JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Feb. 16, 2007) - With one full day of competition under their belts, the Buccaneer men's track and field squad stands in second place, while the women's squad stands in third at the Atlantic Sun Indoor Track and Field Championships, held in Memorial Center.

With five events completed, Gardner-Webb stands atop the heap with 42 points, followed by ETSU with 33, and Campbell with 31 on the men's side. On the women's side, after five events completed, Jacksonville leads with 62 points, followed by North Florida with 32.50, and ETSU with 24. The men bagged a total of three medals on the day, while women earned two medals, including one conference title.

Senior Anna Marie Ricciardi (Canfield, Ohio) was the first Buccaneer to strike gold on the weekend, clearing 5-05.75 (1.67m) in the high jump. Freshman Brooke Berarducci (Knoxville, Tenn.) earned a silver medal in the shot put with a personal best heave of 42-00 (12.80m). Also scoring in the women's shot put was freshman Zachlynn Blackburn (Tazewell, Va.). Blackburn finished sixth with a toss of 39-00 (12.06m).

The women's distance medley relay team of Heather Adkins (Kansas City, Mo.), Jasmine Redford (Johnson City, Tenn.), Vicki Currie (Dumfries, Scotland), and Valerie Boothby (Glen Gardner, N.J.) earned a scoring performance, finishing fourth in a time of 12:39.92. Sophomore Tashauna Robinson (Trelowny, Jamaica, W.I.) earned a point for the Bucs as she finished sixth overall in the women's long jump with a leap of 17-06.75 (5.35m).

Sprinters Jenny Knox (Connelly Springs, N.C.), Cagney Bailey (Statesville, N.C.), Octavia Burgess (Morganton, N.C.) had solid races in the 60-meter prelims.  The trio posted times 7.72 or better and claimed spots in tomorrow's final.

On the men's side, the distance medley relay team of Josh Hicks (Riceville, Tenn.), Josh Rock (Spotsylvania, Va.), David McDaniel (Elizabethton, Tenn.), and Jeff Crane (Taylors, S.C.) earned a silver medal, posting a time of 10:26.91. In shot put, Dakota Cagle (Rutherford College, N.C.) and Jarrod Burton (Bastian, Va.) earned silver and bronze medals respectively. Cagle earned second with a heave of 49-04.50 (15.05m), while Burton earned third with a toss of 49-03.75 (15.03m).

Junior Mike Wright (Chattanooga, Tenn.) had a big day for the Bucs, qualifying for the 60-meter hurdles final tomorrow after posting a time of 8.26 in the prelims.  The junior is also sitting comfortably atop the men's heptathlon standings after four events, netting top finishes in all but one of the first day's events. 

Wright's four-event total of 2729, is 158 points ahead of teammate Nicholas Chernikow (Seymour, Tenn.), who is currently in second place with 2571.  Wright was especially clutch in the high jump, clearing 6-04.75 (1.95m), the best mark in the competition by nearly eight inches. The heptathlon is set to wrap tomorrow morning, with the 60m-hurdles, pole vault, and 1000-meter run remaining.

Elsewhere on day one, Wright, Nate Strickland (Morganton, N.C.) and Mike Reber (Sunbright, Tenn.) all notched scoring performances in the long jump. Wright led the way with a jump of 22-01.50 (6.74m), followed by Strickland's leap of 21-10.75 (6.67m), and Reber's jump of 21-10 (6.65m).

Drew Beamer (Johnson City, Tenn.) and Dave Thomas (Maryville, Tenn.) notched scoring performances in the pole vault. Beamer cleared the bar at 15-01 (4.60m) and Thomas' mark was 14-07.25 (4.45m) respectively. Beamer's jump broke the school record which was previously held by Daniel Williams (14-7.25) as he set it at last year's Niswonger Invitational.

Sprinters Derek Carey (Nassau, Bahamas) and Johnny Tucker (Spartanburg, S.C.) each had solid performances for the Bucs in the 60-meter prelims. Carey posted a mark of 6.97, while Tucker finished in 6.98 respectively. Both runners claimed spots in the finals tomorrow.

Competition in the Mini-Dome continues Saturday morning, with the men's heptathlon 60-meter hurdles kicking off the action at 8:40 a.m.