Birmingham, Ala.- The men's and women's indoor track teams began competition at the Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships Friday at the CrossPlex facility in Birmingham. Both the men and women currently sit in eighth place.
On the men's side, Palmer Dupree (Charlotte, N.C./Hickory Ridge High School) clocked a personal-best 7.49 in the 60-meter dash just missing a spot in the finals. Kameron Douglas placed 12th overall in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:00.97. In the mile run, Dakarai Shipp (Raleigh, N.C./Millbrook) clocked a season-best 4:22.10 to finish 14th overall while William Sandin crossed the line 4:49.76.
David Guthrie (Fayetteville, N.C./South View) finished in 9:08.16 in the 3,000-meter run placing 10th overall. In the 60-meter hurdles Jefferey Beane placed 12th clocking a 8.84 as he was edged by one-hundredth of as second by Wofford's Samuel Robinson.
In the distance medley relay, the final race of the day, the Spartans placed eighth with a time of 11:10.05.
After the first day of competition, Western Carolina is currently in thelead with 58 points. Samford is in second with 38 followed by VMI with 34.
On the women's side, Tiana Green (Laurel, Md./Laurel) clocked an 8.14 in the 60-meter dash. She then had a quick turn around where she competed in the 200-meter dash placing 22nd overall with a time of 27.52. Samiiah Wilson (Apex, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons) was just four tenths of a second off her seed tiem in the 800-meter run when she finished in 2:27.99.
Eira Jensen (Alsvag, Norway/Sortland Videredaende Skole) earned a spot in the one-mile finals Saturday when she placed eighth overall with a time of 5:19.31, her fastest time of the season. Katlyn Adkins (Fayetteville, N.C./Terry Sanford) also competed in the mile clocking a 5:33.03.
Katherine Link (Avon Lake, Ohio/Avon Lake) earned points for the Spartans when she finished in fifth overall in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:18.95.
The distance medley team of Adkins, Wilson, Green and Katlyn Ayers (Fort Valley, Va./Strasburg) earned an eighth-place finish with a season-best time of 13:04.95 to beat The Citadel's squad by 15 seconds.
Samford leads after Day One with 86 points while defending champion Western Carolina is in second with 67 points followed by ETSU with 34.50 points.
Action resumes Saturday morning at CrossPlex. Complete results will be available at UNCGSpartans.com following the meet's completion.
-UNCG-
