LYNCHBURG, VA — Coastal Carolina's women's outdoor track and field team's upset bid of Liberty fell short on the final day of the 2002 Big South Conference Championships as the Flames posted a come-from-behind victory to claim its ninth consecutive title. The Lady Flames scored 238 points to edge CCU by 37 points.
Liberty men also claimed their ninth straight championship with 238 points to outdistance Coastal Carolina second place 127 points. The second place finish for the Chanticleer men is the highest ever for the program.
Liberty's men's team finished with 238 points, with 111 points between them and nearest competitor Coastal Carolina, who finished second with 127 points, while Charleston Southern followed in third place with 104 points.
On the women's side, Liberty's women's squad finished with 213 points, which was 37 points ahead of Coastal Carolina who finished in second with 176 points, while High Point rounded out the top three teams with 111.5 points.
Coastal's Mike Roden was named the men's Big South Outstanding Field Performer as he placed first in the discus with a mark of 48.66 meters. Liberty's Guifaly Christolin was named the men's Big South Outstanding Track Performer. Christolin finished first in the 100m with a time of 10.72 and first in the 200m with a time of 21.31.
Liberty's Heather Sagan was named the women's Big South Outstanding Track Performer as she finished first in the 800 with a time of 2:12.32, first in the 1,500m with a time of 4:32.96 and first in the 5,000 with a time 17:42.49. Andrea Wildrick made it a clean sweep for Liberty as she was named the women's Big South Outstanding Field Performer as the senior finished first with a mark of 4.10 meters in the pole vault.
Liberty's Brant Tolsma was named the men's and women's Big South Coach of the Year.
Earning individual Championship and All-Conference honors from Coastal Carolina on the women's side were Courtney Samuel, Annette Purdy and Marilyn Testa. Samuel placed first in the triple jump (11.88m), Purdy took first in the hammer (52.58m), and Testa won the 400-meter hurdles (1:02.15).
Samuel grabbed a total of three All-Conference honors by placing second in the 100-meter hurdles (14.75) and third in the high jump (1.62m). Other Lady Chanticleers earning All-Conference honors by placing in the top three of their events were Kara Koppel (3rd in the 1500m run, 4:37.13), Lindsey Kozlowski (2nd in the 3000m steeplechase, 11:16.15, and 2nd in the 10000m run, 38:02.63), Robyn Ritter (3rd in the 10000m run, 38:19.20), Jessica Watson (2nd in the high jump, 1.66m), Marilyn Testa (2nd in the pole vault, 3.65m, and 3rd in the javelin, 36.26m), and Lisa Holsinger (3rd in the pole vault, 3.35m).
Joining Mike Roden as a Big South Champion is his younger brother Matt, who won the hammer throw with a distance of 54.17 meters. Also earning individual Championship honors were the members of CCU's 4x400-meter relay team of Ray Felton, Kendall White, Paul Scheuer, and Antonio Sullivan, with a time of 3:17.67.
Other Chanticleers earning All-Conference honors with top-three finishes were Mike Roden (2nd in the shot put, 15.59m), Ken Cole (2nd in the 110m hurdles, 15.24), Ray Felton (3rd in the 110m hurdles, 15.47), Paul Scheuer (3rd in the 400m dash, 49.04), Corey Hackett (3rd in the triple jump, 14.41m), Keith Garramone (2nd in the decathlon, 6057 points), Kendall White (2nd in the 400m hurdles, 54.26).
2002 Big South Outdoor Track and Field
Championship Team Standings
Women's Standings
1. Liberty - 213
2. Coastal Carolina - 176
3. High Point -111.5
4. Charleston Southern - 104.5
5. UNC Asheville - 75
6. Radford - 67
7. Winthrop - 49
8. Elon - 19
Men's Standings
1. Liberty - 238
2. Coastal Carolina - 127
3. Charleston Southern - 104
4. Winthrop - 93
5. High Point - 93
6. Winthrop - 85
7. Radford - 73
