MILLIGAN COLLEGE, TN (April 14, 2007) --- For the third time in as many track meets, the Milligan College women's 1,500 meter record fell, this time to Lady Buff junior MacKenzie LaBonte (Port Charlotte, Fla.). LaBonte first broke the record at the season opening Milligan Relays, and again lowered the record to 4:42.11 at Friday night's distance section of the Sea Ray Relays hosted by the University of Tennessee.
Also running well in the heats of the 800 meters was sophomore Jacklyn Talbert (Mt. Carmel, Tenn.), who recorded a new personal best time of 2:17:34 in section three of the women's event. Junior Josh Ferry (Bloomington, Ind.) ran a season best time of 1:53.25 in the third section of the men's 800 meters heat races. Both Talbert and Ferry earned national qualifying marks for their efforts.
On Saturday, both the men's and women's squads competed at the University of the Cumberlands Invitational. Leading the way for Milligan was sophomore Ashley Pearce (St. Cloud, Fla,) who won the women's 5,000 meters with a new lifetime best mark of 18:48. Sophomore Emily Schmitt (Avon, Ind.) finished fourth overall in the 5,000 meters with a new personal best time of 19:07.
Other top five finishes at Cumberlands Invitational included Nicole Moore (Boise, Idaho), second in the women's 3,000 meter steeplechase, Aaron Wood (Aurora, Colo.), second in the men's 800 meters, Jair Collie (Johnson City, Tenn.), fourth in the men's 800 meters and Will Frye (Pulaski, Va.) finished fifth in the men's 3,000 meter steeplechase.
In all, seven Buffs and Lady Buffs recorded new lifetime bests.
For complete Sea Ray results visit www.tenntrack.com , and for complete Cumberlands results visit http://www.ucumberlands.edu/athletics/track/ .
Both teams will be in action next weekend at the AAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Banner Elk, N.C.