May 13, 2016

Golden Eagles score in three events on first day, three qualify for finals

Three Golden Eagles scored points Friday with Top 8 efforts, and Tennessee Tech qualified runners for the finals on Saturday in three additional events on the first day of the 2016 Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Tennessee State University.

By Rob Schabert, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information

Click here to view complete Friday results (PDF)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Three Golden Eagles scored points Friday with Top 8 efforts, and Tennessee Tech qualified runners for the finals on Saturday in three additional events on the first day of the 2016 Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Tennessee State University.

The Golden Eagles earned 12.5 points, and are in eighth place in the 11-team standings after the first day. In addition to three runners who qualified for the finals, Tech has opportunities to score in three individual events, two relays and the heptathlon scheduled for Saturday.

No school records fell on Friday, but a few were threatened. Tech also established 10 personal best marks.,

Junior Antonia Susnjar was the high scorer Friday, earning six tam points by placing third in the javelin. He third and final toss in the finals sailed 122 feet, 11 inches.

Tech added 4.5 points when freshman Na'Scottisha Drummond tied for fourth place, clearing the bar at a personal-best 5 feet, 7.75 inches. That was just one-quarter inch shy of the school record.

Tech's other two points came in the 3,000-meter steeplechase as junior Purity Murray claimed a seventh place finish. Her time of 11:26.45 was a personal-best mark, and came within six seconds of the school record.

Freshmen Na'Asha Robinson and D'Airrien Jackson had no trouble advancing to the finals Saturday, Robinson in the 200m and 400m races, and Jackson at 800m. Robinson finished second at 200m in 24.11 seconds, and second at 400m in 54.38 seconds. Jackson's time of 2:10.77 at 800m was second on the day.

Makayla Kington had a personal best in the discus, placing 12^th with a toss of 125 feet, seven inches.

Two of Tech's four entries in the 100-meter dash had personal-best times, but none advanced to the finals. Sharnique Leonce led the way with a ninth-place finish, missing by one place a spot in the finals with a time (12.20) that was just off her personal best (12.19). Morgan O'Neal had a PR of 12.53 with an 18^th place showing, while Brittany McGee's 12.74 for 22^nd place was also a PR.

Jackson's second-place run at 800m led four Golden Eagles. Junior Sarah Brandt placed 12^th in 2:14.32, wile Madison Stremler had a PR of 2:14.48 to finish 13^th.

Leonce posted personal-best performances in three of the four events in the heptathlon Friday, but a fall during the 100-meter hurdles put her at a disadvantage. She finished last in the event in 21.43 seconds, earning just 194 points. She bounced back to win two of the next three events, and will have the opportunity to challenge for the title with three of her best events still on the agenda for Saturday.

Leonce posted a PR of 5 feet, 7.75 inches in the high jump to lead that event and earn 879 points. Her height was just one-quarter inch off the school record, and the mark that placed Drummond fourth later in the day. She also won the 200-meter dash in 24.53 seconds, her second PR which gave her 930 points in the heptathlon race. Her third personal-best came in the shot put with a toss of 32 feet, 4.75 inches for 521 points.

Eastern Illinois has 70 points to lead the women's standings, with Tennessee State (39.5) second, followed by Jacksonville State (31), SIUE (30), Southeast Missouri (28), Austin Peay (24), Eastern Kentucky (22), Tech (12.5), Murray State (10), Morehead State (5) and Belmont (1).

Saturday's action gets underway at 11 a.m. as Leonce continues in the heltathlon and Raven Smith competes in the triple jump. The final event of the day is the 4x400m relay, scheduled for 5:20 p.m.

Heptathlon
Event – Place, Performance, (heptathlon points)
Sharnique Leonce
100m Hurdles – 9^th, 21.43, (194)
High Jump – 1^st, 5' 7.75" (879) PR
Shot Put – 4^th, 32' 4.75" (521) PR
200m – 1^st, 24.53 (930) PR
-- 8th after four events Friday, with three events Saturday

Event – Finish, Athlete, Performane (team points)
Discus – 12^th, Makayla Kington, 125' 7" (0) PR
Long Jump – NS, Eshe' Robinson, Foul (0)
3,000m Steeplechase – 7^th, Purity Murray, 11:26.45 (2) PR
Javelin – 3^rd, Antoni Susnjar, 122' 11" (6)
High Jump – 4^th, Na'Scottisha Drummond, 5' 7.75" (4.5) PR
                    - 12^th, Sharnique Leonce, 5' 4.25" (0)
400m Prelins – 2^nd, Na'Asha Robinson, 54.38 (Q)
100m Prelins – 9^th, Sharnique Leonce, 12.20
                              18^th, Morgan O'Neal, 12.53 PR
                              19^th, Tiara Hymon, 12.57
                              22^nd, Brittany McGee, 12.74 PR
800m Prelims – 2^nd, D'Airrien Jackson, 2:10.77 (Q)
                                12^th, Sarah Brandt, 2:14.32
                                13^th, Madison Stremler, 2:14.48   PR
                                28^th, Andrea Retano, 2:32.71
400m Hurdles Prelims – 13^th, Crystal Liebenberg, 1:06.30
200m Prelims – 2^nd, Na'Asha Robinson, 24.11 (Q)
                                16^th, Tiara Hymon, 25.82
                                17^th, Morgan O'Neal, 25.90
                                19^th, Currin Washington, 26.23
10,000m – 12^th, Purity Murray, 38:33.58 (0) PR