SALISBURY, N.C. — The Tusculum University men’s track and field team earned its second team victory of the outdoor season Saturday at the Blue Bear Invite, hosted by Livingstone College.
The Pioneers accumulated 145 points on the strength of six first-place finishes in 17 events to easily outscore runner-up UNC Pembroke (71.3 points) and the host Blue Bears (69.83 points). The Pioneers also had three school-record performances during the meet and two NCAA Division II championship qualifying marks.
Tusculum’s women were third with 51 points, finishing behind Winston-Salem State (126.33 points) and Fayetteville State (110 points). The Pioneers won three events and had two school record performances, one of which was an NCAA Division II qualifier.
MEN’S RECAP
Freshman Pau Valdepenas won the 3000 meters and set a school record with a time of 8:54.09, and also won the 1500 meters in 4:02.19. Freshman Sam Shipp placed second to Valdepenas in both races, running 4:02.24 in the 1500 and 8:54.11 in the 3000. Grad student Antonio Aparicio was third in the 1500 meters at 4:10.47, with freshman Simon Ray taking sixth in the 3000 meters at 10:23.98. Junior Ryan Drysch was fifth in the 5000 meters at 18:12.26.
Grad student Zack Nelson ran 48.40 seconds to win the 400 meters, with junior Stephen Brewer in third place at 49.74 seconds. Sophomore Isaiah Olson was third in the 100 meters at 10.79 seconds, followed by senior Marquel Pittman in fourth at 10.88 seconds.
Sophomore Daryl Smith Jr. posted an NCAA qualifying mark in winning the triple jump, leaping 15.10 meters (49 feet, 6 1/2 inches) for the second-best mark in program history and the sixth-best in Division II this season. In hurdles, Smith was second in the 400 hurdles at 54.03 seconds, with senior Jamal Cash taking third in the 400 at 55.90 seconds and sixth in the 110 hurdles at 15.70 seconds.
Tusculum swept the relays, winning the 4×100 meters in 40.85 with the group of senior Jordan Taylor, Pittman, freshman Lansford Cunningham and Olson. The 4×400 relay of Nelson, Cunningham, Aparicio and senior Dorian Craven posted a winning time of 3:15.41.
Cunningham set a school record in the long jump, taking fifth place with a mark of 6.96 meters (22 feet, 10 inches) that broke the old record of 6.71 meters (22 feet, 1/4 inch) set by Jay Boyd at the 2018 South Atlantic Conference Championship.
Sophomore Adrian Gumm broke his own school record in the discus, throwing 43.75 meters (143 feet, 6 inches) for third place. Gumm was also third in the shot put at 14.69 meters (48 feet, 2 1/2 inches), while sophomore Gavin Rowell was sixth in the discus at 42.39 meters (139 feet, 1 inch) and seventh in the shot put at 13.62 meters (44 feet, 8 1/4 inches).
WOMEN’S RECAP
The 4×100 relay of sophomore Kiera Taylor, freshman Alonda Shelton, sophomore Theresa Green-White and freshman Kieley Smith ran 46.73 seconds to take second overall and break the record of 46.98 seconds set at last year’s SAC Championship by a group that included Taylor and Green-White.
Freshman Caley Sosnowski took over third place in Division II in the javelin as she posted a winning mark of 45.89 meters (150 feet, 6 inches) which broke the old Pioneer record of 44.11 meters (144 feet, 9 inches) set by Shanee Angol in 2021. Freshman McKenzie Morton was seventh at 24.68 meters (80 feet, 11 inches).
Sophomore Inmaculada Delgado won the 3000 meters with a time of 11.29.26, and took eighth place in the 1500 meters at 5:14.55.
Green-White finished first in the 100 hurdles at 14.13 seconds. Taylor placed third in the 100 meters at 12.23 seconds, while Shelton was eighth in the 200 meters at 24.98 seconds.
Blue Bear Invite – at Salisbury, N.C.
Tusculum results
MEN
100: 3. Isaiah Olson, 10.79; 4. Marquel Pittman, 10.88; 21. Joshua Stephens, 11.27.
110 hurdles: 6. Jamal Cash, 15.70.
