Feb. 24, 2007

CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Samford University track and field team finished fifth on both the men's and women's sides Saturday in the OVC Indoor Championships hosted by Eastern Illinois. The Bulldogs finished behind Eastern Illinois (1st), Tennessee State (men 3rd, women 2nd), Southeast Missouri (men 2nd, women 3rd) and Eastern Kentucky (4th).

Junior Bulldog Lauren Blankenship took first place in the women's 3000-meter race Saturday with a time of 9:56.73, and took the 5000-meter event title Friday with a time of 17:29.

Sophomore pole-vaulter Cameron Cardwell won the women's pole vault competition as well as set a new school record on Saturday with a height of 11'11.75". Sophomore Bulldog Anna Fearon placed eighth in the same competition with a vault of 9'00.25".

Friday in the men's 5000-meters, four Samford men placed in the top ten. Drew Anderwald took fourth, followed but Cameron Bean at fifth, Bo Brawner at sixth and Patrick Ollinger at ninth. Saturday in the men's 3000-meters Drew Anderwald placed fifth, followed again by Cameron Bean at sixth and Michael Hanson and Spencer Anderwald at tenth and 12th, respectively.

Junior Robyn DeBenedet took fourth place in both the women's 800-meter event and the mile run. Katherine Herring joined DeBenedet in the top ten of the 800-meters at seventh, while freshman Angela Fister did the same in the mile at ninth place.

Britney Almaguer placed eighth in the 3000-meters Saturday and joined Jessica Van Ausdall, Morgan Tyler and Fister in taking third place in the women's distance medley on Friday. The men also faired well in the distance medley, taking fourth place.

In the 4x400-meter relay, the women's team (Ashley Flowers, Morgan Tyler, Ashley Dance, Kady Decker) placed fourth with a time of 3:59.87 and the men's team (Will Denton, Asa Ackerson, Andrew Mardis, Michael Smith) came in fifth place with a time of 3:27.81.

Michael Smith took eighth place in the men's 60-meter hurdles (8.82) and fourth in the 400-meter dash (49.91), setting a new school record for the men in the 400-meter dash. Daphne Anderson placed third in the women's 60-meters with a time of 8.95.

Freshman distance runner Blaise Carie took fourth in the men's mile run, clocking a time of 4.19.70, while Jon Londeen also took fourth in the men's pole vault.

The Bulldogs will wrap up the indoor season in the next two weeks as they participate in the Alex Wilson Invitational at Notre Dame on March 3 and then the NCAA Championships March 9-10.