Feb. 1 Indoor Track and Field Notebook

Chandra Brewer

USF thrower Chandra Brewer has been named the C-USA Female Athlete of the Week after she captured individual titles in the shot put and weight throw to lead the Bulls to a team title at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games over the weekend. Charlotte senior Brad Bailey posted a school-record performance in the heptathlon to win the Male Athlete of the Week award. Bailey was the top collegian at the UNC Invitational and Multis.

WOMEN'S ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Chandra Brewer, Sr., USF (Bartow, Fla.)
Brewer won the shot put and weight throw competitions at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games to help lead the Bulls to the team title. The senior reached a NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the shot put with her winning toss of 51-09.75” (15.79 meters), while winning the weight throw with a mark of 49-11”. The weekly award is Brewer’s fourth overall of her career and third indoor.

MEN'S ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Brad Bailey, Sr., Charlotte (Centerville, Ohio)
Bailey established a new school record in the heptathlon with 5,124 points at the UNC Invitational and Multis. The senior was the top collegiate finisher at the event placing just behind a French National Team participant. Bailey achieved personal bests in the 60-meter dash, shot put and high jump.

Previous Athletes of the Week:
WOMEN
J18 Sharonda Johnson, Charlotte
J25 Gail Lee, Memphis

MEN
J18 LaShawn Merritt, East Carolina
Stanford Routt, Houston
J25 LaShawn Merritt, East Carolina

Conference USA Track and Field individual rankings and results can be accessed daily on the world wide web at the following address: http://www.flashresults.com/flashtexas/cusa.htm

UPCOMING SCHEDULES
Friday, Feb. 4
Louisville: Meyo Invitational (South Bend, Ind.)
Marquette: Meyo Invitational (South Bend, Ind.)
Memphis: McDonald’s Invitational (Carbondale, Ill.)
Tulane: Nebraska Invitational (Lincoln, Neb.)
Armory Invitational (New York, N.Y.)
UAB: Meyo Invitational (South Bend, Ind.)

Saturday, Feb. 5
Charlotte: Carolina Classic (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
DePaul: Arkon Invitational (Akron, Ohio)
Houston: Houston Hyatt Regency Indoor Classic (Houston, Texas)
Louisville: Meyo Invitational (South Bend, Ind.)
Marquette: Meyo Invitational (South Bend, Ind.)
Memphis: McDonald’s Invitational (Carbondale, Ill.)
TCU: Wes Kittley Invitational (Lubbock, Texas)
Tulane: Nebraska Invitational (Lincoln, Neb.)
Armory Invitational (New York, N.Y.)
UAB: Meyo Invitational (South Bend, Ind.)

Sunday, Feb. 6
East Carolina: Gator Invitational (Gainesville, Fla.)
USF: Gator Invitational (Gainesville, Fla.)

NOTING CONFERENCE USA INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

IN THE POLLS: East Carolina is tied with Mississippi and Kansas State in the No. 22 spot in the latest Trackwire Top 25 For Men national poll. Freshman LaShawn Merritt is predicted by the publication to earn third-place points in both the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

C-USA ATHLETES FIND NAMES AMONG TRACKWIRE’S DANDY DOZEN: The Dandy Dozen is a power ranking of the top 12 athletes and relay squads in each NCAA event. The Trackwire Top 25 for Men and Women is a projection generated by the Dandy Dozen rankings.

MEN
60 Meters
12. Derrick Johnson, CHA

60-Meter Hurdles
10. Daniel Kiss, MEM

200 Meters
3. LaShawn Merritt, ECU
4. Stanford Routt, HOU

400 Meters
3. LaShawn Merritt, ECU

800 Meters
5. Jackson Langat, TCU

3,000 Meters
6. Kip Kangogo, TCU

4x400-Meter Relay
9. TCU
11. East Carolina

Long Jump
11. Jonathan Jackson, TCU
12. Imre Lorincz, MEM

WOMEN
60-Meter Hurdles
12. Alicia Cave, HOU

Triple Jump
9. Sharonda Johnson, CHA

4x400-Meter Relay
12. Houston

NCAA QUALIFIERS: Five Conference USA male and female athletes have reached NCAA provisional qualifying marks in eight different events through the first three weeks of the indoor season. The athletes will need to reach an automatic qualifying mark to guarantee them a spot at the NCAA Indoor National Championship in Fayetteville, Ark., on March 11-12.

