MIAMI - After two days of the Sun Belt Championships, the Blue Raider men sit in second place with 40 points, while Middle Tennessee's women are in sixth with 23 points. MT qualified 16 total athletes for final events tomorrow.
Ann Dudley won the women's high jump to sweep this year's Sun Belt competitions. After winning the women's indoor high jump, Dudley hit her personal best mark of 1.82 meters for the third time in her outdoor career, earning 10 points for the Blue Raider women. Pershawna Williams was fourth in the event and was awarded five points for her 1.74 meters leap.
In the men's long jump, Kameron Rory and Nigel Jones grabbed six combined points for the Blue Raider men. Rory took fourth (five points) in the event with a distance of 7.29 meters, while Jones grabbed one point in his eighth place finish jump of 23-7.25 feet.
Christal Wilson and Ann Dudley qualified in the women's 100 meter hurdles, as Wilson finished fifth in 13.99 seconds, and Dudley's time of 14.08 seconds finished seventh.
The Blue Raider men grabbed two qualifying spots in the 100 and 400-meter preliminary rounds. Tahir Walsh (10.46) and Noah Akwu (10.48) were Nos. 2 and 3 in the 100 meter dash, while Emmanuel Tugumisirize (47.21) and Andre Hamilton (47.87) finished second and sixth in the 400 meter run.
In the 200 meter prelims, Akwu, Tugumisirize and Walsh again qualified. Akwu (21.00) and Tugumisirize (21.12) were second and third, and Walsh (21.26) was sixth.
Amber Jackson, Tressanique Hampton and Rachel Islam will compete in tomorrow's 800 meter finals after all three finished in the top eight on Saturday. Jackson was second in 2:11.10, while Hampton was third in 2:12.04. Islam (2:13.18) closed out the Blue Raider portion of the event with a fifth place finish.
The final two women to qualify for finals were Christal Wilson, in the 400 meter hurdles, and Jasmine Abrams, in the 100 meter dash. Wilson was fourth in qualifying with a time of 1:00.57, and Abrams grabbed the final spot in tomorrow's final with a time of 12.04.
Eliud Rutto qualified first in the men's 800 meters, where his time of 1:50.89 cruised past the competition. Fellow Blue Raider Asa Bowman qualified in sixth with a 1:53.44 time in the run.
Alden Dixon led the way for MT in the men's 3,000 meter steeplechase. His time of 9:22.33 was fourth, and seven seconds ahead of Robinson Simatei, who took sixth in 9:29.04. Daniel Ketter closed out the Blue Raiders' day by finishing eighth. He had a time of 9:39.88.
Competition concludes tomorrow, beginning at 9 a.m. CT. MT will begin competition at 11 a.m. CT in the triple jump.
Sun Belt Championship Results (MT Only)
Day 2
Women's Long Jump
12. Pershawna Williams (5.69m / 18-8.00)
15. India Hammond (5.59m / 18-4.25)
20. France Makabu (5.39m / 17-8.25)
Men's Long Jump
4. Kameron Rory (7.29m / 23-11.00 / 5 points)
8. Nigel Jones (7.19m / 23-7.25 / 1 point)
14. Junior Cadet (6.84m / 22-5.25)
Women's High Jump
1. Ann Dudley (1.82m / 5-11.50 / 10 points)
4. Pershawna Williams (1.72m / 5-7.75 / 5 points)
Women's 100 Meter Hurdles Prelims (Top eight qualify)
5q. Christal Wilson (13.99 / 1.7 wind)
7q. Ann Dudley (14.08 / 1.1 wind)
9. India Hammond (14.17 / 1.6 wind)
Women's 400 Meter Prelims (Top eight qualify)
18. Ginasia Hamilton (58.55)
Men's 400 Meter Prelims (Top eight qualify)
2Q. Emmanuel Tugumisirize (47.21)
6q. Andre Hamilton (47.87)
9. Geoffrey Akena (48.09)
14. Rycine Ellison (48.59)
17. Demetrius Shelton (48.97)
18. James Messick (49.00)
Women 100 Meter Prelims (Top eight qualify)
8q. Jasmine Abrams (12.04 / 0.9 wind)
10. Sheniece Daphness (12.12 / 0.0 wind)
Men's 100 Meter Prelims (Top eight qualify)
2Q. Tahir Walsh (10.46 / 0.7 wind)
3Q. Noah Akwu (10.48Q / 1.1 wind)
16. Kenneth Gilstrap (10.84 / 0.7 wind)
17. Kendall Bacchus (10.84 / 0.7 wind)
25. Drayton Calhoun (11.17 / 0.2 wind)
Women's 800 Meter Prelims (Top eight qualify)
2Q. Amber Jackson (2:11.10)
3q. Tressanique Hampton (2:12.04)
5q. Rachel Islam (2:13.18)
Men's 800 Meter Prelims (Top eight qualify)
1Q. Eliud Rutto (1:50.89)
6q. Asa Bowman (1:53.44)
12. Daniel Ketter (1:55.02)
15. Lyle Haywood (1:56.03)
Women's 400 Meter Hurdles (Top eight qualify)
4q. Christal Wilson (1:00.57)
Men's 400 Meter Hurdles (Top eight qualify)
12. Steven Palmer (54.47)
13. Bryson Lillard (54.47)
17. Junior Cadet (56.52)
Women's 200 Meter Prelims (Top eight qualify)
9. Jasmine Abrams (24.58 / 0.1 wind)
13. Sheniece Daphness (25.19 / 0.7 wind)
18. Ginasia Hamilton (25.99 / 0.8 wind)
Men's 200 Meter Prelims (Top eight qualify)
2q. Noah Akwu (21.00 / 0.6 wind)
3q. Emmanuel Tugumisirize / 0.9 wind)
6q. Tahir Walsh (21.26 / 0.1 wind)
12. Andre Hamilton (21.45 / 0.6 wind)
13. Demetrius Shelton (21.49 / 0.9 wind)
23. Kendall Bacchus (21.81 / 0.1 wind)
Women's 3,000 Meter Steeplechase
-- Autumn Gipson (DNF)
Men's 3,000 Meter Steeplechase
5. Alden Dixon (9:22.33 / 4 points)
6. Robinson Simatei (9:29.04 / 3 points)
8. Daniel Ketter (9:39.88 / 1 point)
Day 1
Men's 10,000 meter run
3. Silas Taiget (31:35.84 / 6 points)
5. Shadrack Matelong (32:19.42 / 4 points)
11. Keith Davis (34:20.74)
Women's 10,000 meter run
2. Lucy Kapkiai (37:08.71 / 8 points)
14. Jackline Kiprono (40:01.08)
-- Julia Kitevski (DNF)
