Wednesday, April 21, 2010

MACON, Ga. – Jacksonville’s freshman distance runner Joane Pierre raced her way to an Atlantic Sun Track Athlete of the Week award after an outstanding performance Saturday, while Lipscomb’s Brittany Duerk earned the field award after recapturing the Lady Bisons’ javelin record.

Pierre won the 800-meter run at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Gainesville, Fla. with a school-record time of 2:08.17. The Immokalee, Fla. native’s time also ranks first in the conference, 17th in the East and 35th nationally.

Duerk and her teammate Taylor Mason finished first and second in the women's javelin at the Vanderbilt Invitational Friday. On her last throw, Mason moved to the lead with a toss of 127-5, a new Lipscomb school record. The record lasted about 30 seconds until Duerk launched her final throw 134-3 to recapture her school record. The Auburn, Ala. native also leads the conference in the javelin. During the winter season, Duerk doubles as a post player on the Lady Bisons basketball team

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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
Jessica Dunston, Campbell (Fr. - Throws - Undeclared) – Dunston led Campbell at the Charlotte Invitational, breaking a pair of school records while recording a win in the women's hammer throw. The freshman broke the former school record in the hammer throw by more than three meters, notching a toss of 51.74-meters. She also set a CU record while taking a runner-up finish in the women's shot put, recording a throw of 12.00 meters. The freshman's effort in the hammer throw stands as the best in the A-Sun, topping ETSU's Zachlynn Blackburn by 1.63-meters. Dunston also finished ninth in the women's discuss with a mark of 32.43-meters, her third event of the day.

Jasmine Foster, ETSU (Fr. - Throws - Johnson City, Tenn. - Exercise Science) – Foster captured the shot put title over the weekend at the Charlotte Invitational. The Johnson City, Tenn. native, who moved up to third in the conference standings with a toss of 41-11.50 (12.79m), eased her way past Campbell’s Jessica Dunston Saturday.

Laura Phillips, Jacksonville (Jr. - Throws - St. Augestine, Fla. - Physical Education) – Phillips had a big day at the UNF Osprey Challenge Saturday. In the hammer, the junior set the school record on her first throw before breaking it again on her final toss of 162’8” to win the event. Phillips later threw a foot and a half farther than her previous life-time best in the shot put with a new personal record of 42’9” to place third. The St. Augestine, Fla. native rounded out her day with a third place finish in the discus (132’7”). In the A-Sun, Phillips ranks second in the shot put, second in the discus and third in the hammer throw.

Amanda Twigg, Lipscomb (Fr. - Middle Distance – Cumberland, Md. - Education) – Twigg set two school records Friday and Saturday at the Vanderbilt Invitational in Nashville. The freshman posted a time of 2:14.30 in the 800m, surpassing Ruth Mick’s 2006 school record of 2:15.20 Saturday. Twigg established a new school record in the women's 1500m Friday with a time of 4:39.45, surpassing the record of 4:40.10 set by Elizabeth Schall in 2005.

Carolyne Chelulei, USC Upstate (So. - Distance - Eldoret, Kenya - Nursing) – Chelulei won the 3,000-meter run at Saturday’s Charlotte Invitational. The sophomore recorded a time of 10:13.74, a new program record, nearly 20 seconds ahead of the school record set by teammate Jemeli Sang during the 2009 season. Chelulei also owns the fastest time in the A-Sun this season after surpassing 10:28.20 set by Belmont’s Nicole Muldowney at the Vanderbilt Invite.