April 2, 2005

Catamount Classic FINAL RESULTS
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Cullowhee, N.C. - Battling frigid temperatures, a driving wind, and a mixed bag of rain and snow showers, Western Carolina hosted Catamount Classic Saturday at the new track & field complex on campus. The host Catamounts captured a total of five first-place finishes in the first-ever home meet, while securing a total of 20 podium finishes. The event was a great practice run for WCU as Cullowhee is the site of the 2005 Southern Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships April 30-May 1.

On the day, the University of Akron women, who are the defending indoor track champions from the Mid-American Conference, took home nine first-place finishes. The Georgia Southern women were second with four, followed by Western Carolina and Appalachian State each with a pair and Gardner-Webb with one, first-place tally. On the men's side, the Akron Zips, again, led the way with eight overall first-place victories, followed by host Western Carolina with three, App State and GWU with one, apiece.

The adverse conditions slowed many of the Catamount track times, but did not seem to have much effect upon the field events. Western set a combined 11 seasonal bests, six by the women and five by the men, all coming in the field events between the jumps and throws.

Leading the way for the Catamount women was Leslie Martin, who took home first in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:16.36. She outlasted freshman teammate Kerri Savery, who finished second with a time of 2:23.12. Also recording top 10 finishes in the 800 for WCU were Brooke Saddler and Deanna Kulesz, finishing 8th and 9th, respectively. Kulesz also recorded a second-place finish in the women's 1,500-meter run, crossing the stripe in 4:48.83.

Deanna Kulesz fights her way through the pack to finish second in the women's 1,500-meter run.

Also winning first for the Cats was Asia Davis. Already the WCU record holder in the 400-meter hurdles, Davis won the event Saturday with a time of 1:01.96. She was joined in the top 10 by teammates Tonya Edmonds and Anne Bernotski, placing 5th and 8th. Davis also placed second another hurdle event, the shorter 100-meter hurdle sprint with a time of 14.57.

In the field events, senior Laura Tieszen finished fourth in the javelin throw with a mark of 33.89 meters, a seasonal best for the WCU women. Her best event, the pole vault, was cancelled, however, due to increasingly hazardous conditions for the vaulters. Cherokee, N.C., native Miranda Long had perhaps the best day for Western's women. The junior placed third in the discus throw with a WCU season-best throw of 39.14 meters. She also placed 5th in the shot put (11.31m) and 7th in the early-morning hammer throw with a mark of 44.29 meters, another top distance thus far in the outdoor season.

On the men's side, junior Adam Puett and senior Josh Lee secured first-place finishes for Western. Puett outran the competition in the 1,500 meters, pulling away over the final 150 meters to win the event in 3:58.04. In the final event of the chilly day, Lee hurled the javelin 55.77m to beat out teammates David Bowles (2nd, 52.65m) and Jason Stepp (7th, 45.17m).

Adam Puett leads the pack during the 1,500-meter event at the Catamount Classic. The junior won the event by over a second.

In the jumping pits, Lamont Reid placed seventh in the long jump with a season-best mark 6.27-meters, while Wes Willoughby soared to a top outdoor height of 4.27-meters to place fifth in the pole vault. Senior Bobby Robinson tied his season-leading leap in the high jump, clearing 1.85m to place fifth.

On the track, the Catamount men's 4x100-meter relay team took the top prize, passing the batton the quickest time of 41.72. James Gregory placed third in the 200-meter dash, while Zeb Johnson duplicated the finish in twice the distance, placing second in the 400-meter dash. In the day's first track event for the men, Catamounts Chris Lynch and Dylan Hermelee placed second and third, respectively, in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Western Carolina's track & field team returns to action a week from Saturday at the Clemson Invitational in Clemson, S.C.

Western Carolina First-place Finishes:

Women's 800-Meter Run: Leslie Martin, 2:16.36
Women's 400-Meter Hurdles: Asia Davis, 1:01.96
Men's 1500-Meter Run: Adam Puett, 3:58.04
Men's 4x100-Meter Relay: Western Carolina "A," 41.72
Men's Javelin Throw: Josh Lee, 55.77m (183-00)

Other WCU Top 10 Finshes:

Women's 100-Meter Dash: Tangelia Johnson, T-3rd (12.61)
	Cassandra Gentry, 5th (12.71)
Women's 200-Meter Dash: Raquel Ramseur, 2nd (25.20)
	Melissa Berry, 4th (26.39)
	Cassandra Gentry, 9th (27.70)
	Jessica Wilkerson, 10th (29.34)
Women's 400-Meter Dash: Jennifer Spivey, 58.09 (58.09)
Women's 800-Meter Run: Kerri Savery, 2nd (2:23.12)
	Brooke Saddler, 8th (2:26.80)
	Deanna Kulesz, 9th (2:27.28)
Women's 1,500-Meter Run: Deanna Kulesz, 2nd (4:48.83)
Women's 100-Meter Hurdles: Asia Davis, 2nd (14.57)
	NaShay McGriff, 6th (15.47)
Women's 400-Meter Hurdles: Rachel Glasgow, 2nd (1:06.61)
	Tonya Edmonds, 5th (1:08.35)
	Anne Bernotski, 8th (1:20.85)
Women's High Jump:	Jessika Johnson, 4th (1.60m, 5-3.0)
	Brittany Whittaker, 5th (1.55m, 5-1.0)
	Jessica Wilkerson, 6th (1.45m,4-9.0)
	Melissa Parana, 10th (1.40m, 4-7.0)
Women's Long Jump:	NaShay McGriff, 2nd (5.45m, 17-10.75)
	Melissa Berry, 6th (5.15m, 16-10.75)
Women's Shot Put:	Sharhonda Bell, 4th (11.47m, 37-7.75)
	Miranda Long, 5th (11.31m, 37-1.25)
Women's Discus Throw: Miranda Long, 3rd, (39.14m, 128-5.0)
Women's Hammer Throw: Miranda Long, 7th (44.29m, 145-4.0)
	Jenn Hawkins, 9th (41.87m, 137-4.0)
Women's Javelin Throw: Laura Tieszen, 4th (33.89m, 111-2.0)
	Rachel Glasgow, 7th (28.59m, 93-9.0)