Men's Track & Field 1/19/2008 5:00:00 AM MEAC Media Relations

Lady Hawks? 4x400 Team Runs A New School Record At Penn State Open

Sherie Brown, Celia Whyte, Merrecia James and Tanisha Wisdom ran a new school record of 3:42.40 in the women’s 4x400-meter relay at the Penn State Open this past weekend.

They eclipsed the previous time of 3:47.93 and with it came just over two seconds shy of provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. They took second overall in the event to a team from Penn State who came a little over a second from qualifying.

Also setting a new school record was James Moore who jumped 2.09 meters (6’10.25”) in the high jump, eclipsing a record held by Christopher Morrison from 2005 of 2.08 meters (6’-10”). Moore took second in the event on a judges decision.

Also having a solid meet were the women’s shot putters who placed five throwers in the field of 23. Saisha Woodward took third with a throw of 13.58 meters (44’6.75”) while Tiona Long, Joycelyn Wheeler, Soledad Maurice and Demetria Staten took eighth, 11th, 12th and 19th place respectively.

Merrecia James won the women’s 800-meter run for the Hawk’s only gold medal of the meet. She posted a time of 2:14.85, besting runners from Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, Penn State and MEAC rival Morgan State.

Wisdom, the reigning two-time MEAC Track and Field Performer of the Week had solid showings in other events as well. She took third in a 39 runner filed in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.51 and took seventh in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.80.

Other top ten men’s finishes came from Jamahl Strachan who took sixth in the high jump (1.94 meters), Amon Kiprotich who was sixth in the 3000-meter run, Jerome Pyuzza who was eighth in the 800-meter run and Corey Alexander and Dexter Miller who were seventh and eighth respectively in the 400-meter dash. Miller also took eighth in the 200-meter dash.

On the women’s side Rashida Beckford was fifth in the high jump (1.60 meters), Brown was seventh in the 400-meter run (56.82) while Whyte and Danai Lendor tied for tenth in the same event.

In other team events the women’s distance medley was sixth with a time of 13:03.12, topping Morgan State and the men were ninth in the 4x400-meter relay.

Woodward’s throw in the shot put, Brown and Lendor’s time in the 400-meter, Alexander’s pace in the men’s 400-meter and Pyuzza’s time in the 800-meter were all personal records.