title with fewer misses. Johnson finished third in both the indoor and outdoor season in the same event last season.
In other field events, Jessie Wilson finished third in the women's pole vault, marking the first time since the event was introduced into SoCon competition that a Catamount did not take the top spot. Wilson improved three positions over where she ranked in the SoCon during the regular season in the conference rankings.
All together, the Catamount women recorded nine podium finishes, including four individual championships.
2006 SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championships
Women's Team Scores
1. Appalachian State 148.50
2. Western Carolina 122
3. Georgia Southern 118
4. Chattanooga 108
5. Furman 42
6. Elon 40
7. College of Charleston 26.50
8. The Citadel 25
9. Davidson 22
10. UNC Greensboro 8
Men's Team Scores
1. Western Carolina 277
2. Appalachian State 213
3. The Citadel 43
4. Chattanooga 40
5. Davidson 33
6. UNC Greensboro 30
7. Wofford 13
SoCon Women's Indoor Track and Field
Most Outstanding Track Performer - Shannon Wommack, Chattanooga
Most Outstanding Field Performer - Chakosha Lance, Col. of Charleston
Freshman of the Year - Monica Johnson, Appalachian State
Coach of the Year - John Weaver, Appalachian State
SoCon Men's Indoor Track and Field
Most Outstanding Track Performer - Zeb Johnson, Western Carolina
Most Outstanding Field Performer - Mark Sturgis, Appalachian State
Freshman of the Year - Josh Cox, Appalachian State
Coach of the Year - Danny Williamson, Western Carolina
