In only the second outdoor track and field event of the spring, the Catamounts gave an impressive showing to their competition on Friday, Mar. 27 and Saturday, Mar. 28 in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Western Carolina won three events and garnered eight other podium finishes against schools from all over North and South Carolina in the Asics Invitational and turned in one of their best performances.
Western placed runners on the top step of the podium in three separate events. The first win the Catamounts earned was a first for many reasons. Benny Davis won the 400 meter dash, the first individual win for Davis as a collegiate sprinter, in 48.31 seconds. Davis was also a member of the 4×100 meter relay team that won Western’s second victory in the invitational. Davis was joined on the team by Dominique Young, Manteo Mitchell, and Christian Bethune; the team finished the event in an amazing 41.04 seconds.
Western’s sprinters were not the only ones who climbed to the top of the podium, as Matt Evans, a decathlete, also took home a win. In the decathlon, Evans won four of the ten events and won with more than 6400 points.
In the 100 meter dash, two Catamount runners also had impressive showings as Dominique Young finished in third place with teammate Kevin Johnson right on his heels in fourth place. Other podium finishers on the men’s side were Manteo Mitchell in the 200 meter dash and Drew Tucker in the 800 meter run; both athletes finished third in their respective events.
The Lady Catamounts also got impressive showings with several grabbing spots on the podium. Western’s most impressive showing was in the 1500 meter run where two Catamounts finished in the top three.
Megan Isaacs and Jordan Gaddy finished second and third respectively in the event with less than a minute separating the two Catamount runners. Not to be outdone by the men’s 4×100 meter relay team, the Lady Catamounts ran a very close race and finished on the podium in second place. The ladies on the team were Felicia Paulding, Janet Carothers, Emma Bowers and Sherelle Fronberger.
The Catamounts shined off the track as well, getting strong performances from their field athletes. Western got a fourth place finish from Chelsea McLean in the hammer throw. Junior Cale McDaniel finished in fourth place on the men’s side of the hammer throw and in the men’s long jump Alex Dollard also finished fourth.