MEN
60-Meters (6.62 A, 6.72 P)
Derrick Johnson, Charlotte (6.72)

200-Meters (21.08 A, 21.48 P)
LaShawn Merritt (21.17* P)
Stanford Routt (21.31 P, 21.48 P)

400-Meters (46.45 A, 47.65 P)
LaShawn Merritt, East Carolina (47.23 P)

60-Meters Hurdles (7.70A, 7.91 P)
Andrew Carruthers, Houston (7.85 P)
Daniel Kiss, Memphis (7.87 P)

WOMEN
60-Meter Hurdles (8.15 A, 8.43 P)
Alicia Cave, Houston (8.40 P)

High Jump (1.84 A, 1.78 P)
Sharonda Johnson, Charlotte (1.78 P)

Triple Jump (13.30 A, 12.65 P)
Sharonda Johnson, Charlotte (12.94 P, 12.85 P)

Shot Put (16.90 A, 15.40 P)
Gail Lee, Memphis (16.04 P)
Chandra Brewer, USF (15.79 P)

Pentathlon (4,050 A, 3,700 P)
Krystal Ward, Houston (3,878)

TEAM NOTEBOOK

CHARLOTTE 49ers (UNC Invitational and Multis, Appalachian State Invitational): Seniors Sharonda Johnson and Brad Bailey highlighted a weekend of strong performances for the 49ers at a pair of different venues. Johnson became the first female in school history to provisionally qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championship in two events. Johnson, who has already posted a pair of qualifying marks in the triple jump, added a provisional mark in the high jump with a winning and school-record clearance of 5-10” in Chapel Hill. Bailey broke the school record in the heptathlon recording 5,124 points, which is just 76 points from a qualifying mark. Bailey established three personal bests (60 meters, shot put and high jump) en route to finishing as the top collegian in the competition. Matt Hipps led the entire way to claim a victory in the 5,000-meter run posting a time of 15.29.50. Senior Derrick Johnson, competing in the Appalachian State Open, equaled his school-record in the prelims of the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.28. He took second in the finals clocking a 6.33.

CINCINNATI Bearcats (Bowling Green State Quad Meet): The Bearcats won seven individual titles as the women captured the team title at the Bowling Green State Quadrangular. Junior Shintara Carpenter won the triple jump with a leap of 38-03.50”, which is the second best indoor mark in UC history. The Bearcats racked up wins in the field events, with Jo Young (weight throw), Renee Hein (high jump), Carpenter (triple jump), and Brittney Klima (pole vault) each nabbing the top spots in their respective events. UC's Erin Leeper, a transfer from Bowling Green, won the 400-meter dash in 57.22. Freshman Dominique Davis captured the 600-meter title in 1:38.72, while the Bearcats' 4x400-meter relay team captured the crown (3:57.50).

DE PAUL Blue Demons (Notre Dame Invitational): The Blue Demons picked up a pair of victories on the women’s side, and the men’s team turned in a trio of runner-up finishes to highlight action in South Bend over the weekend. The 4x400-meter relay team of Marissa Petersen, Erica Scott, Allyson Petersen, and Courtney Grand Pre recorded a winning time of 3:58.53, while Jamie Holifield marked a distance of 51-09” to win the weight throw. On the men’s side, the trio of Larry Inanga, Dan Branca, and Rashard Deleston each turned in second-place finishes. Inanga clocked a 21.79 in the 200-meter dash, while Branca also placed second in the 500-meter run in 1:06.65. Deleston landed a jump of 43-08” to secure second in the triple jump.

EAST CAROLINA Pirates (UNC Invitational and Multis, Patriot Games): A trio of Pirates on the women’s side turned in career-best performances en route to victories in Fairfax, Va., over the weekend. Nicole Callaham won the 60-meter hurdles in a time of 9.16, while Lindsey Rosales cleared 3.50 meters to win the pole vault competition. Chelsea Salisbury bettered her career mark in the weight throw with a winning toss of 13.89 meters. On the men’s side, thrower Eric Frasur picked up a pair of third-place finishes in the shot put and weight throw. He surpassed his personal best in the shot put with a throw of 15.78 meters.

HOUSTON Cougars (Houston Indoor Invitational): Senior Cheryl Garner captured titles in both the 200-meter (24.20) and 400-meter (55.65) dashes on her home track as the Cougars combined to win 10 events during the meet. Alicia Cave captured the 60-meter hurdle title in 8.40 to provisionally qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Krystal Ward also turned in a provisional mark in the heptathlon with a 3,878-point total to finish second. Both the 4x400-meter relay (3:44.53) and distance medley relay teams (12:53.74) also won titles for Houston. On the men’s side, Andrew Carruthers was the top collegian in the 60-meter hurdles clocking a 7.92, while the 4x400-meter relay team cruised to victory in 3:14.88. Junior Sesar Figueroa was also victorious for the Cougars clocking a winning time of 4:17.15 in the mile.

LOUISVILLE Cardinals (Ohio State Invitational): University of Louisville senior Kelley Bowman and sophomore Aajah Showell each won individual event titles to lead the Cardinal women's track and field team in Columbus. Bowman, a native of Mt. Vernon, Ky., won her second high jump title of the season with a mark of 5-07.25”, while Showell, a native of Waldorf, Md., also won her second title of 2005 in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.97 seconds. U of L also had a pair of school records broken at the meet as sophomore Kelly Ennis set a new mark in the 400-meter dash with a time of 58.07 to finish fourth overall, while junior Kourtney Trainor set a new mark in the 600-meter run with a time of 1:38.05 to finish third overall.

