2010 Big South Outdoor Track: Day 1 Blog
4/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
From the press box overlooking Charleston Southern's Bagwell-Settle Track, LibertyFlames.com will provide live blog updates from the Big South Outdoor Track & Field Championships for the third straight year. Please see below for other ways to follow all of the action, as Liberty aims to complete an unprecedented Big South "Double Triple."
Meet Schedule
Live Video Streaming (Big South Network)
Live Results (Courtesy of CFPI Timing)
Heat Sheets
North Charleston Weather (Courtesy of Weather.com)
The most recent posts will be located just below this italicized message. You may need to refresh the page periodically to view the latest updates. Feel free to email pjcarmany@liberty.edu with any comments, questions or suggestions throughout the meet. Thanks, and Go Flames!
Men's Team Scores (Through Four Events - End Day One)
1) Liberty - 45
2) High Point - 31
3) Coastal Carolina - 22
4) Radford - 19
5) Charleston Southern - 12
6) VMI - 9
7) Winthrop - 8
8T) Gardner-Webb - 5
8T) UNC Asheville - 5
Women's Team Scores (Through Four Events - End Day One)
1) Coastal Carolina - 43
2) Liberty - 41
3) Charleston Southern - 16
4) Radford - 15
5) Winthrop - 13
6) Gardner-Webb - 12
7) High Point - 10
8) UNC Asheville - 5
9) VMI - 1
7:25 p.m. - Complete day one results have now been posted, and may be viewed by clicking here.
7:15 p.m. - Ashley Osborne's winning 10K time was officially 37:49.76, giving her a 19-second margin over Winthrop's Carey Phillips. Dacia Bushman clocked a 38:47.15 for fifth, with Khristina Kanagy's 39:26.28 netting ninth place.
That wraps up day one of the 2010 Big South Track & Field Championships, with Liberty's men's team leading the way and the Lady Flames sitting in a close second to Coastal Carolina.
I'll have a full Thursday recap available on LibertyFlames.com later this evening, as well as a link to today's results. Thanks for following day one of the blog, and be sure to tune in again at 10:30 a.m., as Liberty continues its quest for the Big South "Double Triple."
7:05 p.m. - As expected, the men's long jump was a great event for the Flames, as Liberty picked up 25 team points to take over the lead in the overall team standings through day one.
Leading the way was Clarence Powell at 24-0.25, followed closely by teammate Anthony Bryant (the defending Big South champion) in 23-10.75. Liberty freshman Kevin Reddington took fourth in 23-2.5, with Oronde Vassell rounding things out with his seventh-place finish, at 22-5.75.
The last event to wrap up in today's blog will be the women's 10K. Tomorrow's blog will go live at approximately 10:30 a.m.
6:58 p.m. - Ashley Osborne has won the 10K, taking her first-ever Big South outdoor track championship in convincing fashion. Dacia Bushman gives a gutty performance for fifth, followed by Khristina Kanagy in ninth. I'll have a full wrap up of this event and the men's long jump shortly.
8,400 - With one mile to go, Radford's Lori Crotts has dropped off the pack. Osborne with a big surge to take the lead at the line in 32:18. Phillips second and Webb third. Bushman still fifth and Kanagy seventh, 30 meters ahead of eighth.
8,800 - It's all Osborne now, as she seeks her first outdoor track Big South title. Her split is 33:38. Phillips is 12 seconds back in the runner-up spot. Bushman still a solid fifth, but Kanagy is in a battle with Gardner-Webb's Lia Hudak for 7-8.
9,200 - Osborne's split is 35:01. She's 17 seconds ahead of Phillips and Webb. Bushman fifth. Kanagy has dropped to eighth.
9,600 - Osborne has lapped everyone but the top nine runners at the bell, which she reaches in 36:26.
10K - Osborne wins by about 100 meters, in approximately 37:49. Carey Phillips second, Emily Webb third, Lori Crotts fourth, Dacia Bushman an inspiring fifth, Brittany Killough sixth, Lia Hudak seventh, VMI's Lindsey Carty eighth and Khristina Kanagy ninth. Those results are unofficial, but that's what I observed. If true, Liberty scored 14 points to Coastal Carolina's zero.
6:48 p.m. - Five miles down. We'll wrap things up in the next post.
6,800 - This lead pack of four just won't break. 26:13 is the split. Bushman has a bit of a lead over Killough and Kanagy for fifth in 26:32.
7,200 - Phillips takes a slight lead, followed by Webb, Osborne then Crotts. Her split is 27:46. Bushman is fifth, with Kanagy in seventh.
7,600 - Same story. The lead pack of four splits a 29:18, with Phillips owning a very slight lead over Osborne. Bushman is a clear fifth, but Kanagy is fading a bit in seventh.
8K - Webb makes a quick surge to the lead, but the pack is still in one piece. Split is 30:52. Bushman fifth and Kanagy still seventh.
