April 16, 2010

Tech athletes set 11 personal-best marks on first day at Vanderbilt

The first day of the Vanderbilt Invitational yielded a first-place finish by Stephanie Place and 11 personal-best marks for Tennessee Tech athletes, including two by senior distance runner Ashley Evans.

Click here for Friday's complete results

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Friday's first day of the Vanderbilt Invitational yielded a first-place effort by Stephanie Place in the 5,000-meter run plus 11 personal-best marks by Tennessee Tech athletes, including two by senior distance runner Ashley Evans (pictured in the steeplechase).

The Golden Eagles will look for even more success Saturday on the second day of the event.

Place won the longest event of the meet, the 5,000-meter run, in a time of 17:11.59, a winning margin of more than 20 seconds to the finish line. Her time was about six seconds shy of her own school record.

Tiffany Palmer and Evans both notched career marks in the 5,000-meter run. Palmer was sixth in the time of 18:00.66, and Evans was sevent in 18:14.65.

Evans, Tech's lone entrant in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, clocked a career-best time of 11:40.63 to finish fifth.

All three Golden Eagles in the 200-meter dash had career-best efforts. Ifey Eguzo placed 14th and tied her P.R. in 26.17 seconds. Krysten Joshen had a new career-best in 26:58 and Justine Phillips also hit a P.R. in 26.88.

The other personal best marks by the women's team were recorded by Lacy Yslas in the shot put, Leayn Carter in the long jump and Traci Jones in the 1,500-meter run.

Yslas placed seventh in the shot put with a toss of 36 feet, 11 inches. Teammate Ashley Mayhew was fourth overall with a throw of 41 feet, 10 3/4 inches.

Carter leaped 17 feet, 5 1.2 inches in the long jump to place 10th.

Jones led Tech in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:59.06.

Four Golden Eagles placed among the top 11 in the javelin, led by senior Rachel Forbes with a throw of 111 feet, 5 inches.

Among the Golden Eagle men, Ben Shassere had a career-best of 10:19.30 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and Sam Taylor finished sixth in the 1,500-meter run with a P.R. of 4:03.17.