WILLIAMSON WINS 3,000 TO OPEN DAY ONE OF BSC CHAMPIONSHIPS

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RESULTS | STANDINGS

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Teresa Williamson shattered the championship meet record for the women's 3,000 meters to propel Radford track and field Friday at the Big South indoor championships held at Rector Field House on the campus of Virginia Tech.

The Highlanders are fifth on the men's side with 17.5 points, and sixth on the women's side with 16 points. Liberty is the overnight leader for both sides.

WOMEN'S 3,000-METER RUN
On top of her four school records she already set this indoor season, Williamson was after another record in the early afternoon. In the only race she was scheduled to compete in, Williamson had her sights set on the championship meet record (9:55.11) for this event, which was set by Jolene Williams in 1998.

After changing frontrunner honors with Liberty's Jacy Christiansen, who entered the event as the top seed, Williamson exulted a burst of speed in the final 200 meters of the race to maneuver around her competitor and claim her first Big South indoor title. Her pace of 9:38.66 bested the former championship meet record by nearly 20 seconds, and crushed the school record (which Williamson set earlier this year) by almost 13 seconds.

Williamson's victory is the first Big South indoor title on the women's side since Aimee Veatch prevailed in the weight throw in 2012. Radford last won the 3,000 meters in 2001 when Kara Price accomplished the feat.

MEN'S HEPTATHALON
Philip Hovatter finished with personal bests in three of his four heptathlon events. With 2,843 points, he enters the final day in third place. In the 60-meter dash, Hovatter shaved 0.3 of a second off his previous record to post a 7.28. He also added a long jump PR (22-03.00) and a shot put PR (39-06.50). Also competing for the Highlanders is Devon Drake, who is seventh with 2,559 points.

WOMEN'S PENTATHLON
Jessica Shelton, Amber Church and Monica Mallory finished seventh, 11^th and 13^th respectively. Behind PRs in the 60-meter hurdles (8.99) and the long jump (16-08.50), Shelton accumulated a personal-best 3,060 points. Church notched a PR in the shot put (31-08.75) and tied her PR in the high jump (5-05.00) en route to 2,959 points. Four of Mallory's five events resulted in a PR, which led to a personal-best 2,766 points.

MEN'S 60-METER HURDLES
Three of the four Highlanders entered in this event advanced to Saturday's final. Vincent Wyatt topped the qualifying field with his 7.81 dash. Ashad Johnson-Conley, who ran in a different heat, finished second with a personal-best 8.06. Victor Brew placed sixth with his 8.55, making the cut by 0.6 of a second. Although Logan Shumaker failed to qualify, he established a PR with his 8.90 effort. Saturday's final is set for 1 p.m.

WOMEN'S 60-METER HURDLES
Courtni Pannell was the lone Highlander to advance to the final behind her 8.72 performance. That time was just .01 of a second off her PR, which was set at the 2011 Big South Championships. Shelton, who already set a PR earlier in the day, improved her time by .12 of a second to place ninth at 8.87.

WOMEN'S 60-METER DASH
Kiki Crews flew through the finish line during prelims to finish with a personal-best 7.67, which was .02 of a second from tying the school record. Crews will be seeded second in tomorrow's final, which is slated for 2:10 p.m. Kaleice Green (7.86), Shantel Jones (7.95) and Reanna Hamm (8.13) also lowered their PRs.

MEN'S 400-METER DASH
Joseph Betts earned a runner-up finish with his 49.28 showing. He will be seeded second in Saturday's final, which is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

WOMEN'S 400-METER DASH
Three Radford runners established PRs, led by Michelle Speede's 11^th-place effort (57.80). Cara Myrtle (59.11) and Danyelle McDaniel (1:00.63) concluded the event in 17^th and 21^st, respectively.

MEN'S 3,000-METER RUN
Ryan Farnan tallied a top-10 showing and Harrison Murn charted a PR to pace RU. Farnan covered the distance in 8:37.04 to place 10^th, while Murn reached the finish line in 9:12.80 to claim 17^th.

MEN'S 800-METER RUN
Behind his PR 1:54.91, Chaz Porter qualified for Saturday's 2:25 p.m. final. He will be seeded sixth in the championship heat.

WOMEN'S WEIGHT THROW
Seeded eighth entering the event, Jazmine Banks hoisted a personal-best 56-00.00 mark to place sixth. Her mark is almost two feet more than her previous best effort.

MEN'S WEIGHT THROW
Tyler Lamott also improved on his standings as he unleashed a 58-08.00 throw, which bettered his old PR by over four feet. The junior placed fifth in the event after being seeded eighth. Garrett Knudson added over three feet to his previous PR to claim 10^th place with his 50-03.25 performance.

MEN'S HIGH JUMP
Kenneth Jordan (6-04.25(PR)) and Anthony Aviles (6-04.25) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

MEN'S LONG JUMP
Cory Dunn leaped a personal-best 22-07.00 to earn a seventh-place showing. He added nearly a foot to his old PR.

SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE
Action resumes at 10 a.m. Saturday with the heptathlon's 60-meter hurdles. The women's 4x400-meter relay closes out the championships at 4:40 p.m.

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