6:42 p.m. - Four miles in.
5,600 - The lead pack remains the same, but the bigger news is taking place about 100 meters back, where Bushman and Kanagy have overtaken Curtin for fifth and sixth. Curtin is back to eighth. 21:30 is the split for the leaders.
6K - No change up front, where everyone seems to be waiting to make a move. Phillips and Osborne lead the pack in 23:03. Bushman fifth in 23:26, Kanagy sixth in 23:27.
6,400 - Still the same four leaders in 24:37. Bushman and Kanagy have High Point's Brittany Killough on their tail.
6:35 p.m. - Halfway home in the women's 10K.
3,600 - Carey Phillips has made a little surge, and the consistent frontrunner in Big South races has the lead in 13:47. Crotts, Osborne and Webb make up a pack of three, about five meters back. Curtin is dropping off the pace.
4K - Only four runners remain in contention--Phillips, Crotts, Osborne and Webb. 15:16 for Phillips. It looks like Dacia Bushman is 8th and Khristina Kanagy 11th within a chase pack of about 6-7 runners.
4,400 - Osborne and Crotts have caught up to Phillips, with Webb in danger of losing touch. Phillips' split is 16:47. Kanagy has taken over sixth, with Bushman seventh, and the duo appears to be gaining on Curtin, who is running in no-man's land.
4,800 - Webb catches back up, keeping the lead pack's number at four. Phillips is still your leader. They are giving out water cups and spraying mist to keep the runners cool. Phillips' split is 18:20.
5K - Osborne has taken a slight lead. Her split is 19:08, but all four runners are in touch.
6:30 p.m. - Two miles into the women's 10K, with the same five runners still in contention.
2K - No separation in the pack of five, which is paced by Curtin and Crotts. Bushman leads the second pack, about 25-30 meters back.
2,400 - To recap, the lead pack consists of Crotts, Curtin, Phillips, Osborne and Webb, representing five different schools. The split is 9:13.
Sorry, I'm missing a couple laps to update the men's standings through the hammer. Radford's Timothy Morse and Matt Dobson finished 1-3, led by Morse's 210-1. Liberty's Ryan Smith was fifth at 174-6.
6:23 p.m. - We're one mile into the women's 10K, and men's team scores are updated above, through the men's 10K.
400 - Lori Crotts of Radford, Joyce Curtin of Coastal, Carey Phillips of Winthrop and Ashley Osborne of Liberty have already opened up a small lead after a 94-second opening lap.
800 - Curtin has a slight lead, but the top four are still the same in 3:06.
1,200 - Emily Webb has joined the lead pack, making a pack of five. Curtin still with a slight lead in 4:38.
1,600 - The lead pack is still the same. Curtin's 1,600-split is 6:06.
6:12 p.m. - I don't have updated team scores yet, but I can tell you some official results from the men's 10K. Here are the finishers of note:
1) Jesse Cherry (High Point) - 30:13.20
2) Cole Atkins (High Pont) - 30:20.70
3) Josh Edmonds (Liberty) - 30:25.29 (Personal Best, IC4A Qualifier)
6) Jake Reed (Liberty) - 32:11.52
8) Mark Hopely (Liberty) - 33:03.05
Edmonds is an All-Big South finisher in this event for the third straight year and finishes his career with fourth, second, second and third-place showings in the Big South 10K. Not bad!
6:08 p.m. - As we await the start of the women's 10K, here's how it sets up. Liberty will enter its full complement of four runners--Ashley Osborne, Dacia Bushman, Khristina Kanagy and Amy Passauer. This event appeared to be an interesting matchup between Osborne and VMI's Hannah Granger, but Granger was a late scratch, leaving Osborne as the prohibitive favorite. Other runners to watch include Radford's Lori Crotts, Winthrop's Carey Phillips, Coastal Carolina's Joyce Curtin and Liberty's Dacia Bushman, last year's runner-up in this event who has battled injuries of late.
6:03 p.m. - Jesse Cherry of High Point defends his Big South 10K title in meet-record fashion, followed by teammate Cole Atkins. Josh Edmonds is third, earning his third career All-Big South honor in this event. Here's how I called the end of the race.
8,400 - Cherry is pulling away. Split is 25:27. Atkins and Edmonds still together in 25:34.
8,800 - Cherry looks very strong, leaving the real battle for second place, between Atkins and Edmonds. Cherry's split is 26:39. The next two are side-by-side in 26:49.
9,200 - Cherry took an extended look back over his shoulder, but he has nothing to fear. His split is 27:51. Edmonds with a slight lead over Atkins, 28:01-28:02.
9,600 - Cherry could have a chance at the meet record of 30:26. He reaches the bell in 29:02. Edmonds with a slight lead over Atkins, 29:16 to 29:17.
