April 17, 2014
Results
ROCK HILL - The Coastal Carolina track & field team made a strong showing on the opening day of the 2014 Big South Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The women lead by 10 points after the opening events. The men sit in fourth and trail first by just 11 points.
The women have 32 points after three events. The Chanticleers won two of the event as Teka Simpson brought home Coastal's first win of the championships with a leap of 5.67m (18-07.25) in the long jump. Letitia Saayman took home the win in the 10,000m as she bested the competition by over half a minute with a time of 35:50.14. Each win gave the Chanticleers 10 points in the overall standings. Host Winthrop University sits in second with 22 points while Liberty is in third with 21 points.
The men have 17 points with 11 of those points coming in the men's long jump. Reggie Nelson finished third with a leap of 7.13m (23-04.75) while Mark Stembridge came in fourth with a distance of 7.05m (23-01.75). Nelson earned six points while Stembridge took home five points. Coastal trails leader Liberty by 11 points while Charleston Southern sits six points back and Gardner-Webb sits in third, seven points back.
The women earned five more points in the long jump as Amirah Al-Bayyinah finished fourth with a jump of 5.54m (18-02.25). CCU's final seven points came in the hammer throw as Krissy Sansbury and Naomi Atkins finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Sansbury tossed the hammer 49.49m (162-04) while Atkins registered a distance of 49.43m (162-02).
The men picked up five points as Ryan Minor finished fourth in the hammer throw with a distance of 56.78m (186-03). The final Chanticleer point came in the men's 10,000m as Evan Niciphor placed eighth with a time of 31.22.61.
Anna Carnegie and Olivia Coopwood sit fourth and sixth, respectively, in the women's heptathlon standings after four events. Carnegie, who has 2,600 points, won the 200m, finished second in the shot put, eighth in the 100m hurdles and tied for ninth in the high jump. Coopwood, who has 2,537 points, finished second in the 100m hurdles, second in the 200m, ninth in the high jump and 10th in the shot put. Carnegie and Coopwood will compete in the long jump, javelin and 800m tomorrow.
Nick Seabright sits in sixth after five events in the men's decathlon. Seabright, who has 3,650 points, finished third in the long jump, third in the 400m, fourth in the 100m, eighth in the high jump and eighth in the shot put. He will compete in the 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1500m tomorrow.
The Chants will return to action tomorrow, April 18, as they continue to battle for the Big South Conference crown.
2014 Big South All-Conference Performers (Women)
Letitia Saayman - 10,000m, champion
Teka Simpson - Long Jump, champion
2014 Big South All-Conference Performers (Men)
Reggie Nelson - Long Jump, third
