COLUMBIA, S.C. – Led by redshirt sophomore Kynnedy Dennis' win in the women's pole vault event, the Coastal Carolina women's indoor track & field team tallied 20 top-15 place finishes on day one of the Carolina Challenge hosted by the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C.
 
Dennis turned in a winning mark of 3.45 meters in the pole vault event, a new personal-best mark and the sixth-best height in CCU's history.
 
Finishing right behind Dennis in the pole vault event was fellow Chant Alyssa Gregory who turned in a height of 3.30 meters, which was good enough for second overall and tied for the eighth-best mark in the program's annals, while fellow newcomer Ashley Dalleske placed sixth overall with a mark of 2.85 meters.
 
Posting a runner-up finish in the 60-meter hurdles was freshman Alexis Glasco who matched her qualifying time of 8.38 in the finals heat. Her time of 8.38 is the third-fastest in program history.
 
The freshman was joined in the top-15 in the hurdles event by sophomores Shani'a Bellamy (8.72) and Sydney Clemens (8.76) who finished back-to-back in 11th and 12th overall. Bellamy's time of 8.72 was tied for the ninth-fastest time in CCU history.
 
Bellamy also raced to a second-place finish in the 200-meter dash, as she crossed the finish line in a personal-best time of 24.95. Two Chants finished just outside of the top 10 in Mariah McCord (25.55) and Lauren Gordon (25.59), who finished 11th and 12th overall, respectively. McCord's time was a new personal best.
 
Crossing the finish line in fifth place in the 60-meter dash was junior Melissa Jefferson with a time of 7.35, who was one of five racers to break the facility record of 7.41.
 
In the 400-meter dash, sophomore Amelia Canetto placed fifth overall with her personal-best time of 58.27, while freshman Amilia Wise-Sweat posted a time of 1:00.13 to finish 14th overall.

Coastal had three Chants place in the top-15 in the shot put led by sophomore Alexis Estep and her sixth-place finish with a new personal-best mark of 13.11 meters, which also ranked 10th overall in CCU history. Freshman Lauralyn Clifford placed 10th with her best throw of 12.58 meters, while junior Nikki Boon finished 13th with a personal-best mark of 12.12 meters.
 
Clifford also recorded a 12th-place finish in the weight throw with a distance of 13.88 meters.
 
The top-10 finishes continued in the women's long jump event, as Boon placed seventh overall with a new personal-best leap of 5.37 meters, while in the triple jump event, Zaria Stephens turned in a distance of 10.36 meters to finish in 10th place.
 
CCU also picked up a pair of eighth-place finishes, as freshman Molly Jones recorded a time of 2:20.00 to finish eighth overall in the 800-meters, while fellow first-year Chant Meagan Moreno placed eighth overall with a time of 5:12.76 in the 1-mile run.
 
On the men's side, while competing unattached, Tyler Graves recorded a runner-up finish in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.88 in the finals heat, while Albrey Gossett just missed out on the finals with a time of 8.48 in the preliminaries.
 
CCU's Jeremiah Talbert finished 12th overall in the 60-meter dash preliminaries with a time of 6.87, finishing two spots ahead of fellow Chant Reggie Barlow and his 14th-place time of 6.92.
 
The Chanticleers will be back in action tomorrow, as day two of the Carolina Challenge will start at noon ET.
 
Coastal's Top-15 Performances on Day 1 of the Carolina Challenge
 
60-meter dash
5. Melissa Jefferson – 7.35
15. Kayla Sweeney – 7.74
 
60-meter hurdles
2. Alexis Glasco – 8.38
11. Shani'a Bellamy – 8.72
12. Sydney Clemens – 8.76
 
200-meters
2. Shani'a Bellamy – 24.95
11. Mariah McCord – 25.55
12. Lauren Gordon – 25.59
 
400-meters
5. Amelia Canetto – 58.27
14. Amilia Wise-Sweat – 1:00.13
 
800-meters
8. Molly Jones – 2:20.00
 
1-mile run
8. Meagan Moreno – 5:12.76
 
Long Jump
7. Nikki Boon – 5.37 meters
 
Pole Vault
1. Kynnedy Dennis – 3.45 meters
2. Alyssa Gregory – 3.30 meters
6. Ashley Dalleske – 2.85 meters
 
Shot Put
6. Alexis Estep – 13.11 meters
10. Lauralyn Clifford – 12.58 meters
13. Nikki Boon – 12.12 meters
 
Weight Throw
12. Lauralyn Clifford – 13.88 meters
 
Men's 60-meter dash
12. Jeremiah Talbert – 6.87
14. Reggie Barlow – 6.92
 
Men's 60-meter hurdles
2. Tyler Graves – 7.88
11. Albrey Gossett – 8.48
 
For complete coverage of CCU Cross Country and Track & Field, follow the Chanticleers on social media at @CoastalTFXC (Twitter), @GoCCUsports (Instagram), and facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.