ANDERSON — The Newberry College track and field teams combined for seven medals over the course of the two-day South Atlantic Conference Outdoor Championship in Anderson. That included one gold medal, three silver medals and three bronze medals for the Wolves.
In the overall team standings, the women’s team collected 51 points to finish 6th of 12 teams – one spot better than their preseason ranking of seventh. The men racked up 43 points throughout the meet and finished eighth of 12.
“It was a historical meet for our program and by far the most podium and top-5 finishes that we have ever had in our program’s history,” said Coach Mashario Morton, head men’s and women’s track and field . “These results are a testament to our team’s grit and resilience.
“We took a hit when our potential scorers went down with injuries, but our competing student-athletes rose to the occasion and said they were going to do it for them.”
Senior Kegan Crowell (Beaufort) led the charge with a first-place, gold medal result in the discus throw with a toss of 47.75 meters (156 feet, 8 inches), backing up his win in last week’s Georgia Southern Classic.
“Kegan is everything you can ask of from an athlete,” Morton said. “He has that true grit and determination and cares about making his teammates better too. He embodies everything a Champion should.”
In the women’s discus event, Irma Watson-Perez (Sanford, Fla.) brought back a silver medal with her throw of 43.6 meters (143 feet), a career-best mark. She also had a personal record in the hammer throw event, as her 46.59-meter (152 feet, 10 inches) throw earned another top-five result (fourth).
This week’s SAC Varsity Gems Women’s Field Athlete of the Week, Andrea Pascual Rivera (Tarragona, Spain), also earned a silver medal – in the hammer throw. She narrowly missed first-place with a throw of 51.75 meters (169 feet, 9 inches), less than a foot behind the winner.
“We had a really good meet and continue to take steps forward,” said Jimmy Stephens, director of track and field/cross country. “Several key injuries hurt our ability to move up in the team score, but I am extremely happy with how our teams competed.
“It is really cool to see their expectations and confidence rise with every conference meet we participate in.”
Senior Tyla Stolberg (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) was the third Wolf to earn silver, hers in the javelin competition. In that event, Stolberg heaved it 38.05 meters (124 feet, 10 inches) to set a new Newberry record. Teammate Savannah Jordan (North Myrtle Beach) was fourth with a PR throw of 36.41 meters (119 feet, 5 inches).
Jon Williams (Columbia), a senior, earned bronze in the hammer throw with a throw of 51.19 meters (167 feet, 11 inches), a new PR.
“This world is about to get some great men out of Jon and Kegan. I am excited about their next chapter ahead,” Morton said.
The other pair of bronzes belonged to Sarah Abumere (Waynesboro, Ga.), who competed in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Her time of 12 seconds-flat in the 100-meter dash is both a PR and Newberry record. The same can be said for her 24.37-second effort in the 200-meter event.
ShaNadia Marshall (Columbia) set a school record of her own in the shot put event, launching it 12.53 meters (41 feet, 1.5 inches) for a fourth-place showing.
“We are on track with our program goals and expectations,” Stephens said. “Our plan is coming together and we are focused on becoming a conference contender then a national contender.
“Our expectations are high, and our student-athletes are bought into the vision of what this program is going to become.”
“We are going to use this break to continue to build and come back even stronger next season. We are happy with how we finished but we know we still have some unfinished business,” Morton said.
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