ACU set to defend titles
5/21/2009 2:38:00 AM
SAN ANGELO – The ACU men's and women's track and field teams will begin defense of their respective NCAA Division II outdoor championships Thursday at the 2009 outdoor championship meet at Angelo State's LeGrand Sports Complex.
The ACU men's team will send 17 athletes in 13 events and two relays to San Angelo for its title defense. The ACU women, meanwhile, are longshots to defend their team national championship after qualifying just nine athletes in eight events and two relays. The ACU women have been hampered by injuries all season with heptathlete national champion Jessica Withrow headlining the list of ACU athletes who have missed the entire season.
The ACU men will be challenged by the usual cast of suspects in St. Augustine's (N.C.), Ashland (Ohio), Adams State (Colo.), Western State (Colo.) and Grand Valley State (Mich.).
The Wildcats have the top-ranked athlete in the decathlon (Camille Vandendriessche), the No. 2-ranked athlete in the 110 hurdles (Andrew McDowell) and in the 3000 steeplechase (Daniel Maina), and five other athletes ranked in the top five in their respective events.
ACU also has the fastest qualifying time in the 4x400 relay at 3:08.36, but that is deceving. Last month at the Penn Relays, St. Augustine's set the NCAA Division II record in the event by running a 3:02.10 to finish second to Florida State at the Penn Relays.
The quartet of Rahsard Johnston, Antonio Abney, Randy Curry and Josh Scott broke the old Division II record of 3:03.83 set by ACU in 1984, but that foursome is not entered in the meet together.
Instead, St. Aug's entered its team of Alvin Miles, Johnston, Karym Greaves and Curry, which ran a 3:10.17 to qualify fourth. The Flying Falcons now have two extra athletes in the meet because of the decision to go with the slower time.
ACU has eight athletes who will be competing in multiple events, led by defending national champions Vandendriessche (decathlon and pole vault) and Nick Jones (discus and shot put). Vandendriessche is trying to become just the second athlete in NCAA history to win three straight decathlon national titles, and just the third athlete in NCAA history to win three decathlon national titles in a career.
Jones won the discus last year and returns in 2009 as the fourth-ranked thrower, and he will also compete in the shot put. Also competing in multiple individual events are Desmond Jackson (100 meters, 200 meters), Jordan Johnson (200 meters, 400 meters), Amos Sang (5000 meters, 10,000 meters), Cleophas Tanui (5000 meters, 10,000 meters), Daniel Maina (5000 meters, Steeplechase), and Ramon Sparks (long jump, triple jump).
On the women's side, defending national champion Linda Brivule (javelin) is the only Wildcats ranked No. 1 in an event going into the national championship meet. ACU, though, does have two other athletes ranked in the top five in their respective events.
Redshirt junior Kim Prather will compete in the 200 meters and 400 meters, while sprinter Wanda Hutson will compete in the 100 meters and 2000 meters.
ACU MEN'S ENTRIES
(National ranking listed before athlete)
100 meters -- 10. Desmond Jackson
200 metes -- 6. Jordan Johnson; 9. Desmond Jackson
400 meters -- 5. Raymond Radway; 20. Jordan Johnson
5000 meters -- 6. Amos Sang; 15. Cleophas Tanui; 17. Daniel Maina
10,000 meters -- 3. Amos Sang; 6. Dleophas Tanui
110 hurdles -- 2. Andrew McDowell
3000 Steeplechase -- 2. Daniel Maina
4x100 relay -- 4. Abilene Christian
4x400 relay -- 1. Abilene Christian
Pole vault -- 4. Stephen Toler; 8. Cory Altenberg; 10. Aaron Cantrell; 17. Camille Vandendriessche; 19. Landon Ehlers
Long jump -- 8. Ramon Sparks
Triple jump -- 4. Ramon Sparks; 5. Idiato Jeremiah; 13. Gerald Chenyi
Shot put -- 9. Nick Jones
Discus -- 4. Nick Jones
Decathlon -- 1. Camille Vandendriessche; 8. James Hardin
ACU WOMEN'S ENTRIES
(National ranking listed before athlete)
100 meters -- 5. Wanda Hutson
200 meters -- 5. Kim Prather; 11. Wanda Hutson
400 meters -- 2. Kim Prather; 9. Azraa Rounds
5000 meters -- 15. Winrose Karunde
4x100 relay -- 4. Abilene Christian
4x400 relay -- 7. Abilene Christian
Pole vault -- 4. Callie Young
Triple jump -- 11. Amanda Clemons; 17. Destinee Nixon
Discus -- 4. Paige Newby
Javelin -- 1. Linda Brivule
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