Sarah Howard Earns the Silver Medal in the Shot Put
February 26, 2017 | Track & Field
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Sarah Howard was locked in a battle in the shot put to start off day three of competition at the ACC Indoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday. Howard threw a 54' 6 ½" (16.62m) in the first round of the finals to take the lead, but she was edged out by top ranked Emmonnie Henderson of Louisville, who threw 55' 7 ½" (16.95m) on her final toss.
Howard's performance earned eight points towards the women's point total and is her fourth All-ACC honor of her distinguished career.
"I'm really happy for Sarah. She has been the soul of this team over the last five years. She came in and had one of the best throws of the year here at the championship meet. She was winning going into round five and held on for second place, which was tough for her to swallow because I know she wanted that championship," said head coach Harlis Meaders.
Alexis Gannon also captured All-ACC honors on day three of the conference championships, as she recorded a season-best mark of 41' 1 ¾" (12.54m) in the triple jump to take sixth place. In addition, Brianna Duncan jumped a season-best of 39' ¼" (11.89m) to finish in 17th place and Tainasha Vines earned 18th place with a mark of 38' 11" (11.86m).
"In the sand, Alexis Gannon continued to show that she is competitive at the conference level and was able to score points for us again. Brianna Duncan had a seasonal best jump, but finished just outside of the finals," said Meaders.
Morgan Ilse clocked in at a lifetime-best of 9:29.08 to place fifth in the 3,000m and earn Second Team All-ACC honors. This is the second consecutive meet in which Ilse has set a new PR in the event, as she ran a career-best of 9:32 at the Husky Classic earlier this month. Mady Clahane came in at a time of 9:51.40 to earn 21st place in the event. Â Â
"Morgan Ilse and Mady continue to have PRs. It was a great job by Coach VanAlstyne and Coach Roberts. We're happy with the strides that we have made in that area," said Meaders.
The women's team concluded the conference championships with a massive season-best performance in the 4x400m relay. The UNC squad, which consisted of Natisha Dixon, Jewel Christian, Cierra Dunston and McKinley McNeill, clocked in at 3:38.96, which was almost seven seconds better than its previous seasonal record at the Clemson Tiger Paw Invitational. That time earned them fifth place in the day's final event.
"The most impressive performance today for the women was the 4x400m with a seven second PR on the season. It shows how well that team has come together and what Coach Hudson has been able to do with that group. It was a fantastic job by those ladies in a very tough conference," said Meaders.
North Carolina concluded the ACC Indoor Track & Field Championships in seventh place (44 points) behind Miami (113 points), Clemson (98 points), Florida State (74 points), Louisville (57.5 points), Notre Dame (48 points) and Duke (44.5 points). The Tar Heels managed to outscore in-state rival NC State, which accrued 35 points to finish in ninth place.
"It was a fantastic conclusion to the meet for our women's program. It was an outstanding performance by the group of young ladies and my assistant coaches for preparing them for the championship," said Meaders.
Meaders continued, "Overall, it was a fantastic effort by a group of young ladies that have done a tremendous job this year. Our motto for the year was 'This Team, This Year, This Day.' I think the women have really held true to that motto by having some of the most outstanding performances of the season at the conference championship."
FIRST TEAM ALL-ACC HONOREES
Sarah Howard, 2nd Place, Shot Put
Nicole Greene, 2nd Place, High Jump
Emily Godwin, 3rd Place, High Jump
SECOND TEAM ALL-ACC HONOREES
Emily Godwin, 5th Place, Pentathlon
Anna Eaton, 5th Place, Pole Vault
Alexis Gannon, 6th Place, Triple Jump
Morgan Ilse, 5th Place, 3,000m
Players Mentioned
