Wednesday, April 22, 2009

MACON, Ga. - The lone senior on the Jacksonville team, Natasha Harvey, put in another excellent performance at the UNF Osprey Challenge on Saturday. She won all three of her events, including setting two regional qualifying times and a school record to win Athlete of the Week, the conference announced Wednesday. This is Harvey’s third career outdoor athlete of the week.

The exercise science major won the 100-meter hurdles with a school record and regional qualifying time of 13.46 and finished first in the long jump with a leap of 19'0.5" (5.80m). The West Haven, Conn., native teamed with sophomores Danielle Davenport, Louise Kiernan and Unique Singleton to win the 4x100-meter with a blistering NCAA regional time of 45.19. The 4x1 time is the second fastest foursome in school history and currently ranks in the top-20 nationally.

The Dolphins won eight events, recorded three NCAA regional qualifying times and set two school records on the site that will host the Atlantic Sun Outdoor Championships on May 15-16. The Dolphins will take next week off for finals and return to action on Thursday, April 30 for the JU-UNF Duals across town.

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
Jill Arthur, Kennesaw State (Jumps - Gainesville, Ga. - So. - Undeclared) -- Placed second in the triple jump ast LSU with a distance of 12.13m to set a new Kennesaw State record as well as took over the top spot in the conference. In addition she placed fourth in the long jump with a distance of 5.70m which is second in the conferece.

Judy Johnson, ETSU (Springs - Knoxville, Tenn. - Sr. - Interdisciplinary Studies) -- Senior Judy Johnson highlighted the day for the Bucs at the UNF Osprey Challenge on Saturday afternoon at Hodges Stadium, as Johnson set a Regional Qualifying Mark (and ETSU record) in the 200m and also finished second in the 100m. Johnson and the Bucs were getting a sneak peak at the facility that will be hosting the 2009 Atlantic Sun Championships and behind the Knoxville native's win in the 200m, ETSU turned in five individual championships and one in the men's 4x100-meter relay as well. Johnson, a sprinter from Knoxville, began the day with a second-place finish in the 100m, by turning in a season best time of 11.98 in the event. The senior capped off the day by turning in a top time and regional qualifying mark of 23.78 in the 200m. Johnson's time propelled her to the top of the A-Sun performance charts, as she knocked off Jacksonville's and UNF's top sprinters.

Lynette Rives, Belmont (Sprints - Clarksville, Tenn. - Sr. - Biology) -- Senior Lynette Rives posted two regional qualifying times at the LSU Alumni Gold meet over the weekend. In a field of 37, the Clarksville, Tenn., native came away with the fifth-fastest time in the 100m to qualify for Regionals, 11.75. The time was only four-hundredths of a second behind the school record she set in 2007 and now owns the fastest time among Atlantic Sun sprinters. In the 200m, Rives crossed the line in 23.96 for her second qualifying time of the day. Her time in the event is also the fastest among A-Sun sprinters.