University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics
A-Sun Indoor Championships
Kemboi Leads Spartan Charge on Final Day of Competition
2/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Feb. 27, 2010
Final Men's Results
Final Women's Results
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - The USC Upstate track and field team, led by Gilbert Kemboi, wrapped up the 2010 Atlantic Sun Conference Indoor Championships today. On Saturday, Kemboi won the 5000-meter run, inside the MHSA Athletic Complex on the campus of ETSU.
Kemboi (Eldoret, Kenya/Kangetuny) recorded a championship time of 14:51.37 and was less than seven seconds off of the A-Sun Championship record. The freshman defeated Kenneth Rotich of ETSU by more than eight seconds. It was the second consecutive event that Kemboi defeated Rotich. He defeated Rotich by roughly six seconds in yesterday's 3000-meter run.
"I think it is safe to say that Gilbert is one of the best freshmen in all of Division-I track," said head track and field coach Jimmy Stephens. "He is a tremendous athlete and it will be a lot of fun to see what he will be able to do during the course of his career.
Kemboi's two individual championships earned him the distinction of being named the A-Sun's Most Outstanding Freshman Performer.
In the 60-meter hurdles, Brandon Curry (Anderson, S.C./Pendleton) posted a fifth-place finish with a time of 8.76. Danny Moore (Spartanburg, S.C./Dorman) finished just two spots back of his teammate Curry with a time of 9.10.
In the 400-meter dash, Michael Meissner (Cottage Grove, Minn./UW-River Falls) posted a seventh-place finish with an event time of 50.14. Meissner's time set a new Upstate school mark.
Upstate finished sixth overall in the championship event. Kennesaw State claimed the championship with 187 total points. ETSU finished just behind KSU as it tallied 183 points. Rounding out the field was Campbell (100), Belmont (52), Lipscomb (49), Upstate (45) and North Florida (43).
Eric Chapman (Cowpens, S.C./Broome) recorded a fifth-place finish in the weight throw. Chapman recorded a throw of 47-01.75/14.37m.
"Eric did great in the weight throw," added Stephens. "He barely fouled in his final throw and that might have put him on the medal stand. The hammer throw is his strongest event and I am excited to see what he will be able to do during the outdoor season."
Rounding out the men's competitors were David Dennison and Cameron Thomas. Dennison (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) finished fourth-overall in the mile run. His time of 4:22.94 was less than a second away from putting him on the medal stand. Meanwhile, Thomas (Niceville, Fla./Niceville) posted a school-record mark of 1:57.71 in the 800-meter en route to a seventh-place finish.
"All of our freshman distance runners have worked hard all year long," said Stephens. "I am really excited to see what they can do during the outdoor season as well as what they can do when they are sophomores."
The women's team was led on day two by Carolyne Chelulei. Chelulei (Eldoret, Kenya/Alliance Girls) finished second-overall in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 17:26.83. She finished just ahead of Mackenzie Howe of Kennesaw State, the same competitor that she defeated in the 3,000-meter run on Friday.
Upstate claimed a sixth-place finish, an improvement of two spots compared to last season's indoor results. Jacksonville claimed the women's championship as they recorded 211 points. Kennesaw State finished second with 154 points, while North Florida finished third with 98 points. Campbell (62.5) and ETSU (45) finished ahead of Upstate (39.5). Belmont and Lipscomb rounded out the field with 34 and 18 points, respectively.
Three other Spartans posted strong finishes in the 5,000-meter run. Jemeli Sang (Eldoret, Kenya/Biwott Ngelel-Tarit) finished sixth (18:01.90) and Mary Alexander (Spartanburg, S.C./Spartanburg C.C.) finished seventh with a time of 18:17.40. Rounding out the event for the Spartans was Lauren Walker. Walker (Columbia, S.C./Lugoff-Elgin) finished in 11th-place with a time of 18:40.12
"All of our women's distance runners had a great day," said Stephens. "All of them set personal marks and I am proud of everything they have done. I expect them to continue to their strong performances as we enter the outdoor season here in a couple of weeks."
Joan Tangwar (Eldoret, Kenya/St. Joseph's Girls) competed in the 800-meter run and recorded a time of 2:19.71. She finished sixth-overall and was just three seconds shy of reaching the medal stand.
In the pole vault, Camille Masanotti (Ladson, S.C./Stratford) tied for fifth after clearing a height of 10-02.00/3.10m. Meanwhile, Abigail Osborne (Abbeville, S.C./Abbeville) finished eighth with a mark of 8-08.25/2.65m.
Upstate will return to action on March 19, 2010 when the kick-off their 2010 outdoor season when they compete at the 49er Classic in Charlotte, N.C.
