ETSU Track and Field opens outdoor season in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 15, 2019) – The ETSU Track and Field team opened the 2019 outdoor season with two individual wins on its first day of the Charlotte 49er Classic on Friday.

Distance runners Noah Charles (Johnson City) and Ben Varghese (Kingsport) both took home golds in their respective events to jumpstart ETSU’s opening outdoor competition. A number of other Bucs started strong with good finishes and personal bests across the board.

Track Highlights from Day One

• Following a third place finish in the 3000 meter steeplechase last year, Charles had the top time this season at the meet. He broke the tape at 9:06.20, edging second place by .31 seconds.

• Varghese headed up a solid representation for the Blue and Gold in the men’s 1500 meter run — winning the race at 3:50.22 for a personal record. Running unattached, Adam Bradtmueller (Sarasota, Fla.) finished third, while sophomore Matt Scarr (Wamberal, NSW, Australia) placed fourth in the field of 118 runners.

• Senior Lamisha Simmons (Hollywood, Fla.) made her 2019 outdoor debut in the women’s 100 meter hurdles, placing third of 43 with a time of 14.29. The top time was 14.09.

• Sophomore Lindsey Stallworth (Knoxville) shattered a PR and recorded a top five finish in the women’s 1500m with a time of 4:32.45. Freshman Genevieve Schwarz (Oak Ridge) placed third among freshman and 17th overall at 4:43.98 in her collegiate outdoor debut.

• In the women’s 5000m open, sophomore Makayla Shaw (Jonesborough) showed promise with a new personal record time of 18:24.71, placing fifth of 49 runners.

• Redshirt freshman Kashif Warren (Knoxville) showed extreme improvement in the men’s 100, stopping the timer at 11.08 to set a new personal best (previously 11.24).

Field Highlights from Day One

• Redshirt senior Ben Johnson (Nashville) began the second half of his final season with a second place finish in the javelin at 64.19 meters. 

• Sophomore Jaden Finch (Glen Aubrey, N.Y.) also had an excellent start to outdoor season, setting a new personal best in the women’s discus at 41.52m to place sixth in a field of 38 throwers.

• Simmons joined Finch in that field following her 100 meter hurdles event, setting a new PR and placing ninth in the discus throw at 40.14m.

• Finch also broke a personal record in the women’s hammer, setting her new standard at 41.77m.

• Making his outdoor debut in the men’s hammer, freshman Kolin Miller (Lebanon) tossed a 45.89m mark to place 11th — first among freshmen — and crack the top half of the pack.

Up Next

The Bucs will complete the Charlotte 49er Classic on Saturday, with the first scheduled event being the men’s shot put set to begin at 10 a.m. Ben Johnson will represent the Bucs in that event.

The first track event of the day takes place at noon with the women’s 4x100 relay finals, as ETSU plans to trot out at least one team of runners.

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For more information on ETSU track and field, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the track and field pages. Also, follow the program on Twitter @ETSU_TF_XC and on Instagram at the handle @etsuxctf.