Tiger Sports

January 28, 2008

With 17 individuals and three relay teams hitting national indoor qualifying marks Saturday at the Jayhawk Classic at the University of Kansas, the Cowley College indoor track and field teams had one of its most successful early season meets in the program’s history.

The Tigers competed against 22 other teams, ranging from NCAA Division I and II schools to NAIA and junior college schools in Lawrence.

"I was very pleased with our results at this meet because we competed quite well with everybody else," Cowley head coach Mark Phillips said.

Sophomore Kelsey Poljansek continued her dominance in the throws by breaking her own record in the shot put (48-10 ¾). Poljansek also had a national qualifying throw of 46-0 ¾ in placing second in the weight throw.

Jessica McLeod and Ashley Cronin qualified for nationals in the 800-meter run and 1,000-meter run, respectively. Sasha Oliver (34-9 ¾) surpassed the national qualifying mark in the triple jump, and the women’s distance medley relay team of Cronin, McLeod, Jeniffer Cherono and Xandria Cash placed third with a national qualifying time of 13:20.27.

Larry Hill and Dakota Price shined on the men's team.

Hill and Price, along with fellow sophomores Mauricio Morales and Gilbert Manzanares, won the men's distance medley race with a national meet qualifying time of 10:49.53.
Hill and Price anchored the 4x400-meter relay team, which placed third with a national qualifying time of 3:22.90. Hill (1:14.83) and Price (1:15.23) also qualified in the 600-yard run.

"Larry and Dakota, everything we're running them in right now, they're just doing very well," Phillips said. "I knew those two guys were going to be a big part of our success this year as sophomores and they're coming through big time."

Also hitting national qualifying marks for Cowley were David Starnes (pole vault, 14-4), Brett Koehn (5,000-meter run, 15:39.48), Jonathan Cherono (1-mile run, 4:24.46) and Harrison Philp (1,000-meter run, 2:37.91).

Jonathan's performance in the 1-mile run came as a pleasant surprise to Phillips.
"That's not really his event," Phillips said. "We're running him in there for some speed work."

Cowley results:
WOMEN
•Shot put — Kelsey Poljansek, 48-10 ¾, third, national qualifier, school-record.
•Weight throw — Poljansek, 46-0 ¾, second, national qualifier.
•800-meter run — Jessica McLeod, 2:27.60, fifth, national qualifier; Jeniffer Cherono, 2:32.07, 10th.
•1,000-meter run — Ashley Cronin, 3:16.45, 10th, national qualifier.
•Distance Medley Relay — Cronin, Xandria Cash, McLeod, Cherono, 13:20.27, third, national qualifier.
•Triple jump — Sasha Oliver, 34-9 ¾, fifth, national qualifier.
•Mile run — Janee Gabbard, 6.00.87, 22nd; Dawn Zimmerman, 6:43.39, 26th.
•3,000-meter run — Christy Buller, 11:54.14, ninth.
•Pole vault — Anna German, 8-10 ¼, 15th.
•Long jump — Oliver, 14-8 ½, 13th.

MEN
•Mile run — Jonathan Cherono, 4:24.46, fifth, national qualifier; Rolando Vasquez, 4:33.35, seventh; Gilbert Manzanares, 4:45.43, 16th.
•600-yard run — Larry Hill, 1:14.82, fourth, national qualifier; Dakota Price, 1:15.23, seventh, national qualifier; Rusty Gray, 1:21.77, 13th..
•1,000-meter run — Harrison Philp, 2:37.91, 10th.
•5,000-meter run — Brett Koehn, 15:39.48, third, national qualifier; Justin Cacaro, 16:23.15, sixth.
•4x400-meter relay — Hill, Price, Deion Ruble, Justin Viewins, 3:22.90, third, national qualifier.
•Distance Medley Relay — Mauricio Morales, Hill, Price, Manzanares, 10:49.53, first, national qualifier.
•Pole vault — David Starnes, 14-4, 13th, national qualifier; Colziah Jones, 13-4 ½, 15th.
•60-meter dash — John Kenney, 7.12, 11th.
•200-meter dash — Kenney, 22.77, ninth; Sean Brown 24.35, 35th; Mark Chaney, 24.76, 39th.
•400-meter dash — Ruble, 51.68, 15th; Chaney, 53.87, 26th; Mark Butler, 54.58, 28th.
•800-meter run — Viewins, 2:01.85, eighth; Matt Silovsky, 2:03.57, 12th; Jerell McCain, 2:19.44, 31st.
•4x800-meter relay — Morales, Philp, Silovsky, Manzanares, 8:10.30, third.
•Weight throw — Chip Broaddus, 41-2 ½, 19th; Mitch Hewitt, 32-9, 23rd.