May 13, 2012

Personal Bests and School Records Fall in Final Day of Southland Championships

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas A&M – Corpus Christi men's and women's outdoor track and field teams wrapped action at the 2012 Southland Championships with the women finishing seventh and the men's squad taking 10^th on Sunday at Texas State University. Patrick Kimeli's second-place finish in the 1500 was the top individual performance of the day for the Islanders.

"The kids did really well today," Director of Track and Field Shawn Flanagan said. "We had a bunch of personal bests and it was quite a good outing for us. We ran really well, ran fast at the right time, and when we get a few more bodies out there we should be in the hunt for the conference title. I was really proud of them, the kids competed really hard."

The women posted 50 points for the three-day event, finishing just six points behind Southeastern Louisiana for the sixth spot in the Championships. The men scored 30 points, their highest total since 2009, in coming in 10^th.

In the women's triple jump, the duo of Ernestine Cray and Kassandrea Son battled once again for the Islanders, with Cray besting her senior teammate with a third-place finish and a distance of 12.58. Son was just behind her in fourth after jumping 12.54, a new personal best for the 2011-12 Islanders Female Athlete of the Year.

Freshman Shakelia Coleman had a standout performance, taking fifth place in both the 100- and 200-meter dash. She was slightly off her school-record time from the day before, finishing in 11.861 seconds to narrowly edge Lamar's Ashley Idunoba for fifth in the 100. In the 200, Coleman posted a time of 24.42 seconds, as the frosh scored eight team points with her performance in those two events.

In the women's 5,000, BreAnna Briggs had another solid performance, taking eighth to lead a trio of Islanders in the top 12. Briggs' 18:09.05 led the way, with Danielle Higgins (10^th, 18:18.04) and Vanessa Galindo (12^th, 18:28.20) close behind. Shelby Polasek (22^nd, 19:02.15), Cecy Gonzalez (25^th, 19:14.91), Jasmine Boutte (27^th, 19:33.59) and Jennifer Ramirez (28^th, 20:26.45) also took part in the event.

The women's 4x100 relay team of Cray, Son, Ashley Rosebrough and Brianeka Harris turned in a time of 45.83 to finish seventh, just 1/20^th of a second off their school-record time. The 4x400 quartet finished 11^th, as Sidney Siepert, Son, Rosebrough and Shannan Girdy turned in a time of 3:51.32.

Higgins also finished ninth in the 1,500 meters, turning in a time of 4:40.32. Jasmine Roberson took 10^th in the discus with a school-record 41.49 meters, while Brandi Huff finished 21^st after a throw of 31.54.

On the men's side, the 1500 saw three Islanders score, led by Kimeli's time of 3:46.79. It marked a personal best for the junior and was less than a second off Shadrack Songok's school record, but Lamar's Tom Wade took the title in 3:45.31. Joining Kimeli were Philipp Baar, who took sixth in 3:52.20, and Paul "Buster" Hansel, who finished eighth in 3:54.63, as both freshmen set collegiate bests in the event. The trio brought the Islanders 12 points in that event alone.

The 800 meters saw Brandon Lacy and Valentinas Rudys each score for the Islanders, with Lacy taking fifth in a time of 1:51.47 and Rudys seventh in 1:51.98. Each runner set a collegiate best in the event, and both posted top-five times in school history.

In the men's 5,000, Kimeli led the way by taking fifth for the Islanders, posting a time of 15:00.09 to take four points for the Islanders. Angel Banda (16^th, 15:31.46), Justin Adame (17^th, 15:35.14), Adrian Marquez (18^th, 15:41.59) and Hansel (20^th, 15:54.36) gave the Islanders five runners in the top 20, while Baar (24^th, 16:04.94) and Jason Garcia (27^th, 16:18.36) also took part in the event.

The men's 4x400 relay team of William Scott, Cordarius Franks, Matt Youngblood and David Carrillo took ninth place with a time of 3:15.17 to garner two points, while the 4x100 relay featured the same foursome posting a time of 42.25 to grab ninth as well.

The Islanders will next take part in the 2012 NCAA West Regionals, which are slated to begin on May 24 in Austin, hosted by the University of Texas. For all the latest on Islanders track and field, follow the team on Twitter @IslandersTFXC.

Women's 100-meter dash
5. Shakelia Coleman – 11.87

Women's 200-meter dash
5. Shakelia Coleman – 24.42

Men's 800 meters
5. Brandon Lacy – 1:51.47
7. Valentinas Rudys – 1:51.98

Men's 1500 meters
2. Patrick Kimeli – 3:46.79
6. Philipp Baar – 3:52.20
8. Paul "Buster" Hansel – 3:54.63

Women's 1500 meters
9. Danielle Higgins – 4:40.32

Men's 5000 meters
5. Patrick Kimeli – 15:00.09
16. Angel Banda – 15:31.46
17. Justin Adame – 15:35.14
18. Adrian Marquez – 15:41.59
20. Paul "Buster" Hansel – 15:54.36
23. Daniel Barlow – 15:57.59
24. Philipp Baar – 16:04.94
27. Jason Garcia – 16:18.36
30. Jacob Abrego – 16:40.51

Women's 5000 meters
8. BreAnna Briggs – 18:09.05
10. Danielle Higgins – 18:18.04
12. Vanessa Galindo – 18:28.20
22. Shelby Polasek – 19:02.15
25. Cecy Gonzalez – 19:14.91
27. Jasmine Boutte – 19:33.59
28. Jennifer Ramirez – 20:26.45