400: 1. Zack Nelson, 48.40; 3. Stephen Brewer, 49.74; 17. Xay Bogus, 52.40; 20. Landen Locklear, 54.21; 21. Kayvon Pickett, 55.02.
400 hurdles: 2. Daryl Smith Jr., 54.03; 3. Jamal Cash, 55.90.
1500: 1. Pau Valdepenas, 4:02.19; 2. Sam Shipp, 4:02.24; 3. Antonio Aparicio, 4:10.47; 18. Simon Ray, 4:40.24; 21. Jori Ray, 4:45.63.
3000: 1. Pau Valdepenas, 8:54.09 (school record); 2. Sam Shipp, 8:54.11; 6. Simon Ray, 10:23.98.
5000: 5. Ryan Drysch, 18:12.26.
4×100: 1. Tusculum (Taylor, Pittman, Cunningham, Olson), 40.85.
4×400: 1. Tusculum A (Nelson, Cunningham, Aparicio, Craven), 3:15.41; 7. Tusculum C (Kitapindu, Bogus, Pickett), 3:30.34; 8. Tusculum B (Brewer, Pittman, Taylor, Olson), 3:34.57.
Long jump: 5. Lansford Cunningham, 6.96m (22-10) (school record).
High jump: 12. Hunter Burkey, 1.78m (5-10).
Triple jump: 1. Daryl Smith Jr., 15.10m (49-6 1/2).
Shot put: 3. Adrian Gumm, 14.69m (48-2 1/2); 7. Gavin Rowell, 13.62m (44-8 1/4); 10. Dylan Horne, 13.26m (43-6); 24. Mason Allen, 10.36m (34-0).
Discus: 3. Adrian Gumm, 43.75m (143-6) (school record); 6. Gavin Rowell, 42.39m (139-1).
Javelin: 8. Noah Girard, 47.11m (154-6); 12. Joshua Stephens, 39.00m (127-11)
Team scores: 1. Tusculum 145; 2. UNC Pembroke 71.33; 3. Livingstone 69.83; 4. Johnson C. Smith 62; 5. Virginia Union 49; 6. Methodist 29; 7. Lincoln (Pa.) 28; 8. Barton 27; 9. West Virginia State 21.
WOMEN
100: 3. Kiera Taylor, 12.23; 9. Theresa Green-White, 12.39; 16. Alonda Shelton, 12.54.
100 hurdles: 1. Theresa Green-White, 14.13.
200: 8. Alonda Shelton, 24.98; 21. Jada Martin, 26.04; 36. McKenzie Morton, 26.87.
400: 13. Jada Martin, 1:00.33.
800: 10. Judy Chellah, 2:26.29; 14. Macey Snapp, 2:33.72; 24. Kieley Smith, 2:56.13.
1500: 8. Inmaculada Delgado, 5:14.55; 18. Victoria Caliendo, 6:18.08.
3000: 1. Inmaculada Delgado, 11:29.26.
4×100: 2. Tusculum (Taylor, Shelton, Green-White, Smith), 46.73 (school record).
4×400: 9. Tusculum A (Martin, Shelton, Taylor, Chellah), 4:09.10; 11. Tusculum B (Green-White, Morton, Smith, Snapp), 4:14.28.
Shot put: 11. Amber Hogan, 10.61m (34-9 3/4); 24. Kari Ham, 8.32m (27-3 3/4); 25. Briyana Walton, 8.15m (26-9).
Discus: 16. Amber Hogan, 28.94m (94-11).
Javelin: 1. Caley Sosnowski, 45.89m (150-6) (school record); 7. McKenzie Morton, 24.68m (80-11); 18. Kieley Smith, 20.50m (67-3).
Team scores: 1. Winston Salem State 126.33; 2. Fayetteville State 110; 3. Tusculum 51; 4. Livingstone 41; 5. Lincoln (Pa.) 38; 6. Shaw 35.5; 7. UNC Pembroke 35; 8. Bluefield State 30.66; 9. West Virginia State 30.5; 10. Virginia Union 26.33; 11. Johnson C. Smith 25.33; 12. Barton 18; 13. Methodist 13; 14. Coker 7.
