Track & Field: Elon’s Morgan Sets New Records at Wake Forest Invitational

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Charlise Morgan headlined a number of great performances for the Elon track and field team today at the Wake Forest Invitational. Morgan set new school records both the shot put and the weight throw as the Phoenix competed in its first indoor meet of the 2013 calendar year at the JDL Fast Track Complex.

Morgan finished third in the weight toss with a throw of 15.84-meters, breaking the old program mark she set last year of 15.58-meters. She also established a new program toss in the shot put with a throw of 14.43-meters and finished second overall. Kimberlyn Holt also finished in the top-five of the weight throw with a toss of 15.20-meters.

Freshman Megan Kirschling won the high jump title, tying her own school mark with a height of 1.73-meters. Haley Laird was the runner-up with a cleared height of 1.68-meters as Elon swept the top two spots in the event.

“Everyone did well today,” said Phoenix head coach Mark Elliston. “We had a rough week of practice because of the weather and it was our first meet back from break. For them to come out and perform as well as they did and be competitive makes me very happy for the rest of the year.”

Fellow freshman Sydney Griffin set a new personal-record in the 60-meter hurdles and finished fourth overall. Griffin clocked in at 8.76, establishing a new time for second-best on the all-time performance list. Griffin also ran a time of 25.53 in the 200-meter dash, now fourth best on the all-time performance list. Bria Bell was sixth overall in the 200-meters with a time of 26.00.

Bell was the top finisher for the Phoenix in the 400-meter run with a time of 58.90 and in seventh place. Freshman Jennifer Esposito also competed for Elon and clocked in at 59.55 in the ninth position.

The Elon 4×400-meter relay team of Bell, Esposito, Jennifer Pash and Veronica Luedke finished third overall with a time of 4:06.40.

In the one-mile run, Tereza Novotna ran the second-fastest time in school history crossing the line with a time of 5:01.00 and finishing third overall. Allyson Oram (6th, 5:13.80), Christine Pacewicz (9th, 5:17.35) and Jenny Gallagher (10th, 5:19.07) also joined her in the top-10.

Two runners placed in the top-five of the 800-meter race with Julie Hart crossing the line in fourth with a time 2:21.17. Seconds later, Ellie Taff followed her with a time of 2:21.21 and in fifth place. Emily Tryon and Haylee Dawe were in the two and three positions in the 3,000-meter run with times of 10:21.27 and 10:22.72 respectively.

Elon will return to competition next weekend at the Penn State National in State College, Pa., on Jan. 25.