MACOMB, Ill. - Sophomore Michael Castel set the program and meet record in his first collegiate 3,000-meter run and Western Illinois picked up six event wins Saturday (April 14) to conclude the 23rd Annual Lee Calhoun Memorial Invitational.
The Fighting Leatherneck women placed second overall (165.50 points) and the men finished third (144.50 points). Marquette won on both the men's and women's sides while Augustana took second on the men's side.
Northern Illinois' Roneisha Frye (14.18) and Chicago State's Kelvin White (14.67) were the winners of the women's 100-meter hurdles and the men's 110-meter hurdles. They were presented the Hurdle Awards by head coach David Beauchem, Director of Athletics Dr. Tim Van Alstine, Western Illinois University President Dr. Jack Thomas, former Olympians Hayes Jones and Dave Odegard, "The First Lady of Gospel Radio" Morgan Dukes (Lee Calhoun's niece), Gwen Calhoun (wife of the late Lee Calhoun) and her daughter, Brenda.
Castel's time of 8:34.13 dominated the rest of the field as Hannibal LaGrange's Philiph Tonui finished 12 seconds behind in second-place (8:45.21). The previous meet record (8:38.27) was set by Iowa's Thomas Tate in 2009 and the previous program record (8:37.55) was also set in 2009 by Mike McGraw. Other meet records include Illinois College's Melissa Norville in the women's triple jump (40-01.50) and Jason Scott (Unattached) in the men's pole vault (16-06.75).
Also in the men's 3,000-meter run, sophomore Zach Wiedeman finished in third with the seventh fastest time in program history (8:53.05) and freshman Mark Holt placed fourth with the ninth best time in program history (9:01.25). Castel and Wiedeman were also members of the men's 4x800-meter relay squad, who placed second with a time of 7:53.19.
Jeffrey Liles and Jared Summers joined Castel and Wiedemain the 4x800-meter relay. Elsewhere, Liles used a personal best (53.66) to finish third in the men's 400-meter hurdles and was a member of the 4x400-meter relay squad that placed third overall (3:18.36).
Carianna Cottone used a personal best to cruise to victory in the women's 3000-meter run. Her time of 9:59.17 was 42 seconds better than Marquette's Olivia Johnson, who finished in second place. Cottone's effort ranks as the seventh fastest in program history.
Dana LaRue and Jessica Ortega placed first and second, respectively, in the women's shot put. LaRue won the event with a throw of 44-11.00 while Ortega placed second with a personal best toss of 44-09.00, which ranks tenth in program history.
Senior Paul Hames won the men's shot put with a throw of 50-10.00 while Brayden Sherrick (49-02.25) and Nathaniel Marshall (48-01.25) placed third and fourth in the event. Hames also placed second in the men's discus throw with a toss of 158-07.
Senior Amy Byers won the women's 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:01.66. Her personal best of 1:01.03 set in 2009 is the Western Illinois program record. Byers joined Breanna Moore, Danyelle Ehredt and Ja'Bree Mitchell on the women's 4x400-meter relay team that placed second with a time of 4:01.16.
Junior Chelsea Lynes won the women's 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:41.06 while Lydia Smith (4:50.66) and Mackenzie Gray (4:56.77) placed sixth and ninth in the event with personal best efforts. In her first pole vault competition since May 2011, senior Nichole Manning placed second by clearing a height of 11-07.75. Manning holds both the Indoor (12-08.25) and Outdoor (12-11.75) pole vault program records.
Sophomore Kirsten Bryant used a personal best (25.66) to finish fifth in the women's 200-meter dash and also placed third in the 100-meter dash (12.27). Junior Talisa Watson finished fourth in the women's 100-meter hurdles (15.86) and freshman Megan McGlone placed fourth in the women's triple jump (37-00.50). Senior Lizzy Jones finished fourth in the women's discus throw (131-11) and freshman Matthew Funches placed fourth in the men's triple jump (45-01.50).
Other Western Illinois personal bests include Jared Rohn (pole vault - 13-07.25), Alec Dorathy (100-meter dash - 11.16) and David Glenn (800-meter run - 1:57.09). The Western Illinois track and field squads will compete next at the SIUE Gateway Classic in Edwardsville, Ill. on Saturday, April 21. On April 28, Western Illinois hosts the Western Illinois Twilight Open under the lights at Hanson Field.
Women - Team Rankings - 23 Events Scored
1) Marquette - 202
2) Western Illinois - 165.50
3) Northern Illinois - 126
4) St. Ambrose - 87
5) Monmouth (Ill.) - 85.50
6) Illinois College - 62.50
7) Lincoln College - 45.50
8) Bradley - 39
9) Ashford - 23
10) Hannibal-LaGrange - 12
11) Augustana (Ill.) - 5
12) Chicago State - 3
13) Knox - 2
Men - Team Rankings - 23 Events Scored
1) Marquette - 160
2) Augustana (Ill.) - 157.50
3) Western Illinois - 144.50
4) Lincoln College - 109
5) Monmouth (Ill.) - 97.50
6) Ashford - 53
7) St. Ambrose - 39.50
8) Leatherneck Alumni - 38
9) Chicago State - 27
10) Bradley - 26
11) Knox - 22
12) Hannibal-LaGrange - 12
13) Illinois College - 8
