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Women's Track opens season at Ice Breaker Invitational
By Matt Green
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Shorter University women's track and field squad traveled to Birmingham, Ala., on Thursday and Friday to begin the 2011-12 season at the Ice Breaker Invitational hosted by Samford, the University of Alabama-Birmingham and Birmingham-Southern.
Several Lady Hawks performed well in their respective events as Shorter attempts to bring home the school's first women's track and field national championships this winter and spring. Shorter's women posted program-best finishes in both indoor and outdoor track last season, placing fifth and third in the country, respectively.
Sophomore Mariah Freeman led the way for Shorter in Birmingham, breaking her own school record in the pentathlon and hitting the national qualifying mark with 3,086 points. Freeman placed seventh overall in the pentathlon with her best event finish coming in the high jump, where she placed third by clearing 5 feet, 2.25 inches.
Freshman Kaleigh Satterfield was a welcomed surprise in the pentatlon, placing ninth overall with 2,231 points. Satterfield, who comes to Shorter after a successful prep basketball career, recovered from a fall in the 60 meter hurdles to place high in three of the five events.
Senior Ashlie Stewartson, the reigning NAIA national outdoor champion in the long jump, placed third at the Ice Breaker Invitational in the event with a leap of 18 feet, 8 inches. Junior Tamala Daley, who finished as the national runner up in the long jump to Stewartson in the spring, was third in her other specialty, the triple jump, where she cleared 38 feet, 8.75 inches. Freshman Zandra Lake showed well in her first collegiate event, placing 12th in the triple (33-10).
Freshman Ayana Walker and Stewartson finished fourth and sixth, respectively, in the 400 meter dash. Walker crossed the line in 58.86 while Stewartson rolled in just behind her at 59.42. Freshman Dominique Hoskins had the 15th-fastest time in the 400 at 1:01.77.
In the 800 meter run, junior Kennisha Holden (2:26.91) and senior Tia Moreland (2:34.83) ran well for the Lady Hawks. Holden placed seventh while Moreland finished 10th.
Shorter freshman Kryslynn Davidson ran 10th in the 60 meter hurdles (9.87) and Shorter's 4x400 meter relay team came in sixth in a time of 3:59.98).
The Lady Hawks will take off for the Christmas holiday before returning to the boards on Jan. 7 at the Indiana Open in Bloomington, Ind.
