Feb. 25, 2006
Follow the Track Cats on the Final Day of the SoCon Championship HERE
Clemson, S.C. - After the first day of competition at the 2006 Southern Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Clemson Indoor Track & Field Facility, the Catamount men and women both stand in second place, but within striking distance of first day leader, Appalachian State. Competition commences again on Saturday at 8:30 am, with the final event of the day slated to take place at 6:15 pm, with the team champion and individual awards to be released by SoCon officials.
Appalachian State leads the men's competition with a first day total of 99 points, followed closely by Western Carolina in second with 86 points. Rounding out the field are The Citadel (15), Chattanooga (13), Wofford (8), Davidson (5) and UNC Greensboro (4). On the women's side, the Mountaineers lead with 78 points scored in the first day of the two-day competition, with Western Carolina and Chattanooga tied for second with 34 points apiece, 44 points in arrears of ASU. Georgia Southern followed in fourth place with 27 points, with The Citadel (15), Furman (14), Elon (12), Davidson (12), College of Charleston (6) and UNC Greensboro (2) rounding out the field of competitors.
Individually for the Catamounts, senior Adam Puett, who won the mile run in the 2005 SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championships, picked up the victory in the 3,000 meter run on Friday afternoon with a time of 8:30.16, hitting the finish line a fraction of a second before second-place finisher Adam Van Nortwick (8: 30.85) of Appalachian State and third-place finisher, WCU junior teammate Dan Fassinger (8:30.86).
Puett and Fassinger teamed with Dylan Hermelee and Charleton Grant to win the Men's Distance Medley, inching past second place finisher Appalachian State to win the event with a time of 10:05.02.
On the women's side, sophomore Jessika Johnson, who will suit up for the Lady Catamount basketball team in the regular season finale on Saturday afternoon, defeated teammate Brittany Whitaker in the women's high jump with a mark of 1.64-meters. The jump equaled Whitaker's, but Johnson was awarded the SoCon crown on number of chances.
In preliminary action, Western senior Lawrence Briscoe broke his own record, as well as the conference record in the men's 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.16 in the men's trials. In the second heat of the men's 60 meter hurdle trials, Charles Derrickson of Appalachian State broke the SoCon record again with a time of 7.99. Both will advance to the finals.
The second day of the 2006 SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championships commences at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday morning at the Clemson Indoor Track and Field Facility. The final event of the day is scheduled to take place at 6:15 p.m.
2006 SoCon Men's Competition (Day One Standings) 1. Appalachian State 99 pts 2. Western Carolina 86 pts 3. The Citadel 15 pts 4. Chattanooga 13 pts 5. Wofford 8 pts 6. Davidson 5 pts 7. UNC Greensboro 4 pts
2006 SoCon Women's Competition (Day One Standings) 1. Appalachian State 78 pts 2. Western Carolina 34 pts Chattanooga 34 pts 4. Georgia Southern 27 pts 5. The Citadel 15 pts 6. Furman 14 pts 7. Elon 12 pts Davidson 12 pts 9. College of Charleston 6 pts 10. UNC Greensboro 2 pts