10K - Cherry sets a new meet record, in approximately 30:13. Atkins makes a big surge on the back stretch to take second place, leaving Edmonds in third. Edmonds will be very close to his PR of 30:26.53, despite the hot conditions.
It looks like Jake Reed may have came up for sixth place. I thought Mark Hopely had eighth, but he's still out on the track running.
5:53 p.m. - We're down to five laps remaining in the men's 10K.
6,800 - Cherry just can't shake either Atkins or Edmonds. The split is 20:41, and Edmonds is showing his first signs of fatigue. Sorry, but this pack of three is so far ahead that I have no idea what place anyone else is in at this point.
7,200 - Cherry keeps looking back over his shoulder, but Atkins and Edmonds are still in touch. Split is 21:53.
7,600 - One more lap down, still the same group of three running in the same order. Cherry, then Atkins and Edmonds. Split is 23:05.
8K - Just after crossing the line with six laps to go, Cherry appears to have picked up the pace, opening a small gap over Atkins and Edmonds. 8K splits are 24:16 for Cherry. 24:18 for Atkins and Edmonds.
5:48 p.m. - Four miles down, just over two to go.
5,200 - The top three nearly dropped Freudenthal, but he's hanging on.
5,600 - It's Cherry, Atkins, Edmonds in 17:05. Freudenthal now two seconds back in fourth. As a reminder, Jesse Cherry won last year, followed by Edmonds.
6K - Still the same top three bunched together, led by Cherry in 18:16. That lap was a bit faster, as Cherry may be trying to test Edmonds' resolve.
6,400 - Cherry tries to make another mini surge, passing some lapped traffic on the backstretch, but Edmonds is still on Atkins shoulder. Cherry's split is 19:28.
5:43 p.m. Halfway home in the men's 10K!
3,600 - I missed that split, but the lead pack is down to five.
4K - The running order is Cherry, Edmonds, Darmody of High Point, Adam Freudenthal of Winthrop. Sorry, another missed split!
4,400 - The top five remains intact, led by Cherry in 13:26.
4,800 - Freudenthal has passed Darmody for fourth, but the lead pack is still together. Cherry's split is 14:39.
5K - Darmody has dropped off the pace. Cherry leads the top four through halfway in about 15:16.
5:39 p.m. - Two miles in!
2K - The lead pack is down to seven, but still features three High Point runners and Flames Edmonds and Hopely. Cherry's split is 6:07.
2,400 - Some welcomed shadows are starting to creep across the home straightaway. Atkins just took the lead from his teammate. His split is 7:20.
2,800 - Hopely is in seventh, trying to hang on to the lead pack. Atkins leads in 8:32, followed by Cherry and Edmonds in second and third.
3,200 - Jake Reed has taken over eighth place, close to 100 meters behind teammate Mark Hopely in seventh. Hopely is starting to drop off the back, cutting the lead pack to six. Cherry is back in front in 9:47, followed by Atkins and Edmonds.
5:35 p.m. - We're a mile into the men's 10K, and here's my lap-by-lap account.
400 - Jesse Cherry takes the lead from the gun. His first split is 1:14, and the whole 14-member field is still in touch but already running single file.
800 - Cherry's split is 2:27, and he's followed closely by teammate Cole Atkins and Liberty's now clean-shaven Josh Edmonds.
1,200 - The lead pack has been trimmed to eight runners, including Edmonds and Mark Hopely, sporting sunglasses. Cherry's split is 3:40.
1,600 - The top three are still Cherry, Atkins and Edmonds, crossing through 1,600 meters in 4:54.
5:27 p.m. - Head Coach Brant Tolsma has made his way from the long jump area over to the track, to give his quartet of men's 10K runners some final instructions. I would expect a rather conservative pace early on, due to the sunny, warm conditions. At some point, though, High Point's Jesse Cherry should make a decisive move. At least that's what I anticipate. We'll find out shortly!
5:20 p.m. - A big thank you is in store to Charleston Southern SID Blake Freeland, who has let me use his binoculars to get a better glimpse of the field events today. They just let me see Kevin Reddington long jump 23-2.5 for the Flames.
5:15 p.m. - I just caught a couple men's long jump attempts from across the way, and watched Anthony Bryant leap 23-10.75 and Kevin Reddington land at 22-10.5. Nice start by the Flames in this event!
Liberty will have four runners in the 10K final, set to begin in 15 minutes, including Josh Edmonds, Jake Reed, Mark Hopely and Dan Hibbs. I plan to post mile-by-mile updates during both 10K finals today.
5:10 p.m. - The long-awaited women's long jump results have arrived, and it was quite an intriguing event.
The winner was Charleston Southern's Patria Norman, who took a break from the heptathlon to uncork an 18-10.5 leap. Not a bad day for the sophomore, who also leads the heptathlon by 185 points!
The runner-up was Darriale Henley of Coastal Carolina. The indoor Big South champion stretched the tape to 18-7.75. Then came something of a logjam.
