Statesboro, Ga., Jamel Brown won the 110m hurdles with a personal-best time of 14.61 as the Bulldogs concluded the 2009 Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Statesboro, Ga., on Sunday. The men finished third with 70 points while the women tallied 27 points for eighth place.
Brown continues to write his name in history as he moved to the sixth all-time spot. In the 400m hurdles, Brown struggled after falling at the second hurdle but came back to finish fourth with a time of 56.56. He qualified for the NCAA regional in both the 110m and 400m hurdles.
Brown, Christopher Graham, Zach Johnson and Brian Baize finished second in the men's 4x400m relay with a time of 3:20.37 tabbing All-Conference honors. The Bulldog relay team forced Appalachian State to finish third allowing Western Carolina to finish first and win the men's title.
Freshman Aaron Overton earned points for the men's team with his third place finish in the high jump with a personal-best mark of 6' 6.75” to earn All-Conference accolades. He also moves to the seventh all-time spot in The Citadel's top 10 list. James Harris followed fourth with his personal-best mark of 6' 6.75” in the high jump.
Freshman Brillyance Gilchrist-Poteat placed fourth in the finals of the 100m hurdles with a time of 14.97 and she finished sixth in the 400m hurdles with a personal-best time of 65.00 clinching the No. 3 spot in the all-time lists.
Shaquill Smith finished fourth in the triple jump with a mark of 45' 11.75” while Quintin Turner placed fourth in the discus with a personal-best mark of 151' 9”. He came back and finished sixth in the shot put with a personal-best throw of 48' 0.5”. Kevin Hardy, Keith Gamble, Christian and Christopher Graham ran the 4x100m relay with a time of 42.69 for fourth place.
Freshman Theresa Johansen threw a personal-best in the discus with a mark of 123' 1.00” moving to the fifth all-time spot in school history. Sarah Creel, Francesca McCrary, Jodi Whittle and Gilchrist-Poteat ran the third all-time record and season-best time of 49.22 in the 4x100m relay to finish sixth.
Brian Baize concluded the decathlon scoring a personal-best of 5,987 for sixth place to earn the second all-time record while Zach Johnson placed seventh in the 800m with a time of 1:56.95. Gilchrist-Poteat, Erinn Carter, Megan Jenkins and Whittle finished eighth with a time of 4:01.24 in the 4x400m relay.
Gilchrist-Poteat made the All-Freshman team with her finish in the 110m hurdles and Johansen also made the All-Freshman team for the hammer and the discus. For the men, Hardy made the All-Freshman team for the long jump and Overton tallied the honors for the high jump.
Western Carolina men's team took their fourth title with 254 points, only a half of a point above Appalachian State who finished second with 253.5 points. Appalachian State women's team won with 210.5 points.
“It was a great meet for the men as it was the tightest race for third that I have ever experienced,” states head coach Jody Huddleston. “We were only half a point ahead of Samford and one and half points ahead of Davidson before the men's 4x400m relay. Jamel was key for the men's team after falling in the 400m hurdles and still finishing fourth and the way he anchored in the 4x400m relay. He is the MVP in the high hurdles and the relay.
“I am really proud of the improvement for the women's team. We only scored three points at the indoor championships and we scored 27 points in outdoors. We earned points in the relays, throws, sprints and hurdles and it's great to see the quick improvement. I also look forward to having Brillyance around for another three years. As a freshman making it to the finals in both hurdles and scoring points in the relays is such a good sight to see.”
On the end of the season, Coach Huddleston said, “It was also a sad day for the Bulldogs. I am very proud of all the seniors and their contribution to the track and field program. They will truly be missed. We will also miss Thomas Cummings who has coached the hurdlers and sprinters, like Jamel and Brillyance, who scored points. However, Jamel will come and take his place as he attends graduate school at The Citadel. So, good things are in store for the Bulldogs.”
For more information on Bulldog Track and Field, visit the official website of The Citadel Athletics at www.CitadelSports.com.
