University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina's Stride Cut Short At Dick Taylor Carolina Classic
January 30, 2010 | Track & Field
Jan. 29, 2010
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -
The University of North Carolina track program was looking at a weekend finish full of top marks in almost every event student-athletes were entered in when Saturday's icy forecast cut competition short disallowing the Tar Heels to host day-two of its third home meet in 2010. Zach Brown set a new school record - for the second week in a row - in the men's 60, as well as seven other first place finishes by Carolina.
Brown dominated the 60 for a second straight week, this time running 6.72 and beating his fresh school record by one-hundredth of a second. Hunter Furr, another football player to join the track team this season, also competed in the 60 running 6.93 followed by Kelvin Hardesty with 6.94. For the 60-meter hurdles, Kenneth Andoll was the lone Tar Heel to compete and he finished at 9.04, just missing the finals for the event.
Clayton Parros captured second in the 300 meters with his race of 34.06, followed by Charles Cox in third at 34.80. Parros and Cox were joined in the 300 by Curtiss Campbell, who is also a track addition from Carolina football. Campbell ran in 36.75. In the 500, Ian Williamson took third in 1:07.19.
In distance events, Andrew Rotz placed first in the 1000 in 2:31.06. Another first-place nod was earned by freshman Logan Rosenberg in the men's mile. Rosenberg raced 4:19.49 followed by Michael Rollins in third place at 4:22.98. Alex Cremer won his flight of the mile, but finished seventh overall in 4:27.00. Sam Pompei was the fourth Tar Heel to place, taking eighth in 4:29.54.
On the field, Parker Smith took home another first-place finish in the pole vault. Smith reached a height of 16-4 3/4, almost six inches better than second place. LB Joel competed in the 35 lb. weight throw reaching 41-4 1/2.
The worst toll the weather could take was on the heptathlon. Because the last three events for the men were scheduled for Saturday, the cancelation of day-two also cancels the scores Mateo Sossah, Matthew Villemain and newcomer Chadd Pierce earned in the first four events on Friday. However in some the multis' most exciting celebrations seen thus far, Sossah did score a personal best in the high jump at 6-10 3/4, Villemain a personal best in the shot put at 35-10 1/2, and Pierce gained valuable experience in his first attempt at a multis day of competition.
The women multis, however, were able to complete their five events in total on Friday. For the first pentathlon of the season, multis Gabby Gioia, Alexandra Coppadge, Danielle Brock and newcomer Ariel Roberts dominated the points. Gioia took home first place with her total of 3,652, Coppadge took third with 3,576, Roberts took fourth with 3,570 and Brock took fifth with 3,481.
Michelle Newman leaped over six inches farther than the rest of the triple jump field to take home first place. Newman reached a length of 41-1 3/4. The only other women's field events of the day was the 20 lb. weight throw in which Christine Coppola threw 42-0 1/2 but did not place.
Tyler Ford continued to focus her sights on the 60 meters, this time taking second place in 7.58. Jacinda Evans joined Ford in the 60 final, placing fifth in 7.70. Malai Walker (7.78), Vanneisha Ivy (7.85) and Zoey Russell (8.06) also competed in the 60, but did not make it out of the preliminary round.
For the first time this season, Ivy did not take first in the 60-meter hurdles. Ivy had to settle for third with a time of 8.43. LaToya James was right behind Ivy at 8.60 to take fourth place in the event.
Elizabeth Mott finished over a second faster than the rest of the field in the 300 meters, taking first place in 38.91. Christine Johnson took third in 40.10, followed by LaToya James (41.17) and Zoey Russell (41.22) in seventh and eighth, respectively.
Tasha Stanley was even farther ahead of the other competitors in the 500. Stanley took first place in 1:14.74. The mile was the only women's distance event that Tar Heels competed in for the day, with Michelle Britto taking sixth place in 5:16.26.
The second day of the Dick Taylor Carolina Classic was canceled due to inclement weather that had already begun before Friday night's competition had finished. Those events scheduled for that day will not be made up, leaving Carolina's next action as a double header on February 5-6th. Part of the team will travel to New York City to the New Balance Invitational while the other part will compete at the Hokie Invitational in Blacksburg, Va.