Liberty's Mia Aghaji edged Coastal Carolina's Thomasena Smith for third place, 17-11.75 to 17-11.
Charleston Southern's Deona Jones beat out Liberty's Krystle Matthews in the 5-6 battle, 17-9.75 to 17-9.5.
Melanie Sims of the Lady Flames took seventh place at 17-8.25, followed by a pair of athletes who both reached 17-7.5--CSU's Sequoya Casey and Liberty's Alyssa Pegues. Unfortunately for the Lady Flames, Casey earned eighth place and one team point with a better second jump.
To sum it all up, Coastal Carolina outscored Liberty by a 13-11 count, boosting the Chanticleers' overall lead to 16 points through today's trio of field events. The 10K, which figures to be a strong event for the Lady Flames, will be our final women's discipline of the day, at 6:15.
4:45 p.m. - Halfway home in the decathlon, we have two distinct groups forming at the top of the standings. Geren Woodbridge is the leader with 3,490 points, but sits only 43 points ahead of third place. Meanwhile, Drew Edwards sits in seventh place at 3,228, just 90 points out of the fourth spot. The decathlon will resume tomorrow morning at 11 a.m., with the 110-meter hurdles.
Decathlon Standings (Through Day One)
1) Geren Woodbridge, Liberty - 3,490
2) Dominique Riggins, Charleston Southern - 3,474
3) Antonio Wood, VMI - 3,447
4) Michael Munson, VMI - 3,318
5) Evan Brusich, Gardner-Webb - 3,307
7) Drew Edwards, Liberty - 3,228
We're now 45 minutes away from the first running event final of this meet, the men's 10K. At 73 degrees, the weather is a bit warm for these runners' taste. It's certainly a lot hotter today than it was in Stanford, where High Point's Jesse Cherry clocked a 28:44 and teammate Cole Atkins ran 29:20, earlier this season.
4:40 p.m. - Dominique Riggins of CSU edged Drew Edwards in the first heat of the decathlon 400, 50.16 to 50.28. Very solid effort by Edwards to wrap up his opening day.
In the second heat, Evan Brusich of Gardner-Webb takes the top spot at 50.32, Woodbridge places fourth in 51.94.
We'll have day one standings for the decathlon available shortly. Geren Woodbridge should be in the lead entering Friday's five disciplines.
4:32 p.m. - We're awaiting final results from the women's long jump up here in the press box, but I do know that all four Lady Flames (Mia Aghaji, Krystle Matthews, Melanie Sims and Alyssa Pegues) made the final.
Next up on the track is the decathlon 400-meter dash. Drew Edwards will run in heat one, with Geren Woodbridge scheduled for heat two.
4:25 p.m. - 10 minutes before the start of the decathlon 400-meter dash, here's how things look through four events.
Decathlon Standings (Through Four Events)
1) Geren Woodbridge, Liberty - 2,763
2) Antonio Wood, VMI - 2,712
3) Dominique Riggins, Charleston Southern - 2,667
4) Michael Munson, VMI - 2,568
5) Evan Brusich, Gardner-Webb - 2,507
8) Drew Edwards, Liberty - 2,426
The 400-meter dash is one of Drew Edwards' best decathlon events. In fact, he will likely be included in the Flames' 4 x 400 relay on Saturday afternoon.
4:20 p.m. - Another good result for the Lady Flames, as reflected in the team standings above. Melinda Bendik edged Coastal Carolina's Brittany Connor for second place. Both throwers stretched the tape to 178-10, but Bendik's second throw was better and she was awarded the runner-up position. Radford's Aimee Veatch successfully defended her Big South title with a season-best 190-6 toss. The Lady Flames' Shekina Sims placed 10th at 130-2.
We're approaching the start of two more field events. At 4:30, the men's hammer will get underway, followed by arguably Liberty's strongest event on the men's side, the long jump, at 4:45. If the Flames have a good day, they have a chance to finish 1-2-3-4 in the men's long jump today.
4:10 p.m. - The decathlon high jump has wrapped up, and we will run the 400-meter dash at 4:35. We also have results from the women's hammer competition, which I will type up shortly.
3:55 p.m. - It appears that Geren Woodbridge's day is done in the high jump, with a top clearance of 6-0.5. He'll now take a break before running the 400-meter dash as several other decathletes continue high jumping.
3:48 p.m. - Liberty ranks 3-4-11 in the heptathlon, heading into Friday's trio of events. Christina Mitchell has enjoyed the Lady Flames' most impressive day, as she is 117 points ahead of her pace at this point of the Liberty Collegiate Invitational. She went on to score 4,656 points at that meet.
Heptathlon Standings (Through Day One)
1) Patria Norman, Charleston Southern - 3,136
2) Amami Antia-Obong, Winthrop - 2,951
3) Christina Mitchell, Liberty - 2,922
4) Krystle Matthews, Liberty - 2,880
5) Channell Futrell, Charleston Southern - 2,649
11) Brittany Bingham, Liberty - 2,164
I keep missing his clearances, but Geren Woodbridge is now making attempts at 6-1.5 in the high jump.
