AUSTIN -- ACU decathlete
Camille Vandendriessche had a record-setting
day at the Texas Relays on Thursday as he posted the best point total
in NCAA Division II track and field this season on his way to a
fifth-place finish in the event.
Vandendriessche broke ACU's record for second-day points in the
decathlon with 3,902 on his way to a final total of 7,559 points, an
automatic qualifying total for next month's NCAA Division II outdoor
championship meet. His teammate,
Chris Pounds, also posted an
automatic qualifying mark in the decathlon, finishing 12th with 7,010
points.
Vandendriessche and Pounds are now 1-2 on the NCAA Division II
qualifier list, while Vandendriessche's total is the fourth-best total
among all collegians this year. His second-day point total broke
the old record of 3,881 set in 1984 by Greg Culp at the NCAA Division
II championship meet. Pounds' total is the 11th-best collegiate
total in the nation in 2008.
Also at the Texas Relays on Thursday, ACU heptathlete
Jessica Withrow
finished 12th with a solid provisional qualifying mark of 4,738
points. Also, freshman hurdler
Billy Walker qualified for
Saturday's final in the 400 meter hurdles as he covered the track in
55.11 seconds.
Destinee Nixon ran a 1:03.90 in the women's 400
hurdles, bettering her previous personal best by almost two seconds.
Vandendriessche enjoyed an outstanding day, especially in the field
events. He broke the ACU decathlon record in the discus with a
throw of 162-10, which is also a provisional qualifying mark in that
individual event for the national meet. He bettered his
provisional mark in the pole vault with a vault of 15-11.0 to score 865
points.
Pounds was also solid on Thursday. He threw the javelin 178-10,
but his best event of the day was the 110 hurdles where he ran a 15.15
to score 831 points.
Withrow's best event on Thursday was the long jump where she jumped 17-0.25 to record 612 points.
At the McMurry Relays in Abilene, the Wildcats had several athletes in
action, including freshman throwing sensation
Tyler Fleet, who won the
hammer in his fourth straight meet. Fleet threw the discus a
career-best 186-7 to better his nation's best provisional qualifying
mark in the event.
Kellie Clements won the women's shot put with a mark of 48-8.25 to
better her provisional qualifying mark in that event.
Landon Ehlers and
Stephen Toler finished tied for second in the pole vault
with marks of 16-0.00 as each bettered their previous provisional
qualifying marks.
Several other Wildcats won events on Thursday at McMurry, although none
were qualifying marks.
Katy Attaya won the 100 hurdles, while
Lindsey Putman (800 meters),
Hayley Garner (3000 steeplechase),
Paige Newby (discus) and
Jessica Sloss (hammer throw) also won events on the
women's side.
Eric Brown was the only other ACU male athlete to
win an event Thursday as he took the title in the 3000 steeplechase.
Several former ACU track and field standouts won events Thursday at
McMurry, including former distance standout
Nicodemus Naimadu, who won
the 1500 meters in 3:56.43. Former national champions Nic
Alexander (men's 100 meters), Stephanie Warren (triple jump) and
Angie Aguilar (pole vault) won their events as well.
