Sewanee, TN -Bryan College Track & Field made the short trip to the University of the South, where the Fowler Center hosted the annual Sewanee Tiger Indoor Invitational. It was a positive trip, as they raced their way to two qualifying marks for the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championship. Racing for the third weekend in a row, and on an undersized 160 meter non-banked track, the Lions still hit some personal and seasonal bests.
Freshmen athletes once again put up some good numbers. Leading the charge for the young group was
Jason McLeod (Ocoee, FL), as he won his section of the mile run in 4:23.86, a four-second drop from two weeks back at the ETSU Niswonger Invitational and provisional mark for the NAIA Championship. Classmates
Drew Thompson (Murfreesboro, TN) and
Alex Stephens (Cleveland, TN) were 2nd and 3rd in the same race, also at career bests, with 4:27.87 and 4:29.15 respectively. Junior
Zach Buffington was 2nd in his section of the mile run as well, with a season best of 4:25.76.
Senior Josh Bradley (Ringgold, GA) dropped down in distance and took 2nd in the men's 400- meter dash at 51.99. Bradley would come back later in the afternoon to run a solid 800-meter leg of the men's distance medley relay to a NAIA Championship mark of 10:28.98. Rookies McLeod and Stephens took charge of the first two legs, when McLeod covered the 1200-meter leg, while Stephens hit 2 and ½ laps. Sophomore Bryson Harper, a former Sequatchie County standout, ran his first race of the indoor season in the anchor position.
Freshmen Liz Olsen (Glenville, NY) and Alyssia Lindsay (Spring City, TN) traded spots with one another in the mile and 800-meter races. Olsen was 5:40.67 to Lindsay's 5:40.99 in the mile, while Lindsay went 2:34.16 and Olsen stopped the clock at 2:36.48 in the 800-meter race. Classmate Catherine Anderson (Maple Grove, MN) took the 5th spot in the women's 3000-meter run at 11:25.95.
"Jason was terrific in the mile and a lot of credit goes to Thompson, as he took the race over early until 300 meters out when McLeod went. It is exciting to watch these freshmen learn something each time out and apply their experience and training to race day. The DMR (Distance Medley Relay) was fun for the guys and they look forward to racing it at the national meet four weeks from now," stated Head Coach Rodney Stoker.
2010 Sewanee Tiger Indoor Invitational Results