3:40 p.m. - Day one of the heptathlon is now in the books, and it appears that Charleston Southern's Patria Norman will be your leader in the clubhouse. Norman finished second in the 200-meter dash at 25.22, behind Winthrop's Amami Antia-Obong in 24.85.
Krystle Matthews finished in a fine time of 25.95, followed by Christina Mitchell in 26.67 and Brittany Bingham in 27.55. I'll hopefully have full day one standings to pass along shortly.
For now, I'll turn my attention to the decathlon high jump, where Geren Woodbridge will attempt 6-0.5 next.
3:30 p.m. - After a slight brush, Geren Woodbridge makes it over 5-10 in the decathlon high jump. The next height in the progression is 5-11.25. In case you're wondering, Woodbridge high jumped 5-10.75 when he scored a personal-best 7,112 points in the decathlon at the Liberty Collegiate Invitational.
3:25 p.m. - I have not seen the final distances from the heptathlon shot put, but I can tell you that the order of the top five competitors remains unchanged, entering the 200-meter dash. Here's a look at the up-to-date standings, thanks to CFPI Timing's nifty LED board near the finish line.
Heptathlon Standings (Through Three Events)
1) Patria Norman, Charleston Southern - 2,269
2) Christina Mitchell, Liberty - 2,182
3) Krystle Matthews, Liberty - 2,078
4) Amami Antia-Obong, Winthrop - 2,050
5) Channell Futrell, Charleston Southern - 1,918
11) Brittany Bingham, Liberty - 1,497
The heptathlon 200 will be contested in two heats at 3:35, with Bingham and Matthews in heat one and Mitchell in heat two.
3:15 p.m. - Drew Edwards nearly makes his second consecutive third-attempt high jump clearance, but the bar falls off the standards. He is out of the competition but Geren Woodbridge is still in with the bar raised to 5-8.75.
We are 20 minutes away from the heptathlon 200-meter dash. Updated standings through three events should be on their way shortly.
3:10 p.m. - Edwards needs all three tries, but he clears the high jump bar at 5-6.5. Next up will be 5-7.75.
It appears that the heptathlon shot put is now complete. I'll provide an update shortly, as the competitors prepare for their fourth and final event of the day, the 200-meter dash.
3:05 p.m. - I just saw a successful clearance by Drew Edwards at 5-5.25 in the decathlon high jump. The bar has now been moved up to 5-6.5, where Edwards misses on his first attempt.
2:40 p.m. - It wasn't his best attempt of the season, but Geren Woodbridge still fared quite well in the shot put, taking over the lead in the decathlon. His top mark of 42-6.75 was the best of the competition by more than two and a half feet. Meanwhile, Drew Edwards moved up from eighth to seventh, after a season-best 38-2.75 shot put.
Decathlon Standings (Through Three Events)
1) Geren Woodbridge, Liberty - 2,102
2) Dominique Riggins, Charleston Southern - 2,031
3) Antonio Wood, VMI - 1,945
4) Evan Brusich, Gardner-Webb - 1,922
5) Michael Munson, VMI - 1,907
7) Drew Edwards, Liberty - 1,890
We're about five minutes from the start of the decathlon high jump and heptathlon shot put, the next-to-last event of the day for both groups of multi-event athletes.
On a random note, we're starting to hear some new songs in the rotation here on the CSU loudspeakers. "Bye, Bye, Bye" by *NSYNC was a recent selection, which takes me back to my high school days. Great song!
2:20 p.m. - Through two events, Liberty's heptathletes rank 2-3-10, led by Christina Mitchell. The graduate of Liberty Christian Academy moved into second place after her outstanding 5-5 high jump, just 12 points behind leader Patria Norman of Charleston Southern. Krystle Matthews high jumped 5-1.25, while Brittany Bingham cleared 4-8.75.
Heptathlon Standings (Through Two Events)
1) Patria Norman, Charleston Southern - 1,612
2) Christina Mitchell, Liberty - 1,600
3) Krystle Matthews, Liberty - 1,579
4) Amami Antia-Obong, Winthrop - 1,507
5) Channell Futrell, Charleston Southern - 1,473
10) Brittany Bingham, Liberty - 1,099
2:45 has been announced as the start time for both the heptathlon shot put and the decathlon high jump. We are awaiting results from the decathlon shot put.
2:12 p.m. - The first women's event final is in the books, and the results were quite positive for Liberty in the javelin. Coastal Carolina was seeded 1-2-3 and projected to score 24 points, but the Chanticleers managed only 21. Meanwhile, the Lady Flames scored eight rather unexpected points, thanks to a third-place finish by Krystle Matthews and Christina Mitchell's seventh-place showing.
