Ben Johnson has career day, Zach Johnson and Noah Shelton win first golds as freshmen

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. / CULLOWHEE, N.C. (April 13, 2019) – The Buccaneers concluded split squad action this weekend at the 52nd Tennessee Relays and the Catamount Classic meets on Saturday, taking home a pair of victories in Cullowhee.

Redshirt senior Ben Johnson (Nashville) was the highlight of the day, once again etching his name in the record books with a pair of school records. Johnson broke his own record in the men's discus at 52.82 meters, while breaking Jarrod Burton's outdoor shot put record with a mark of 16.47m. Johnson now holds five individual school records — the most held by one individual in school history.

Catamount Classic Highlights

• Ben Johnson had two victories and two personal bests, winning the men's discus (52.82) and men's hammer (59.49) while placing second in the shot put (16.47). The shot put and discus throws became school records. Johnson ranks first in the conference in the events he won, while remaining second in the shot put.

• Freshman Noah Shelton (Gray) won his first career event on Saturday, throwing a 49.01m mark in the men’s javelin in his final attempt. He ranks sixth in the SoCon and first among freshmen.

• Freshman Zach Johnson (Kingsport) also picked up his first gold at the meet, winning the men’s 3000m steeplechase with a time of 10:13.77. Johnson was also sixth in the men’s 1500. 

• ETSU had a 2-3 finish in the women’s 800 with sophomore Heather Feuchtenberger (Elizabethton) taking second and redshirt sophomore Emily Lord (Morristown) finishing third with a personal record of 2:18.44.
   
• Freshman Shila Kapaya (Knoxville) finished fifth in the women’s 1500 meter run with a new personal best time of 5:03.04. 

• In the women’s 400 meter hurdles, freshman Brittney Griffith (Kingsport) led ETSU and finished third, while sophomore Gia Faoro (Knoxville) rounded out the top five.

• Senior Hunter Sampson (Salem, Va.) now sits in fourth on the conference performance list in the men’s 400, placing third at the Catamount Classic at 49.42.

• Sophomore Jaden Finch (Glen Aubrey, N.Y.) led ETSU’s attached athletes in the women’s hammer with a launch of 48.37m — a new personal best — to place third.

• Finch and sophomore Symphony Buxton (Knoxville) finished second and fourth, respectively, in the women's discus, with Buxton setting a new PR of 40.70m.

• Junior Paige Peterson (Alpharetta, Ga.) set PRs in the javelin and the triple jump, placing third for a podium finish in the triple jump at 11.70m. Senior Nyambi Shoates (Atlanta, Ga.) rounded out the top five, while freshman Khiara White (Stone Mountain, Ga.) was sixth with her new PR of 11.26m.

• Shoates placed fourth in the women’s long jump, falling 0.02 meters short of a personal record. Sophomore Kendra Whitehurst (Atlanta) missed her PR by the same amount as Shoates, finishing seventh.

• The 4x400 relay team capped off the meet for the Blue and Gold, placing second at 4:05.70.

Tennessee Relays Highlights

• The 4x400 relay quartet recorded its fastest time of its outdoor season at 3:49.94 to finish ninth in the event. ETSU ranks third in the conference in the 4x400 this season.

• Senior Yohana Koko (Alcoa) placed 13th in the men’s triple jump at 14.12m. 

• Freshman Mekayla Brown (Elgin, S.C.) finished 12th in the triple jump with a mark of 11.67m. Sophomore Aliyah Hill (Snellville, Ga.) was 17th with a mark of 11.10m.

Up Next

ETSU is two weeks away from the 2019 Southern Conference Outdoor Championships and will have one more spilt squad weekend at the Virginia Challenge and the USC Outdoor Open April 19-20.

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