April 18, 2003
RALEIGH, N.C. – Georgia Tech sophomore Ian Brewer won the men’s hammer throw, and freshman Chaunte Howard claimed the women’s high jump title, as the Georgia Tech men’s and women’s track and field teams wrapped up day one of the 2003 ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships at NC State’s Paul Derr Track. The Yellow Jacket men are sixth with 26 points, while the women also stand sixth with 16 points.
Brewer won his first conference title with a toss of 197’11.00″ in the men’s hammer throw, while Howard, who owns the nation’s top high jump performance this season, claimed her second ACC crown by clearing 6’0.00″. She also won the 2003 indoor crown en route to league indoor rookie of the year honors. Additionally, Howard scored with an eighth-place finish in the long jump (18″11.75″).
Sophomore Zeb Sion gave the Jackets three All-ACC showings on the first day of the championships with a third-place finish (57’7.75″) in the shot put. Classmate Jonathan Spillman placed fourth and added to Tech’s qualifiers for the NCAA East Region Championships with a toss of 55’4.25″.
Other scoring performances came from senior Jessica DeFreitas, who was fourth in the long jump with a leap of 19’7.00″, and sophomore Anthony Hoover, who placed fourth in the javelin with a toss of 183’9.00″.
A number of Jackets also qualified for Saturday’s finals on the track, led by a group of three in the men’s 400 meters. Senior Bryan Swarn ran 47.28 to qualify second, while senior Sharif Azim and sophomore Brian Ford also advanced. Tech’s men also qualified two in the 800 meters where junior Brendon Mahoney was second (1:51.88), followed by junior David Schmidt, who was eighth. Swarn also qualified fourth in the 200 meters in a season-best 21.59. Sophomore Neil McDonagh also advanced to the finals in the 1500 meters.
Junior Amandi Rhett led the group of women advancing to Saturday’s action. She was second in the 100 meters (11.66) and sixth in the 200 meters (24.30). DeFreitas, who was eighth in the 100 meters, joins Rhett in the final. Sophomore Dana Rogers, who was third in a season-best 13.74, and freshman Andriane Lapsley, who was fourth in a regional-qualifying 14.10, will compete in the finals of the 100-meter hurdles. Junior Courtney Thomas also moves on the 400-meter hurdles.
Additionally, sophomore Greg McCormick stands sixth in the decathlon with 3364 points.
Florida State tallied 74 points to pace the men’s competition, while North Carolina owns the women’s lead with 107 points.
Competition resumes Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and wraps up with the women’s 4×400-meter relay at 5:40 p.m.
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