Coastal Carolina's Deborah Mattern repeated as Big South javelin champion at 146-5, followed by teammate Caitlin Lupo at 138-4. Matthews' third-place effort reached 128-11, while Mitchell topped out at 122-8 for seventh place.
Grace Esden, Liberty's other entrant, placed 13th at 92-0.
Right now, we are underway in the women's hammer and long jump finals across the track, and it looks like the decathlon shot put has concluded. The decathletes and heptathletes will now trade places, with the decathletes taking over the high jump apron while the heptathletes begin the shot put.
2:05 p.m. - Mitchell's first attempt at 5-6 is her best, but her impressive run in the heptathlon high jump will top out at 5-5, ending the event. Next up for the heptathletes will be the shot put, once the decathletes vacate that venue.
It appears that women's javelin results should be forthcoming shortly.
2 p.m. - Christina Mitchell needs only one attempt to set an outdoor high jump personal best of 5-5, tying for No. 5 on Liberty's all-time performance list. Next up is 5-6.
1:58 p.m. - Mitchell keeps right on rolling. She needs only one attempt to high jump 5-3.75. The bar now climbs to 5-5, which would equal her career high. Only six Lady Flames have ever high jumped 5-5 or higher outdoors, and Mitchell hopes to boost that number to seven.
1:55 p.m. - Another nice first-attempt high jump clearance by Mitchell, this time at 5-2.5. She is looking very good today. However, both Matthews and the CSU athlete are unsuccessful at this height. Mitchell will now move up to 5-3.75, just shy of her season best of 5-4.25.
1:48 p.m. - Christina Mitchell makes a nice clearance on her first try at 5-1.25, but it takes a second try for Matthews to join her. The next height attempted will be 5-2.5. The only remaining competitors are Mitchell, Matthews and a CSU heptathlete, but I'm not sure which one it is.
1:45 p.m. - Krystle Matthews provided a few moments of trepidation before making a third-attempt clearance at 5-0.25. It doesn't look like many heptathletes are still alive as the bar moves up to 5-1.25, but the list includes Matthews and Christina Mitchell.
1:38 p.m. - Here is a look at the decathlon standings through two events. Just a reminder that the shot put will get underway at 1:50 p.m.
Decathlon Standings (Through Two Events)
1) Dominique Riggins, Charleston Southern - 1,527
2) Michael Munson, VMI - 1,444
3) Geren Woodbridge, Liberty - 1,437
4) Antonio Wood, VMI - 1,432
5) Evan Brusich, Gardner-Webb - 1,392
8) Drew Edwards, Liberty - 1,305
I saw Christina Mitchell clear 5-0.25, but Krystle Matthews is still trying to get over that height in the heptathlon high jump.
1:33 p.m. - Decathlon long jump results are now available, and CSU's Dominique Riggins led the way at 21-6.75. Unfortunately, It was not the best event for either Geren Woodbridge (20-7) or Drew Edwards (18-9.25). I'll post updated decathlon standings through two events shortly.
1:30 p.m. - The high jump bar now sits at 4-11, where Christina Mitchell just made a successful clearance. She has jumped 5-5 before and won the Big South indoor high jump title as a freshman in 2009.
1:25 p.m. - The decathlon long jump is now complete. I'll pass along results as soon as I can track them down, because, as I'm sure you've noticed, the CFPI live results page is currently experiencing technical difficulties. Next up for the decathletes will be the shot put, beginning at 1:50 p.m. behind the scoreboard at my far right.
The women's javelin and heptathlon high jump events press on.
Other upcoming events include the women's hammer at 2 p.m. and the women's long jump at 2:15. The hammer could be an intriguing event, featuring defending champion Aimee Veatch of Radford and Liberty's rapidly improving school record holder, Melinda Bendik.
1:15 p.m. - At this point, it appears to have been a very good decision to have Krystle Matthews and Christina Mitchell take a couple javelin throws apiece before heading to the heptathlon high jump. Both throwers set new personal bests in the event, with Matthews' top attempt landing past 128 feet and Mitchell's best throw sailing over 121 feet.
The event presses on, but it looks as if Liberty may score some points in the women's javelin, where the Lady Flames were projected to be shut out.
I just saw Matthews make an easy high jump clearance at 4-8.75, and the bar will now move up to 4-9.75.
It appears that the decathletes are now taking their last of three attempts on the long jump runway.
12:40 p.m. - As promised, here are the decathlon standings, through the first of 10 events. Woodbridge and Edwards have joined the other decathletes in warming up for the long jump, their next event.
Decathlon Standings (Through One Event)
1) Benjamin Bowles, Charleston Southern - 830
2) Antonio Wood, VMI - 817
3) Dominique Riggins, Charleston Southern - 814
4) Geren Woodbridge, Liberty - 791
5) Evan Brusich, Gardner-Webb - 784
7) Drew Edwards, Liberty - 778
With a bit of a lull in the action, I will finally take the opportunity to dive into my "Bistro Box" and eat a quick lunch. The box promises "fresh baked bread," "home-made cookies," "crispy crunchy chips" and other fine delicacies, so I might be in for a treat!
