Charleston, S.C. – The Citadel track and field teams added to its successful history with another outstanding season in 2012. The 2012 season was highlighted with a conference championship in the 400 at the indoor meet and a long jump championship in the outdoor meet, four athletes landing on the all-conference honors list and a slew of new records etched in the men's and women's record books.
At the 2012 Southern Conference Indoor Championship, Brunson Miller broke a 23-year-old Southern Conference record in the 400 set by VMI's Mario Small posting a time of 46.97 en route to earning his seventh SoCon title and third consecutive in the event. Miller was also named the 2012 Most Outstanding Track Performer for the indoor championship meet by the conference.
Eddie Jones and Denard Smith capped off spectacular seasons in the sand pit at the 2012 Southern Conference Outdoor Championships as Jones jumped a personal-best mark of 23'11.25" to win the conference championship in the long jump. Smith nabbed second place in the long jump with a mark of 22'11.75" to earn all-conference honors.
Decathlete Ellison Glenn was the team's biggest surprise this season. Glenn, who walked on the team as a senior, improved each week and capped his short collegiate track career with a fourth place finish in the decathlon and eighth place mark in the javelin at the 2012 SoCon Outdoor Championship.
"He came in and asked to be part of the team and we debated, but he kept coming to practice and sticking with it so we gave him a shot to see how it would shake out for us and it worked out amazingly," said Bulldog head coach Jody Huddleston. "Taking fourth and eighth place and earning points in the conference meet after competing in college track for just one year is amazing."
Javelin thrower Clay Allen had one of the most successful seasons among the team's field performers, finishing just shy of the school record set by now assistant coach Kris Kut (204'10") with a heave of 204'6".
Unfortunately, Allen's mark ranked him 57th in the region leaving him outside of the top-48 NCAA East Regional Qualifier by just over two feet.
"Clay Allen will have some big throws next year and I believe he will get stronger and land his name solidly on the top-48 list next year," said Huddleston.
With most of the conference point scorers returning next season and a solid recruiting class to fill the holes of the graduating seniors, Coach Huddleston has high hopes for another successful season in 2012-13.
"We are excited about the new recruits as we have some good talent coming back and some good kids coming in as well," said Huddleston. "We have some good athletes on the women's side coming in as well as a good rotation from last season so I expect positive things for next season."
The Citadel cross country and track and field teams culminated their season with their annual awards banquet on April 24 at the Altman Center where head coach Jody Huddleston and assistant coach Kris Kut handed out awards and celebrated their accomplishments with coaches, athletic staff members, family, friends and alumni in attendance.
The banquet began with the announcement of first-year letter winners followed by the senior recognition. The Bulldog men and women will each graduate seven seniors. Christian Graham, Brent Little, Quintin Turner, PJ Wasilchak, Shane Woodard, Blane Woodfin and Ellison Glenn closed out their careers for the men while Erinn Carter, Anna Fuzy, Theresa Johansen, Francesca McCrary, Whitney Nave and Mia Trevino graduate from the women's team.
Cross Country Awards
Men's Most Valuable Player – Kyle Keene
- Junior Kyle Keene led all Bulldog runners in three of the five races which he participated in during the 2011 season. The Greenville, S.C., native recorded a time of 25:18 at the Southern Conference Championship race, which is the fastest 8k time in program history for the conference championship race. Keene is on track to become only the second runner in school history, and first since the 1970's, to record an 8k time under 25 minutes.
Women's Most Valuable Player – Danielle McKee
- Sophomore Danielle McKee led the Bulldog women in every race of the season for the second consecutive year. The Fayetteville, N.C., native broke The Citadel's previous 5k record of 18:59 on two occasions this season, first in Charlotte, N.C., where she recorded a time of 18:24 and lastly in the SoCon Championship race where she shattered the record by 15 seconds, running a time of 18:09 at the Southern Conference Championship race.
Mandi Garcia Outstanding Competitor Award – Emily Fields
(Garcia was the first female athlete at The Citadel. She was a member of the track and cross country teams in 1997-2001.)
Men's Outstanding Competitor Award – Austin Waldrop
The Bulldog Award – Raeven Lantz and Nicole Ogilbee
Following the cross country awards was the presentation of the all-conference awards earned during the indoor and outdoor season. The Bulldogs earned all-conference honors in four events at the 2012 SoCon Indoor Championships with Brunson Miller collecting a conference title in the 400 giving the junior seven for his career and earning second in the 200. The 4x400 relay team of Jamaal Brantley, Daniel Till, Keith Lemay and Brunson Miller nabbed second place along with Quintin Turner in the shot put.
The Bulldogs collected an impressive five all-conference awards at the 2012 Outdoor SoCon Championships including a long jump championship from sophomore Eddie Jones. The 4x400 team of Brantley, Till, Jordan Ashley and Blane Woodfin, along with Denard Smith (triple jump), Turner (shot put) and Clay Allen (javelin) all collected second place marks.
Track and Field Awards
Men's Most Valuable Player – Quintin Turner
- Senior Quintin Turner is in the top 10 in every event in which he competes. He is second all-time in the 35-pound weight throw and hammer, third in the discus and seventh in the indoor and outdoor shot put. Quintin took second place in the shot put at the 2012 Southern Conference outdoor meet and was second in the discus at the 2010 outdoor meet to earn all-conference honors.
Women's Most Valuable Player – Nicole Levermann
- In two seasons Nicole Levermann has etched her name in The Citadel's record book in multiple events, including the top mark in the pentathlon and indoor high jump. In indoor track and field she ranks second in school history in the long jump and 55 and 60 meter hurdles and in outdoor events she is second in the high jump, third in the heptathlon, fifth in the long jump and seventh in the shot put.
High Point Awards – Quintin Turner (113) and Andriana Love (76)
(Awarded to the top point scorers on both the men's and women's teams.)
Outstanding Track Athlete Awards – Jamaal Brantley and Micah Wessinger
Outstanding Field Athlete Awards – Eddie Jones and Savannah Emmrich
Most Improved Awards – Clay Allen and Kasandra Polson
Tom Metzger Award – Dylan Gidado and Tanisha Bethel
(Captain Tom Metzger '61 was a two-time Southern Conference champion from The Citadel whose sacrafices in action during the Vietnam War were displayed in the book We Were Soldiers Once… and Young and the movie We Were Soldiers.)
The final honor of the night was a fun award based off a Saturday Night Live skit titled "Bill Brasky". The Brasky award goes to the athletes that did something abnormal or different for the team during the season. Ellison Glenn and Francesca McCrary received the humorous honor this year.
McCrary came into the program as a hurdler and ended up doing just about everything on the track. The senior was thrown into relays and sprints where needed and ended up being a member of the 4x200 relay team that broke the school record.
For more information on Bulldog track and field, visit the official website of The Citadel Athletics at www.citadelsports.com.
