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Golden Eagle Outdoor Track Teams Fared Well In Season Opener
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Southern Miss men’s and women’s outdoor track teams opened the 2003 season, hosting their own meet Saturday at the Marshall Bell Track.

Shane Brandford finished second in the 100 meters with a time of 10.79 and Marcus Polk was fourth with a time of 10.95. Polk, Kenny Johnson and Durran Dunn finished one-two-three in the 200 meters with times of 21.66, 21.83 and 21.84, respectively. Marvin Williams posted a time of 49.46 in the 400 meters, finishing sixth. Jerry Teachey finished seventh in the 800 meter run with a time of 1:57.67. Steve Griffin turned in a time of 15.17 in the 110-meter high hurdles, finishing fourth. The 4x100-meter relay team placed first with a time of 41.19. The 4x400-meter relay team finished third with a time of 3:15.71.

In the field events, Cedric Norman finished first in the high jump, posting a new school record with a height of 7’2.25” and breaking a 10-year old record. The mark was good enough for a regional qualifying mark as well. Matt Fant finished second in the pole vault with a height of 14’11”. Norman paced a group of Golden Eagles in the long jump, jumping 23’10” for first-place, followed by Marcus Polk with a jump of 23’2.50” (second-place), Steve Griffin 23’1.25” (third), Marvin Lucas 23’0.50” (fourth) and Corey Seals 22’.9.25” for sixth-place. Norman rounded out his day with a second-place finish in the triple jump with a jump of 48’4.75”. Noah Bryant placed eighth in the shot put with a toss of 45’0.25”. Eric Lyon took first in the hammer throw with a toss of 144’11”. Casey McGehee was third with a throw of 131’5”. Freshman Conrad Chanove, competing in his first collegiate meet, finished second in the javelin with a throw of 198’6”.

Prudence Reid posted a time of 12.28 in the 100 meters, finishing third. Kasey House finished third with a time of 25.31 in the 200 meters, followed by Joanna Williams with a time of 25.86 (sixth). S’Dori Sims placed second in the 400 meters with a time of 57.37. Lydiah Chepkwony and Alisha Edwards finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 800 meters with times of 2:21.48 and 2:22.34. Jessica Crump finished first in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:49.29 and Karen Tankersley placed fourth with a time of 5:06.60. Keri White sprinted to first-place in the 3,000 meters with a time of 10:29.07. Jocelyn Young ran a 1:05.06 in the 400 intermediate hurdles and finished second. The women’s 4x100-meter relay team ran a 46.75 for first-place and the 4x400-meter relay team finished second with a time of 3:53.24.

In the field events, Kate Juedes led a group of four Lady Eagles in the high jump with a height of 5’8” for first-place, Krista Miller was second with a height of 5’6”, Sabrina Norwood was fourth with a height of 5’2.25” and Mary Roper took sixth-place with a height of 5’0.25”. Dasha Wakefield was first in the pole vault with a 10’11.75” height and Regina Ballinger turned in a height of 9’0.25” for fourth-place. Angela Johnson finished fourth in the long jump at 16’11.50”. Sims was third in the triple jump at 36’8.50” and Portia Collins was sixth with a jump of 35’01’25”. Michelle Zorn throw a distance of 41’9.25” in the shot, finishing third, then followed up with a second-place finish in the hammer throw with a toss of 109’10”. Juedes capped off her day with a third-place finish in the javelin with a throw of 126’.

The Southern Miss track teams will compete in the Alabama Relays, Mar. 21-23, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.