12:34 p.m. - Both of Liberty's decathletes were able to parlay the favorable tailwind into season-best times. Geren Woodbridge placed fourth at 11.32, while Drew Edwards was seventh in 11.38 seconds. Benjamin Bowles of CSU posted the top overall time, with an 11.14 clocking. I'll provide updated decathlon standings shortly.
12:30 p.m. - Here is a look at the heptathlon standings, through one event. Both heats of the hurdles were aided by tailwinds, reading 1.7 m/s for the first heat and 1.4 m/s for the second.
Heptathlon Standings (Through One Event)
1) Amami Antia-Obong, Winthrop - 952
2) Patria Norman, Charleston Southern - 923
3) Krystle Matthews, Liberty - 890
4) Channell Futrell, Charleston Southern - 852
5) Christina Mitchell, Liberty - 805
11) Brittany Bingham, Liberty - 544
The heptathlon high jump will begin in five minutes, and it looks like the opening height will be 4-2.75. Matthews and Mitchell won't start jumping for a little while, because they are underway in the javelin competition, along with teammate Grace Esden.
12:25 p.m. - Geren Woodbridge got a great start, and led the opening portion of the decathlon 100-meter dash, before being overtaken by Charleston Southern's Dominique Riggins.
Drew Edwards appeared to finish either third or fourth in the second heat. No times have been posted yet, as the decathletes head to the long jump runway, located outside the stadium, behind the visiting bleachers.
12:10 p.m. - Let me give you a quick weather update before investigating my boxed lunch. The sun is shining with not a cloud in sight, and the temperature is rapidly approaching 70 degrees.
They just posted all of the heptathlon 100-meter hurdles times. Krystle Matthews is currently in third place, with Christina Mitchell in fifth. Brittany Bingham is 11th, with a 17.47 clocking.
Speaking of Brittany, please keep her mother Kelly Bingham in your prayers. She is trying to fly back from Nairobi, Kenya, and her travel plans have been altered significantly due to the volcano in Iceland.
12:05 p.m. - In the first heat of heptathlon hurdles, Amami Antia-Obong of Winthrop led the way in a stellar time of 14.19. Krystle Matthews followed in second place, in a personal-best 14.64 clocking. Krystle Matthews came in fourth, at 15.28.
Hometown favorite Patria Norman of Charleston Southern takes heat two in unofficially 14.38 seconds. They have not posted the rest of the times yet. I'll give you Brittany Bingham's time and the heptathlon point totals when they become available. It appears that Krystle Matthews is in third place, as the dozen heptathletes proceed to the high jump apron for their second event.
Next up on the track, at 12:20, is the decathlon 100-meter dash. Geren Woodbridge is entered in the first heat, while Drew Edwards is in the second section.
11:55 a.m. - Today's first team scoring update is provided above. Coastal Carolina grabs the early lead on the men's side, due to a 1-7-8 finish in the javelin. Leading the way was sophomore Jaosn Flanagan, at 219-11. High Point freshman Josh Pelletier took a somewhat unexpected second place with a 216-5 toss. Elliot Galeone was third for the second year in a row, at 213-10. Ryan Bell finished ninth at 186-6, just two inches out of eighth place.
Next up will be today's first running event, the heptathlon 100-meter hurdles. There will be two heats, including Krystle Matthews and Christina Mitchell in heat one and Brittany Bingham in heat two.
Also, the women's javelin throwers are starting to warm up for their event, at 12:30. Matthews and Mitchell are entered in that event as well, so will keep especially busy over the next hour or so.
11:25 a.m. - Elliot Galeone has a flair for the dramatic, as he saves his best javelin throw (213-10) for last. Unofficially, it appears he will finish third, behind Coastal Carolina's Jason Flanagan and High Point's Josh Pelletier.
I'm going to investigate the dining options at the hospitality room and will be back once the final javelin results are processed.
11:20 a.m. - Ryan Bell fouled his sixth and final javelin throw. So, he will not be able to defend his Big South title this year.
11:18 a.m. - Elliot Galeone's fifth javelin attempt stretched to 192-4, no improvement over his mark from the prelims. He and Bell will each have one throw left, to try to climb up the final standings.
11:10 a.m. - No improvement by Galeone on his first throw of the finals. The fireworks have been provided by Coastal Carolina's Jason Flanagan, who appears to have reclaimed the lead from High Point freshman Josh Pelletier with a 219-11 toss.
Bell just took his next-to-last attempt, which was his best of the day so far, 186-6.
11:05 a.m. - Ryan Bell's first attempt measured 181-0, and that puts him in ninth place, earning three more throws. It appears that Galeone is fifth at 201-5.
