Men's track & field wins second Mason-Dixon championship; women place second
SALISBURY, Md. – After four events on Friday, the Salisbury University men’s track & field team trailed Christopher Newport University by 15 points in the Mason-Dixon Outdoor Conference Championships. On Saturday, the team dished out a slew of solid performances to overcome that point deficit, and then some, to capture the Mason-Dixon Conference Championship for the second straight year.
The women’s team also had a successful day, placing second; last year, the Sea Gulls placed fourth at the championships.
The women’s side saw a barrage of first-place finishes, both on the track and in the field. Sophomore Becca Stinner (Darnestown, Md.) took first in the 3,000-meter steeplechase by over 14 seconds, clocking in at 11:42.68. The other first-place finish on the track came from the 4x100 meter relay team comprised of sophomores Lindsey Metzler (Cooksville, Md.) and Amanda Zyzak (Damascus, Md.), as well as freshmen Claire Lawrence (Verona, N.J.) and Amy Taylor (Hagerstown, Md.) whose collective time of 49.56 seconds was good for 10 points in the bank and the top spot on the podium. Metzler also had a solid day in the sand pit as her triple jump distance of 35’ 8.5” earned her third place. Additionally, she captured fourth place in the 100-meter dash (13.25 seconds), just shy of Zyzak’s 13.14 second run which earned her third place in the event. Taylor fared well in the 100-meter hurdles race, posting a time of 16.41 seconds. Her finish earned her second place in the event.
In the field events, the Sea Gull women dominated. Senior Janay Johnson (Baltimore, Md.) took home first place in the discus throw, 10 feet ahead of her nearest competitor, with a distance of 127’ 6”. She also placed third in the shot put with a throw of 35’ 6.75”, but it was freshman Chelsea Tavik (Glen Burnie, Md.) who won the event with a toss of 41’ 6”. The Sea Gulls swept the podium in the shot put: Tavik, followed by sophomore Jennifer Houghton (Mount Laurel, N.J.) (36’ 4.75”) and Johnson. Teammate Rachel Holtzman (Columbia, Md.), a sophomore, finished in fourth place with a throw of 35’ 5.75”.
But Tavik wasn’t finished yet. She also notched another first-place finish in the javelin throw with a distance of 122’. She was the only competitor on the women’s side to notch two first-place finishes at the championships.
The men’s side, however, saw three of its athletes win at least two events on the day. Senior Cory Beebe (Medina, Ohio), who was selected as the 2010 Mason-Dixon Men’s Track Athlete of the Year, led the Sea Gulls with three first place finishes: the 110-meter hurdles (14.82 seconds), 400-meter hurdles (54.43 seconds) and 400-meter dash (47.85 seconds). Beebe’s time in both the 110-meter hurdles and 400-meter dash exceeded NCAA provisional qualifying standards; additionally, his 47.85 second run in the 400-meter dash bested his own previous school record of 48.63 seconds, which he set back in 2009.
Fellow senior Brandon Fugett (Randallstown, Md.), who captured first-place finishes in the shot put (55’ 2.25”) and discus (162’ 5”, NCAA provisional mark), was named the 2010 Mason-Dixon Men’s Field Athlete of the Year. Senior Delannie Spriggs (Owings, Md.) was the third Sea Gull athlete on the men’s side to capture two first-place victories at the meet, placing first in both the 100-meter dash (10.65 seconds) and the 200-meter dash (21.55 seconds). Both times exceeded the NCAA provisional qualifying mark.
Junior Chris Barnard (Olney, Md.) took home the top spot in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, crossing the finish line with a time of 10:00.63. He finished over 10 seconds ahead of the second-place runner. Freshman Matt McMurdo’s javelin throw of 181’ 9” earned the Chalfont, Pa., native first-place in that event. The final top finish of the day came in the form of a relay, which was fittingly the last race of the meet. The 4x400 meter relay team comprised of seniors Quentin Briscoe (Windsor Mill, Md.) and Michael Marfut (Hagerstown, Md.), as well as sophomore Paul Moore (Odenton, Md.) and freshman TJ McPhaul (Leesburg, Va.) posted a time of 3.24.51 in the race to end the day on a high note and seal the deal on Salisbury’s second Mason-Dixon title. Additionally, Salisbury head coach Jim Jones was named the 2010 Mason-Dixon Men's Coach of the Year for his leadership.
The Sea Gulls will have exactly one week of rest before heading to Newport News, Va., to compete in the New Captain's Classic, hosted by Christopher Newport University, on May 8.
TEAM SCORES
MEN
1. Salisbury (195 points)
2. Christopher Newport (149.5 points)
3. Gwynedd-Mercy (93 points)
4. Methodist (55 points)
5. Penn State-Behrend (52.5 points)
6. Virginia Wesleyan (35 points)
7. Shenandoah (22 points)
8. Wesley (10 points)
9. Gallaudet (eight points)
WOMEN
1. Christopher Newport (232 points)
2. Salisbury (140 points)
3. Gwynedd-Mercy (72 points)
4. Penn State-Behrend (65 points)
5. Methodist (52 points)
6. Shenandoah (31 points)
7. Wesley (13 points)
8. Virginia Wesleyan (10 points)
