Wednesday, February 17, 2010

MACON, Ga. - Kennesaw State swept the weekly A-Sun track and field awards with Mackenzie Howe earning the track honor and Suzzette Van-Lare, the field award.

Howe, the reigning A-Sun Indoor Champion in the 3000-meters, made her indoor track season debut this past Friday at the Gene Anderson UNC Invitational in Chapel, NC. She won the 3000-meter run with a time of 10:03.98, winning the race by 13.82 seconds over runner-up Jemeli Sang of USC-Upstate. Howe’s spectacular cross country season included her winning six races and finishing second in the A-Sun Championship.

Van-Lare had a runner-up finish in the long jump and third-place mark in the triple jump at the Gene Anderson UNC Invitational in Chapel Hill, N.C., Friday. Her long jump leap of 5.82 meters (19'1.25") set a new indoor school record, while her triple jump reached 12.08 meters (39'7.75"). Van-Lare finished as the top student-athlete in both events.

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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
Elizabeth Codrington, Belmont (Sr. - Jumps - Gretna, La. - Pharmaceutical Studies) – Codrington shattered Belmont's record in the triple jump with a personal best performance over the weekend at the MT Valentine Invitational. The Gretna, La. native finished with a distance of 11.69m (38'4.5") to win the event, more than a foot further than the second place finisher. Codrington also set the school's record back in 2007.

Amanda Twigg, Lipscomb (Fr. - Middle Distance - Cumberland, Md. - Education) – Twigg ran an all-time personal best for 800-meters of 2:16.79 and set a new indoor school record for Lipscomb. The education major finished third overall, and second among collegians in a field of 34 in the 800m competitors. Twigg also took over the top spot in the Atlantic Sun Conference 800m rankings.

Shelby Kittrell, UNF (Fr. - Distance - Fernadina Beach, Fla. - Anthropology) – In running her first-ever 5,000-meter race at the Clemson Tiger Paw Invitational this past weekend, Kittrell snagged a first-place finish in the event with her time of 17:02.14. The anthropology major leads the A-Sun in the 5,000m with her time.

Carolyne Chelulei, USC Upstate (So. - Distance - Eldoret, Kenya - Nursing) – Chelulei set two personal-bests at the UNC Invitational on Friday. In the 800-meter run, Chelulei finished seventh with a time of 2:22.18. That time of 2:22.18 ranks as the eighth fastest in the Atlantic Sun in 2009-10. In the mile run, Chelulei finished fourth with a time of 5:12.15.

Camille Masanotti, USC Upstate (Fr. - Sprints and Pole Vault - Ladson, S.C. - Psychology) – Masanotti re-wrote the USC Upstate record books in the pole vault. The Ladson, S.C., native set a school record after clearing a height of 10-08.00/3.25m which ranks as the third-best this season in the Atlantic Sun.