Date Posted: 4/14/2006

Clermont, Fla. – The 2006 Atlantic Sun Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships began Friday night at the National Training Center in Clermont, Florida, and a number of new A-Sun marks highlighted the first day’s competition. In the team standings through five events, Gardner-Webb holds the overnight lead in both the men’s and women’s standings.

On the men’s side, the Bulldogs hold a solid 56-point day one lead (80-24) over second-place Campbell. GWU’s lead is half as much on the women’s side with the Bulldogs holding a 28-point advantage over Jacksonville (53-25). The men were helped by a sweep of the medal positions in the hammer throw. The women led by five points after four events without benefit of an individual winner, but with a gold medal, record setting jump from Kelly Bridges in the pole vault, the Bulldogs extended their day one lead.

Individually, five new A-Sun records were set, including women’s long jump (Natasha Harvey, JU, 20 ft. 9 in.), women’s 10,000 meter run (Patrina Hayes, Kennesaw State, 35:33.07), women’s pole vault (Kelly Bridges, GWU, 11 ft. 7.75 in.), men’s hammer throw (Cody MacArthur, Gardner-Webb, 164 ft. 7 in.), and in the men’s pole vault (Jeremy Longshore, Gardner-Webb, 15 ft. 5 in.).

On the women’s side, both Natasha Harvey and Janita Ocana met the NCAA qualifying mark (19-07) in the long jump, Harvey with her A-Sun record leap of 20-09 and Ocana with her jump of 19-09.50.

The championship continues tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. with men’s high jump and shot put and women’s discus and triple jump. The competition concludes shortly after 4:00 p.m. with the men’s and women’s 4x400 meter relays.

The standings through day one are MEN: 1. GWU 80, 2. Campbell 24, 3t. ETSU 20, 3t. KSU 20, 5. Belmont 11. WOMEN: 1. GWU 53, 2. JU 25, 3. UNF 20, 4. Campbell 19, 5. KSU 18, 6. ETSU 9, 7. Belmont 7, 8t. Lipscomb 2, 8t. FAU 2.