University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics
UNC Invitational
Spartans Wrap-up Final Meet before A-Sun Championships
2/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Feb. 12, 2010
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Competing in the final meet prior to the Atlantic Sun Indoor Championships in two weeks, the USC Upstate track and field team had several strong performances on Friday at the UNC Invitational.
Leading Upstate on Friday was David Dennison. Dennison (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) became the first Spartan to compete the 800-meter run in under two minutes. His time of 1:59.73 gave him a 15th place finish. Cameron Thomas (Niceville, Fla./Niceville) and Dustin Thomas (Harrisburg, N.C./Hickory Ridge) finished 24th and 40th, respectively in the event.
In the mile run, Gilbert Kemboi (Eldoret, Kenya/Kangetuny) posted a seventh place finish with a school-record time of 4:20.30. Kemboi becomes the third Spartan in two weeks to set the mark as Cameron Thomas and Dennison set the record in back-to-back heats a week ago at the Vince Brown Invitational.
Eric Chapman (Cowpens, S.C./Broome) competed in the shot put and weight throw on Friday. In the weight throw, Chapman finished seventh with a throw of 50-11.00/15.52m, as he became the first Spartan to ever record a throw of 50 feet or farther.
In the 60-meter dash, Dominic Simon (Sumter, S.C./Sumter) and Graham Long (Easley, S.C./Riverside) both set personal-bests. Simon posted a time of 7.41, while Long recorded a time of 7.50. The pair set their previous bests at the Niswonger Invitational (1/22).
LaTerrica Blocker (Stone Mountain, Ga./Redan) became the first Spartan to record a throw of 37 feet or farther in the women's shot put. She recorded a toss of 37-08.00/11.48m en route to a sixth-place finish. In the weight throw, she recorded a mark of 40-01.50.
Camille Masanotti (Ladson, S.C./Stratford) continued to raise the bar in the pole vault. She cleared a height of 10-08.00/3.25m to set a school-record in the event for the third time this season.
Carolyne Chelulei (Eldoret, Kenya/Alliance Girls) set two personal-bests on Friday afternoon. In the 800-meter run, Chelulei finished seventh with a time of 2:22.18. Her previous best came at the UNC Classic (1/24/09) when she posted a time of 2:29.80.
In the mile run, Chelulei finished fourth with a time of 5:12.15, which was nearly 10 seconds faster than her time at last season's A-Sun Indoor Championships (2/20/09). Joan Tangwar (Eldoret, Kenya/St. Joseph's Girls) also competed in the 800-meter and mile runs and finished in 15th place in both events.
The Spartans will take a break from action next weekend before traveling to the A-Sun Indoor Championships. The two-day event in Johnson City, Tenn. will begin on Feb. 26.
