ETSU men win four of five events; Katerina Vodova notches two event victories

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Feb. 21, 2014) – The ETSU track & field program recorded six event victories on a very productive day one on Friday at the 2014 Atlantic Sun Indoor Track & Field Championships at the JDL Fast Track Indoor Track & Field Facility.

Following day one competition at the Championship, the men currently stand first with 62 points. The Kennesaw State Owls are nipping at the Bucs’ heels though in second place with 59 points. The Blue & Gold took the top spot in four events and tallied five top-three performances.

The women presently are slotted into second place with 34 points, trailing leader Jacksonville who has 70 points. ETSU shares the 34-point total with Kennesaw State but edges it in the standings with two event wins and three top-three performances.

“We had a very good meet today,” said ETSU Director of Track & Field/Cross Country George Watts, “as we won six events and scored well in the other four.”

On the men’s side, a trio of ETSU freshmen stifled the competition. Rookie Brett Squibbs (Rock Hill, S.C.) continues to impress in the pole vault with a first-place mark of 4.91 meters. Fellow frosh Simeon Roberts (Greeneville, Tenn.) also earned first in the 3,000 meter run with a personal-best and Atlantic Sun Indoor Championship record 8:18.53 time. First-year thrower Jake Dunlap (Fulks Run, Va.) took the top spot in the shot put with a toss of 14.32 meters.

Additionally, the team of Angus Baldwin (Tumbi Umbi, Australia), Desmond Pierce (Morristown, Tenn.), Thomas Miller (Lithonia, Ga.) and Filip Jalovy (Modrice, Czech Republic) raced to a first-place finish in the distance medley relay with a time of 10:07.91 behind a great anchoring leg from Jalovy.

In men’s heptathlon events, Stephond Allmond (Memphis, Tenn.) won the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.26 while also placing third in the shot put with a collegiate-high throw of 11.31 meters. 

Katerina Vodova (Humpolec, Czech Republic) was the catalyst in a strong showing by the women; taking first place in two events. In the long jump, Vodova leapt to a collegiate-best mark of 6.01 meters, while in the high jump, the native Czech set a new A-Sun Indoor Championship record with an also collegiate-high flight of 1.77 meters.

In the 3,000 meter run, Katie Hirko (Oley, Pa.) ran a personal-best 9:56.70 time to finish fourth, while also anchoring a third-place finish in the distance medley relay (12:11.54) along with teammates Chelsea Clark (Fairmont, W. Va.), Carolyn Hinch (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Lisa Pallotta (Leesburg, Va.).

Furthermore, Dede Edgecombe (Spartanburg, S.C.) once again broke her ETSU school record in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.41 in the prelims to advance to tomorrow’s final.

Action at the Championships will pick back up Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. with men’s heptathlon events including the 60 meter hurdles, pole vault and 1,000 meter run.

“We need to follow up today’s performance with an equally good day tomorrow,” said Watts.  “All in all, it was an exciting and fun day for the ETSU track and field teams.”          

Meet information for the 2014 Atlantic Sun Indoor Track & Field Championships can be found at AtlanticSun.Org. Live results can be accessed at Half-MileTiming.com. Complete recaps of ETSU’s performances each day will be available at ETSUBucs.com.

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