May 5, 2007

CHARLESTON, Ill. ---- The Samford track and field team sits at third place on the men's side and sixth on the women's side after the first day of the 2007 O'Reilly Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The two-day event is hosted by Eastern Illinois in Charleston, Ill.

Six Bulldogs qualified for Saturday's finals in their respective events including Daphne Anderson (400-meter hurdles), Ashley Dance (400-meter dash), Michael Smith (110-meter hurdles/400-meter hurdles), Will Denton (800-meter hurdles), Morgan Tyler (400-meter hurdles), and Kady Decker (400-meter hurdles). Tyler broke a school record in the women's 400-meter hurdle preliminaries with the fastest time of 1:02.98 while Smith ran the fastest time in the men's 110-meter hurdle preliminaries. Both will compete in the finals of that event on Saturday.

Lauren Blankenship won the women's 10,000-meter race with a time of 36:13.75. Lauren Pilcher placed 10th in the same event with a time of 40:02.83. Katie Almand took eighth place in the women's 3000-meter steeplechase, running the race in 12:09.11.

Jessica Lucas took 16th place in the women's javelin throw with a distance 28.35 meters (93'00"). Morgan Tyler placed tenth in the women's long jump with a jump of 5.09 meters (16'08.50") while Ciara Floyd tied at 16th (4.76m/15'07.50).

On the men's side, three Bulldogs took fifth, sixth, and seventh place in the men's 10,000-meter race. Cameron Bean finished fifth with a time of 33:27.35, Patrick Ollinger placed sixth (33:32.39) and Bo Brawner took seventh (33:45.87).

Asa Ackerson took sixth in the men's high jump (1.80 meters/5'10.75") and eighth in the long jump (6.03 meters/19'09.50"). Chris Davis took eighth in the men's shot put with a distance of 13.78 meters (45'02.50') while Steve Baker took eighth in the men's javelin with a distance of 43.72 meters (143'05").

The Bulldogs will wrap up competition in the OVC Championships Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.