Noon, Bishop win indoor events in Carbondale
T.J. Cowell
Issue date: 2/9/10 Section: Sports
The Cougars have continued to leave their mark on a strong indoor track season at the two-day McDonalds Classic in Carbondale.
At the end of the weekend, the Cougar women's squad finished with a total of 32.5 points and placed fifth of six competing teams.
Sophomore distance athlete Aftan Noon won the 800-meter dash with her time of two minutes, 14.81 seconds. Noon's time was a personal best in the event by four seconds, the same margin by which she defeated her closest competitor in the event.
Noon said she went into the 800-meter dash looking for a 2:16. Instead, she came out with a 2:14.
"I think I performed well," Noon said. "My second lap in the 800-meter was a lot slower than I would have liked to go, so I'll definitely speed up on that lap this upcoming weekend at Grand Valley State."
Senior jumper Megan Dennis placed second in the triple jump with a mark measured at 40 feet, 3.25 inches.
Later in the meet, Noon and Dennis teamed up with freshmen Elisha Crawley and Michelle Higgins for a strong showing in the 1,600-meter relay. The team finished in third place and set a new season best by seven seconds for the event.
"Our 4 x 4 is getting pretty fast. We have some great runners, and we'll only be getting better," Noon said.
Senior sprinter Alphonso Shepherd posted personal bests in both the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes. Shepherd claimed the top spot in the 200 with his time of 22.35 and nearly missed bragging rights in the 400 with a second place spot. Shepherd crossed the line at 50.12 in the 400.
"For the first 200 of the season it was pretty solid," Shepherd said. "Currently I have the third fastest time in school history. I want to get that top spot."
Junior thrower Ben Bishop finished with a first place spot in the weight throw. Saturday marked the fifth time in a row Bishop has won the event this indoor season. His best throw of 66 feet, 8.5 inches was good enough for him to win the event.
"My weight [throw] mark was a little better this week," Bishop said. "I'm getting it back up near 70 feet, which is where I want to be. The five victories have been great, and truthfully, I haven't lost to a collegiate thrower all season, only [professional] and post-collegiate guys."
The duo of sophomore Maurice Jackson and junior Andrew Thierry finished second and fourth in the triple jump. Jackson's best mark was measured at 46-2 and while Thierry's cleared 43-9.25.
Team-wise on the men's side, host Southern Illinois University Carbondale won team honors with 175 points. The University of Memphis followed with 101 points, with Central Arkansas University (71), SIUE (63) and Indiana University (7).
Next weekend, the Cougars will close out their indoor season in another two-day endeavor called the Grand Valley State University Big Meet. The event will be at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich.
At the end of the weekend, the Cougar women's squad finished with a total of 32.5 points and placed fifth of six competing teams.
Sophomore distance athlete Aftan Noon won the 800-meter dash with her time of two minutes, 14.81 seconds. Noon's time was a personal best in the event by four seconds, the same margin by which she defeated her closest competitor in the event.
Noon said she went into the 800-meter dash looking for a 2:16. Instead, she came out with a 2:14.
"I think I performed well," Noon said. "My second lap in the 800-meter was a lot slower than I would have liked to go, so I'll definitely speed up on that lap this upcoming weekend at Grand Valley State."
Senior jumper Megan Dennis placed second in the triple jump with a mark measured at 40 feet, 3.25 inches.
Later in the meet, Noon and Dennis teamed up with freshmen Elisha Crawley and Michelle Higgins for a strong showing in the 1,600-meter relay. The team finished in third place and set a new season best by seven seconds for the event.
"Our 4 x 4 is getting pretty fast. We have some great runners, and we'll only be getting better," Noon said.
Senior sprinter Alphonso Shepherd posted personal bests in both the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes. Shepherd claimed the top spot in the 200 with his time of 22.35 and nearly missed bragging rights in the 400 with a second place spot. Shepherd crossed the line at 50.12 in the 400.
"For the first 200 of the season it was pretty solid," Shepherd said. "Currently I have the third fastest time in school history. I want to get that top spot."
Junior thrower Ben Bishop finished with a first place spot in the weight throw. Saturday marked the fifth time in a row Bishop has won the event this indoor season. His best throw of 66 feet, 8.5 inches was good enough for him to win the event.
"My weight [throw] mark was a little better this week," Bishop said. "I'm getting it back up near 70 feet, which is where I want to be. The five victories have been great, and truthfully, I haven't lost to a collegiate thrower all season, only [professional] and post-collegiate guys."
The duo of sophomore Maurice Jackson and junior Andrew Thierry finished second and fourth in the triple jump. Jackson's best mark was measured at 46-2 and while Thierry's cleared 43-9.25.
Team-wise on the men's side, host Southern Illinois University Carbondale won team honors with 175 points. The University of Memphis followed with 101 points, with Central Arkansas University (71), SIUE (63) and Indiana University (7).
Next weekend, the Cougars will close out their indoor season in another two-day endeavor called the Grand Valley State University Big Meet. The event will be at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich.
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