Wednesday, May 05, 2010

MACON, Ga. – Campbell swept the Atlantic Sun Men’s Track and Field awards with Adoniss Jones posting the league’s top time in the 110-meter hurdles, while Diego Lawrence leaped to his second consecutive field honor. 

Campbell entered the 2010 season with 10 Atlantic Sun Outdoor Track and field honors to its credit but the Camels’ have piled up five in the 2010 campaign. Lawrence leads the awards parade for the CU this season with four field honors on the campaign. The freshman long jumper ranks as only the third Camel to win consecutive weekly honors from the A-Sun in Track and Field. Clarence Williams won back-to-back honors in 2004 (March 23-30), while Sam Tilley repeated in 2007 (April 18-25).

Jones lowered his Atlantic Sun leading 110m hurdles time and took a win at Saturday's Liberty Twilight. The junior qualified second in the preliminary round with a time of 14.30, then blazed past ETSU's Michael James' 14.13 with a 14.11 to take the event. The victory stands as Jones' second of the outdoor season. Jones' 14.11 ranks 50th nationally, and tops in the A-Sun. The junior also claimed a season-best in the men's 400 meter hurdles, collecting a time of 53.64, good for fourth in the event. Teammate Harold Sims finished just ahead of Jones in the 400 meter hurdles, registering an even 52.00 for second.

Lawrence narrowly missed his third outdoor win of the 2010 season, but extended his lead on A-Sun competition with his long jump performance at the Liberty Twilight. The freshman recorded a personal best 7.50 meter leap, tying Liberty's Clarence Powell for the event's lead. Lawrence finished second due to tie-breaking procedures. The mark stands as the best in the A-Sun to date, third in the Southeast Region and 50th in the nation. Already an A-Sun Field Athlete of the Week twice this season, Lawrence became the first Campbell freshman to ever earn A-Sun Athlete of the Week honors.

The freshman also stands as only the fourth Camel to win multiple weekly honors throughout the same season, along with Lincoln Gordon (3/29/05, 1/18/06, 2/1/06, 2/8/06), Tilly (1/17/07, 3/28/07, 4/18/07, 4/25/07, 4/2/08, 5/7/08) and Williams (3/23/04, 3/30/04). Tilly took the award a Campbell-record six times throughout his time in Buies Creek. Teammate Harold Sims sits as the only other current Camel to earn multiple A-Sun Athlete of the Week awards throughout his career.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Other Top Performers
Travis Benton, Kennesaw State (Fr. - Sprints - Redan, Ga. - Undeclared) – Benton set two school records Saturday at the Georgia Tech/Clemson Duals, winning the 100 meters with a time of 10.58 seconds and finishing second in the 200-meters in 21.74 seconds. The Redan, Ga. native’s efforts helped the Owls to victories agaisnt both the Yellow Jackets and Tigers on Georgia Tech's home track.

Josh McNair, Kennesaw State (Sr. - Throws - Hinesville, Ga. - Information Security & Assurance) – McNair performed admirably at the Georgia Tech/Clemson duals in Atlanta Saturday, winning the discus throw with a toss of 46.46 meters (152'5") and a runner-up performance in the shot put with a top throw of 15.94 meters (52'3.75"). The senior’s efforts helped the Owls to wins over both the Yellow Jackets and Tigers on Saturday at Georgia Tech's home meet.