Bell just started off the finals with a 179-5 throw. He will have two attempts left, as he tries to defend his Big South title in this event.
10:55 a.m. - Elliot Galeone's third attempt just sailed 201-5, which should guarantee him a spot in the final. Ryan Bell fouled his throw. Hopefully his first attempt (which I did not see) was good, because the southpaw's second and third throws were not, as far as I could tell.
10:50 a.m. - The second flight of the men's javelin is underway, and the best throw I've seen so far is a 215-1 toss by top-seeded Jason Flanagan of Coastal Carolina. 190-5 is the best effort I've observed by Elliot Galeone, and I have not caught either of Ryan Bell's marks thus far.
The Liberty multi-event athletes have arrived and are making their way across the track. The heptathlon will start at noon, featuring Lady Flames Krystle Matthews, Christina Mitchell and Brittany Bingham. 20 minutes later, Geren Woodbridge and Drew Edwards will start day one of the decathlon.
10:30 a.m. - Ryan Bell, Elliot Galeone and the other flight two men's javelin throwers are warming up as the first flight winds down. The performance board is no longer being updated, so updates may once again become difficult.
In the meantime, I'll share something I learned during our six-hour plus bus ride down to South Carolina yesterday. Liberty redshirt senior Oronde Vassell is a man of many talents. During his spare time, he designs clothes. On Friday, he actually placed as the third runner-up in Liberty's charity fashion show. You can read more about the fashion show by clicking here.
The first flight of the men's javelin has officially concluded, and the flight two competitors are on the runway, warming up.
10:05 a.m. - We have been joined in the press box by Charleston Southern standout sprinter Cornelius Tyler. Unfortunately, he won't be able to compete this weekend, due to injury. The Buccaneers have no shortage of firepower in the sprinting events, though, with Javon Young and Levi Brooks still at their disposal.
In other injury news, Liberty seven-time All-American Sam Chelanga will be held out of this weekend's meet for precautionary reasons, as he is nursing a slight foot injury.
As a bit of more positive news, they have moved the javelin performance board into our field of vision. So, I'll try to keep track of the developments in this event, especially once the second flight gets rolling.
9:50 a.m. - As expected, it will be very difficult for me to provide very extensive men's javelin updates. The event is being contested behind the visiting bleachers, and the landing area is veiled in shade. I'll make my best efforts to give periodic updates though, because this is one of the marquee events at this meet.
Liberty boasts the defending Big South men's javelin champion, sophomore Ryan Bell, but he is seeded only No. 6 in this deep and talented field. Elliot Galeone is the No. 2 seed behind Coastal Carolina's Jason Flanagan, after throwing a career-best 214-5 at the Raleigh Relays.
Warm-ups are taking place for the first flight of the javelin currently. Bell, Galeone, Flanagan and the other top entrants will throw in flight two.
For the second straight year, I'm joined in blogging by 2007 Liberty alum Brad Salois. He will be documenting the VMI Keydets' performances at this weekend's meet for VMIKeydets.com.
That's it for now. I'll go back to listening to the Beach Boys music currently blaring over the loudspeakers.
9:30 a.m. – Welcome to North Charleston, South Carolina, where the sun is shining at Charleston Southern's Bagwell-Settle Track, as we approach the official start of the 2010 Big South Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 30 minutes.
April 15 is not eagerly anticipated by most Americans, but today's date has been circled and highlighted on the calendar by Liberty track & field coaches, student-athletes and fans alike. Beginning at 10 a.m., 70 different Flames and Lady Flames will compete against the Big South's best for three days, in an effort to etch their names in the history book.
No Big South school has ever won the "Double Triple" in a single year, consisting of conference titles in men's cross country, women's cross country, men's indoor track & field, women's indoor track & field, men's outdoor track & field and women's outdoor track & field. Liberty is two-thirds of the way there, and hopes to complete the feat this weekend.
Eight of the meet's 42 event finals will be completed during today's nine hours of action, including the men's and women's javelin, men's and women's hammer, men's and women's long jump and men's and women's 10K.
The decathlon and heptathlon, traditionally two of Liberty's strongest events, will also get underway this afternoon.
From my vantage point, it will be difficult to provide frequent field event updates this weekend, but I will be sure to pass along any information I receive. I will focus most of my blogging attention on the running events, which will be easiest for me to observe and describe.
I have also provided links at the top of this story for the Big South Network's video streaming coverage of the meet (available for a small fee), as well as the live results page.
I will be back shortly to set the stage for the men's javelin, the first event on today's schedule with a 10 a.m. start time. This event promises to open the meet with a bang, as the field features six of the East Region's top 58 javelin throwers, including Liberty's Ryan Bell and Elliot Galeone.
All in all, we're set for approximately 24 hours of track & field action over the next three days. With all of the individual and team competitions and subplots which will unfold during that time, Jack Bauer would be proud. Stay tuned!
