WICHITA -- Cassie Craig hit a NCAA provisional mark of 4.01 meters (13' 1.75") in the pole vault while Audacia Moore captured the 60 meter dash title in a school record time of 7.54 as the Wichita State University men's and women's track & field teams were in action Friday afternoon at the Varsity Apartments WSU Invitational.
Craig also captured the 60 meter hurdle title running a time of 8.82 with teammate Samantha Hallman close behind in third place, clocking in at 8.96. Craig is only the third women's athlete to jump 13' feet behind Brooke Demo and Jackie Brown. Amy Hough came in behind Craig in third place with a new personal record of 12' 2".
Todd McKown, who was a runner-up in the 200 meter dash (22.43) partnered with Chris Allen to claim the top two spots in the men's 60 meter hurdles as they crossed the finishing line in times of 8.22 and 8.25, respectively
Tyler Simmons won the men's long jump title as he hit a mark of 24' 10", a new personal best that places him fourth all-time at WSU.
Moore, Emily Ballock, Kristina Taylor and Kiara Moore ran the women's 4x400 meter relay as one of five teams for the Shockers with the aforementioned group placing second overall in a time of 3:55.37.
Other Shocker runners coming in the 60m dash with Audacia Moore included Haylie Bolan (7.79) who placed fifth, Shamoya Pruitt (sixth, 7.81) and La'Taish Brown (seventh, 7.87). Brown reached a distance of 20' 5.75" (6.24 meters) in the long jump to pick up her first top spot of the 2010 season and in the process move to within four inches of the top spot on the WSU all-time long jump record. Freshman Courtney Reinke, competing in the women's triple jump, notched her first collegiate runner-up medal as she reached a distance of 38' 4" (11.68 meters).
Bolan was the first Shocker across the line in the women's 200 meter dash in a time of 25.61 to place third.
In the distance races junior Leah Thompson followed up a third place finish in the 800 meter dash by claiming the top spot in the women's mile. Thompson and Tonya Nero both finished under the five minute mark with Thompson coming in at 4:58.02 and Nero at 4:59.86.
Jamie Pruter, Tanya Friesen and J'Lynn Ledesma all reached 5' 4.25" in the women's high jump to finish inside the top five for WSU.
On the men's side Justin Cole claimed top honors in the men's 600 meter dash as he finished ahead of the pack in a time of 1:21.86. Dylan Hartnett was second overall in the men's 400m dash (49.62) while Denny Nedd placed third in the 60 meter dash (6.92). Hartnett, Chris Dickman, Justin Smith and Nate Thiesfeld collaborated on a first-place finish for the Shockers in the men's 4x400 meter relay as they ended with a time of 3:18.58.
Dickman later vaulted 16' 5.25" to place second.
In the men's high jump redshirt-freshman Brandon Childs was able to jump 6' 9.75" to come in second overall in his first official collegiate meet. The men's shot put trio of Bryan Tapia, Quan Tong and John Talbert swept the event with Tapia recording a first-place throw of 50' 3.25" (15.32 meters).
The Shockers will return to action next weekend as they travel to Lincoln, Neb., for the Adidas Classic.
