Women's Indoor Track and Field Opens Season at Virginia Tech Invitational

Women's Indoor Track and Field Opens Season at Virginia Tech Invitational

The Chanticleers will participate in both Friday and Saturday events.

Jan. 14, 2010

Virginia Tech Invitational
January 15 & 16 - All Day
Rector Field House
Blacksburg, Va.
Live Stats: www.flashresults.com

The Coastal Carolina University women’s indoor track and field team will open the 2010 indoor season looking for its fourth consecutive Big South Indoor Championship title. At last year’s Virginia Tech Invitational, the Chanticleers saw six top-10 finishes in Mary Lawrence, Marcie Veitch, LeAuna Sistrunk, Ikeiylah Brown, Arielle Miller and Kierra Gabe.

Virginia Tech Invitational/Schedule of events/Coastal Carolina Entries
Field Events
Friday
5 p.m.    Triple Jump    Kristen Crawford, Thomasina Smith
6 p.m.    Weight Throw    Robin Callan, Brittany Connor, Shantelle Patterson
Saturday
11 a.m.    High Jump    Kristen Burpoe, Kierra Gabe, Kara Gajoch, Mikaela Terry
12 p.m.    Long Jump    Darriale Henley, Sierrah Oates, Thomasina Smith
               Pole Vault    Mary Lawrence
1:30 p.m.    Shot Put    Shantelle Patterson

Track Events
Friday
5 p.m.         60m Dash    Ikeiylah Brown, Darriale Henley, Samantha Keenan, Crystal Robinson
5:20 p.m.    60m Hurdles    Melissa Arango, Jenna Kazmierczak, Sierrah Oates, Estefania Ramirez
7:10 p.m.    500 meter    Jenna Kazmierczak, Samantha Simile, Mikaela Terry
7:30 p.m.    300 meter    Felicia Aiken, Vondeeshia Humphries, Santresa Jamison, Melekia Simpson
Saturday
12:15 p.m.    5000 meter    Joyce Curtin, Jessica Dennison
2:25 p.m.    200 meter    Melissa Arango, Samantha Keenan, Estefania Ramirez, Crystal Robinson
2:50 p.m.    3000 meter    Shelby Donahue, Christian Johnson, Rindi Wood
3:20 p.m.    4 x 400 relay    Ikeiylah Brown, Santresa Jamison, Melekia Simpson, Vondeeshia Humphries, Kierra Gabe, Felicia Aiken, Samantha Simile, Jenna Kazmierczack, Estefanie Ramirez, Mikaela Terry

TITLE DEFENSE
Coastal Carolina will look to defend their Big South Indoor Championships from last season and continue its streak of four consecutive championships dating back to the 2006 season. At last season’s championship, the Chanticleers totaled 176.66 points and a dominating win, finishing 50 points ahead of runner-up Liberty. The Chants also saw four individual champions in Darriale Henley (60-meter dash), Ikeiylah Brown (200 meters), Amber White (400 meters) and LeAuna Sistrunk (60-meter hurdles).

WOMEN GO FOR FIVE PEAT
The Chanticleers are the four-time defending Big South Conference Indoor Champions and have won five championships in the last six years. Liberty is the only other Big South team to have won a team championship, including the league’s first six.

COMING BACK FOR MORE
Of the four champions from a year ago, two return in sophomore Darriale Henley and senior Ikeiylah Brown. Gone is three-time Big South Champions Amber White and LeAuna Sistrunk, but several promising newcomers will look to fill the void left by the departed champions. In addition, the team returns 12 All-Big South athletes led by the distance runners Maranie Staab and Christian Johnson, sprinters Vondeeshia Humphries and Santresa Jamison and throwers Brittany Connor and Robin Callan.

NEW FACES
Nine new faces can be seen on the Chanticleers’ roster this season. Distance runner Janel Reeves, who was All-Big South in cross country, and freshman sprinter Melekia Simpson look to strengthen the track events while Shantelle Patterson, a transfer from South Carolina who finished ninth in the SEC Championship last year, looks to add depth to the field events.