Feb. 1, 2004
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Sophomore All-American Chaunte Howard (Riverside, Calif.) posted a NCAA automatic qualifying mark in the high jump (6’2.00″) to register a first-place finish to lead the Georgia Tech men’s and women’s track and field teams at the Gator Invitational. Freshman Ashlee Kidd (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and senior Amandi Rhett (Willingboro, N.J.) tallied top-10 finishes for the Jackets in two different events to pace the 23rd-ranked women’s team. Senior All-American Brendon Mahoney (Cumming, Ga.) posted a second-place finish to lead the Tech men with a NCAA provisional time of 1:50.66 in the 800 meters.
Senior Michael Massey (Asheboro, N.C.) and junior Shanta Smith (Miami, Fla.) tallied NCAA provisional marks for Tech in the high jump and 400 meters. Massey finished second in the high jump, tying a season-best mark of 7’1.50″, while Smith posted her first NCAA qualifying time in the 400 meters with a season-best mark of 54.77 to finish eighth. Smith captured the triple jump event for the Yellow Jackets with a NCAA provisional mark of 42’6.25″.
Rhett had a pair of ninth-place finishes for the Rambling Wreck in the 55-meter dash (7.00) and 200 meters (24.56). Kidd tallied a NCAA provisional time of 24.22 in the 200 meters to finish third and posted a time of 54.90 in the 400 meters to finish ninth.
Leading the way for Tech in the mile was junior Neil McDonagh (San Francisco, Calif.) and freshman David Herren (Rome, Ga.). McDonagh finished second with a Tech season-best time of 4:13.71, while Herren finished the race in 10th place with a time of 4:27.80.
Junior transfer Holt McPherson (Mebane, N.C.) finished sixth in the long jump for Tech with a NCAA provisional jump of 24’11.75″. Sophomore I-Perfection Harris (Staten Island, N.Y.) tallied a seventh-place finish for the Jackets with a career-best long jump of 24’4.50″.
Following Smith in the triple jump was sophomore Brandy Depland (Katy, Texas), senior Spencer Irvine (Lake Forest, Ill.) and freshman James Lemons II (Atlanta, Ga.). Depland finished third (41’7.75″), Irvine ninth (47’1.75″) and Lemons 10th (46’5.25″).
Four Tech competitors registered top-10 finishes in the 800 meters. Freshman Jennifer Sims (Woodstock, Ga.) finished third (2:11.79), senior Jennifer Lentz (Brevard, N.C.) finished eighth (2:13.32) and senior Barton Crist (Lilburn, Ga.) finished 10th (1:54.78). Mahoney led the way with a runner-up finish in the 800 for the Jackets.
Senior distance runner Neta Ezer (Plainsboro, N.J.) had a time of 10:18.91 in the 3000 meters to finish in sixth-place for the Jackets. Freshmen Kirby Cross (Rome, Ga.) and Cristan Duvall (Duluth, Ga.) tallied top-10 finishes for the Rambling Wreck with times of 10:19.53 (7th) and 8:42.15 (10th), respectively.
Juniors Dana Rogers (East Point, Ga.) and Montrell Person (Merriville, Ind.) rounded out top finishers at the meet for Tech. Rogers finished the 55-meter dash in seventh place (7.88), while Person had a 10th-place finish in the 200 meters (22.11).
The men’s Distance Medley Relay team of Crist, Herren, Mahoney and McDonagh tallied a first-place time of 10:06.16 in the DMR, while the women’s team of Mary Chind (Cartersville, Ga.), Misty Dirksen (Hampton, Iowa), Sims and Lentz finished fourth (12:11.16).
Tech will head to South Bend, Ind. for the Meyo Invitational next Friday and Saturday, Feb. 6-7 for its next track meet.
