CLEMSON, SC – The 2006 Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships concluded Saturday afternoon at the Clemson Indoor Track and Field Facility with the Western Carolina men and the Appalachian State women taking top team honors.
The Western Carolina men won the crown for the second time in the last three years with a cumulative point total of 277. It is the third SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championship all-time for the Catamounts.
The Appalachian State women's team won the overall team SoCon championship for the sixth year in a row on Saturday with a grand total of 148.50. The 2006 SoCon Indoor Track and Field championship marks the 13th crown for the Mountaineer women in the 19-year history of the championship.
Individually, Shannon Wommack once again took center stage on the women's side.
The graduate student in her final SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championship used her final appearance just one day after winning her fourth SoCon championship in the 3,000 meter run and setting a new SoCon standard in the event to once again raise the bar in the one mile run. Wommack tallied her third SoCon title in the event (2003 and 2004).
Wommack's time of 4:48.09 in the one mile run on Saturday also set a new SoCon record in the event, eradicating ETSU's Val Urchinson's former standard of 4:53.37 set in 1998. She concluded her efforts by acquiring her third SoCon championship of the weekend and her first in the 800 meter run on Saturday afternoon with a first place finish in the event. Wommack's time of 2:15.27 bested second place finisher Ashley Meagher (2:18.74) by over three seconds.
Her exploits also earned Wommack her fourth Most Outstanding Track Performer honor, giving Wommack the accolade in all four years that she has competed at Chattanooga.
Chakosha Lance of College of Charleston won her third straight women's 20-pound weight throw and in the process squashed her personal SoCon record in the event. Lance's throw on Saturday afternoon netted an NCAA provisional mark of 19.54 meters and dwarfed her previous high mark in the championship of 18.32 meters.
Lance took home the honor for Most Outstanding Field Performer for the first time in her career for her efforts.
After watching rival Appalachian State earn seven of the 10 individual SoCon championships during day one on Friday, the Western Carolina men turned the tables on Saturday, winning five of the 10 individual championships.
Dan Fassinger kicked things off on Saturday for Western Carolina, holding on long enough in the men's one mile run to defeat teammate Adam Puett and win the event with a time of 4:18.07. Puett, who won the SoCon championship in the event the previous year, came in just behind at 4:18.16.
Western Carolina's Lawrence Briscoe commandeered his third straight SoCon 60 meter hurdles championship shortly thereafter. Briscoe, who is the only SoCon champion in the event in its three-year history, tallied a time of 8.05 to win the event.
Zeb Johnson of Western Carolina via a time of 6.85 chalked up his first SoCon title in the 60 meter dash, besting teammate Manteo Mitchell, who came in just behind with a time of 6.91. Johnson, who was tabbed Most Outstanding Field Performer at the end of the championship, then tallied his second SoCon championship of the day by winning the men's 200 meter dash with a time of 21.83.
The final individual title on day two of the SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championships for Western Carolina came through Milton Bolton, who held off teammate Johnson to win the men's 400 meter dash for the second time in his intercollegiate career (2004) with a time of 49.32. Johnson came in literally a half an inch behind with a mark of 49.34.
Mark Sturgis of men's second place finisher Appalachian State picked up his second SoCon championship in as many days when he won the men's triple jump with a mark of 15.22 meters. Sturgis had picked up a SoCon title the day before in the long jump and his two crowns helped to garner him the 2006 Most Outstanding Field Performer award.
The Appalachian State women were not as fruitful in individual championships on the second day of the championship as they were on the first day of action, as only one individual won an event on Saturday.
Appalachian State's Caren Mah won her first SoCon championship in the women's pole vault to pick up the one victory with a mark of 3.50 meters. Second-place finisher Jessica Clendenning of Elon equaled the mark but Mah reached the mark in the fewer number of tries.
Western Carolina finished second on the women's side with a total of 122 points behind the efforts of sophomore Raquel Ramseur, who solidified her first SoCon women's 400 meter dash with a time of 56.24. Ramser then tallied her second title of the day Saturday afternoon in the 200 meter dash, garnering a time of 24.51 to edge out reigning champ Nicole Brown of Georgia Southern, who came in just behind at 24.54.
Western Carolina's Tangelia Johnson claimed her first SoCon championship in the 60 meter dash on Saturday afternoon with a time of 7.48.
2006 SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championships
Female Team Scores
1) Appalachian State 148.50
2) Western Carolina 122
3) Georgia Southern 118
4) Chattanooga 108
5) Furman 42
6) Elon 40
7) College of Charleston 26.50
8) The Citadel 25
9) Davidson 22
10) UNC Greensboro 8
Male Team Scores
1) Western Carolina 277
2) Appalachian State 213
3) The Citadel 43
4) Chattanooga 40
5) Davidson 33
6) UNC Greensboro 30
7) Wofford 13
SoCon Women's Indoor Track and Field
Most Outstanding Track Performer – Shannon Wommack, Chattanooga
Most Outstanding Field Performer – Chakosha Lance, College of Charleston
Freshman of the Year – Monica Johnson, Appalachian State
Coach of the Year – John Weaver, Appalachian State
SoCon Men's Indoor Track and Field
Most Outstanding Track Performer – Zeb Johnson, Western Carolina
Most Outstanding Field Performer – Mark Sturgis, Appalachian State
Freshman of the Year – Josh Cox, Appalachian State
Coach of the Year – Danny Williamson, Western Carolina