University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Mathuthu Podiums and Breaks School Record in Long Jump; Bulldogs Showcase Talents on Friday at Big South Indoor Championships
02.23.2018 | Track and Field
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Behind Victor Mathuthu's third-place finish in the long jump and several record-breaking performances on Friday, the UNC Asheville men's and women's track and field teams showcased its talents on the first day of the Big South Conference Indoor Championships.
Highlights
Mathuthu had one of the biggest highlights for UNC Asheville on the first day of the Indoor Championships. The freshman jumper finished in the top-3 of the event, as he made a leap of 7.08. That leap also shattered the previous UNC Asheville indoor record by 0.23m. Dante Roseboro held the previous school record, which hasn't been broken in 14 years (2004). The third-place finish for Mathuthu also gave the Bulldogs six team points.
The other biggest highlight on the first day of the championship meet was sophomore Matthew Harding's first-place finish in the preliminary round of the men's 800m. He posted a 1:54.72, which was 0.71 seconds faster than the runner-up.
Senior Kayli Nichols earned a berth into the finals on Saturday, as she placed fourth in the women's 60m hurdles. She posted a time of 8.96, which is only 0.06 seconds off from matching a season-best time for the senior.
In the men's 400m, two Bulldogs clocked quick times. Sophomore Tyree McFalling etched his name in the record book, as he posted a 49.50, which is the second-fastest indoor time in program history. He previously held that mark, which he set a few weeks ago at the Marshall Chipotle Invitational with a 49.85.
In the same event, Kimani Anderson placed two spots behind his teammate. The junior from New York recorded a 50.24, which earned him a berth into the finals on Saturday.
In the women's Distance Medley Relay, Megan Brewer, Jasmine Cox, Kamryn DeCarmo and Maddie Lowe clocked a strong time with a 12:39.77. The foursome finished fifth for the Bulldogs.
Also etching his name into the UNC Asheville record books, Hunter Koike posted a 6.95 in the men's 60m. The time moves him into second place in the all-time records. He previously owned second place with a 6.98 time, which he set at the Marshall Chipotle Invitational in Huntington, W. Va. this season.
Dominic Collichio and Kelley Coleman both finished seventh in their respective 5000m race. The duo each earned points for UNC Asheville on the first day of competition.
Freshman Heather Grober ran a career-best 59.39 time in the women's 400m. It was the first time in her collegiate career she has posted a sub-one minute time in the event.
Capping off the career-best finishes for Asheville on Friday was Robert Brenneman and Asia Washington. Brenneman posted a 22.86 in the men's 200m, which is 0.27 seconds faster than his previous best. Washington had a leap of 5.00m, which marks the first time in her collegiate career she has jumped five meters or farther in the event.
Quotable
"I am excited about where we stand as a team at this point. We had some disqualifications that affected us, but we are still in a good spot leading into tomorrow. The key is going to be about how we move on as a team and hit the reset button for tomorrow's performances. If we move on, we'll finish pretty well tomorrow."
- Head Coach Jesse Norman -
What's Next?
Day two of the Big South Indoor Championships will begin on Saturday at 1 p.m. with the weight throw and triple jump. The first track event will be the mile at 2 p.m. inside the Liberty Indoor Track Complex.