MARQUETTE Golden Eagles (Notre Dame Invitational, Northern Iowa Invite): Joe Pierre set a freshman record in the 800 meters with a time of 1:51.86, good for third place in South Bend. Pierre's time is fourth all-time at Marquette. The men’s 4x400-meter relay team took first with the second fastest time all-time at Marquette - 3:16.49. Jon Shaffer recorded the fastest 400-meter split ever by a Marquette athlete of 47.1. On the women’s side, Sophomore Kristen Stonieki's mark of 10-11.75” in the pole vault tied a school record as she tied for first in the competition. At the Northern Iowa Invite, Matt Piekarski set a personal best, scoring 4,592 points in the Heptathlon, good for second place in the meet and a total that still stands second all-time at Marquette.

MEMPHIS Tigers (Idle): The Tigers return to action this weekend after taking a break this past weekend. A week ago at the Booster Invitational, a pair of newcomers highlighted action for the Tigers in the teams’ first competition of the new year. Junior Gail Lee launched a winning toss of 52-07.50” in the shot put to reach a provisional qualifying standard for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Fellow newcomer Daniel Kiss posted a provisional qualifying time of 7.34 in the 55-meter hurdles during prelims, but did not post a time in the finals due to his false start. Chen Edri and Daniele Riendeau both won their events with school-record breaking performances in the high jump and 3,000 meters, respectively. Edri cleared 5-07.75” (1.72 meters), which bested Janeen Gooden’s indoor mark of 5-06” (1.68 meters), while Riendeau’s time of 10:12.77 in the 3,000 meters bettered the old school mark by nearly four seconds. Sprinter Gary Nemeth recorded a second-place finish in the 200 meters (22.38) and a fifth-place tally in the 55 meters (6.47) for the men.

SOUTHERN MISS Golden Eagles (LSU Bayou Bengal Invitational): Dijana Kojic posted her second straight first-place finish in the 800 meters with a time of 2:17.35 during the meet in Baton Rouge. Naomi Kiprotich also tallied a first-place finish in the mile run with a time of 5:07.74. The distance medley relay team of Becca Rop, Kojic, Alisha Edwards and Cassandra Goodson took first-place with a time of 12:32.46. On the men’s side, Durran Dunn finished sixth in the 200 meters with a time of 22.82. Cornelius Duncan was sixth in the 400 meters with a time of 50.76.

TCU Horned Frogs (Idle): The Horned Frogs took the weekend off following their season-opening competition at the Wes Kittley Six-Way Meet in Lubbock a week ago. TCU returns to Lubbock this weekend for the Wes Kittley Invitational. Freshman Bradley Reed put together a strong performance in his collegiate debut at the six-way meet, which also marked the Horned Frogs’ first competition under head coach Darryl Anderson. Reed finished second in the 55-meter dash clocking a 6.36 in the prelims, then lowering that time to 6.29 seconds in the finals to take the silver medal. Jackson Langat took first place in the 1,000 meters with a time of 2:27.40. Jonathan Jackson was second in the long jump with a mark of 23-03.50” (7.10 meters). On the women’s side, sophomore MaKeatha Cooper posted a winning time of 7.94 in the 55-meter hurdles. Zelma Wade took first place in the shot put with a best toss of 42-00.25” (12.81 meters). Marquita Davis was second in the 400-meter dash (55.49).

TULANE Green Wave (LSU Bayou Bengal Invitational): Helmi Leppanen posted the top finish for the Green Wave in Baton Rouge with a second-place effort in the shot put. Her toss of 47-05.25” was a season best. Tahira Wiggins ran the 800-meter race for the first time in her collegiate career and registered a time of 2:20.15 to earn second place. Senior Camilla Hatlen recorded a pair of personal records at the event as well. She ran an 8.94 in the preliminary heats of the 60-meter hurdles to advance to the finals and in the finals she ran a personal-best 8.86 to finish in seventh place. Freshman Shanon Beelendorf finished third in the 400-meter dash, while senior Jelena Jurlina was just behind Leppanen in the shot put, taking fourth place.

UAB Blazers (Clemson Heptathlete/Pentathlete): The Blazers had five athletes compete in the pentathlon in Clemson on Saturday. Senior Judy Shepherd finished third overall with 3,463 points and finished second in the 60-meter hurdles and the long jump. Senior Adrienne Duke finished fifth overall with 3,249 points and finished second in the 800-meter run. Freshman Tracy Rowan finished seventh in her first collegiate pentathlon with a score of 2,944 and finished first in the 800-meter run. Sophomores Erin Harris and Penny Shields finished 11th and 12th with 2,586 points and 2,557 points respectively. Additionally, Harris finished first in the long jump.

USF Bulls (Reebok Boston Indoor Games): Senior Chandra Brewer led the Bulls to a team title in Boston with a pair of victories in the shot put and weight throw. In addition to Brewer’s two titles, Ashlee Ward won the 55-meter dash (7.05), Bente General won the 1,000-meter run (2:55.33) and USF’s 4x400-meter relay team also won (3:53.68). Brewer's shot put mark was a NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 51-09.75”, while her weight throw was 49-11.00”. Altaria Hawkins finished second in the 400-meter run (57.74) and Christa Benton added a second place finish in the 3,000-meter run (10:09.81).

-ConferenceUSA.com-