Track & Field Wins Six Events at JMU Invitational

Saturday, April 19

University Park

All Day

James Madison University

JMU Invitational

4/20/2014 12:51:00 AM | Track & Field

Results
Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va., April 19, 2014 - The James Madison track & field team won six events as it hosted the JMU Invitational on Saturday at University Park. Freshman Annie Johnson (Medford, N.J. Shawnee), junior Destiny Simmons (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee), junior Jasmine Waddell (Mount Royal, N.J./Kingsway Regional) and senior Kristen Greene (Colonial Heights, Va./Thomas Dale) all won individual events, and the Dukes added victories in the 400- and 1,600-meter relays.

Waddell had a tremendous overall meet, especially with her performance in the hurdles events. She won the 400-meter hurdles in a field of 14 with a time of 1:02.12, the fourth-fastest time in program history, and added a runner-up showing out of eight in the 100-meter hurdles with an ECAC qualifying time of 14.20. She also teamed with freshman Abby Duncan (Keedsville, Md./Boonsboro), Simmons and sophomore Anna Harpster (Lovettsville, Va./Woodgrove) for a first-place finish in the 1,600-meter relay.

Freshman Summer Walter (Warren, Pa./Bayside (Va.)) joined Waddell as an ECAC qualifier in the 100-meter hurdles. She ran the eight-fastest time in program history, taking third in 14.52 seconds. Freshman Deana Forbes (Danville, Va./George Washington) was fourth in the event.

Johnson led the Dukes' sprinters with the best meet of her young career. She moved into 10^th all-time at JMU in a pair of events, winning the 100-meter dash in a field of 15 in 12.15 and taking second in the 200-meter dash in 24.87. She also joined sophomore Rachel Watkins (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora), Forbes and Duncan on the 400-meter relay that won with a time of 47.08.

Greene, who celebrated Senior Day with teammates Erin Lopresti (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley), Ashley Williams (Shillington, Pa./Governor Mifflin), Julie Strange Leesburg, Va./Loudoun County), Carrie Payne (Annandale, Va./W.T. Woodson) and Kelsey Seymour (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria), notched her individual win out of five athletes in the javelin with a throw of 41.56 meters. She added a second-place finish in the shot put with a heave of 13.35 meters, the third-longest toss in program history.

Simmons was the lone JMU runner in a field of 17 in the 400-meter dash, but edged Delaware's Chelsi Campbell for the title. Simmons crossed the line 56.34 seconds for her best time of the year.

JMU had a pair of freshmen finish near the top of the horizontal jumps. Ebony Owusu-Sampah (Woodbridge, Va./C.D. Hylton) and Kennedy King (Hampton, Va./Phoebus) tied for second in the long jump at 5.75 meters. Owusu-Sampah was also second in the triple jump with the ninth-best leap in JMU history (11.79 meters).

The JMU distance runners had a pair of runner-up finishes as junior Morgan Sheaffer (New Bloomfield, Pa./West Perry) was second in the 800-meter run and freshman Tessa Mundell took second in the 3,000-meter run. Mundell's time of 9:55.79 qualified her for the ECAC Championships in the event.

Also representing the distance runners were freshman Meghan Malloy (Haddonfield, N.J./Haddonfield Memorial) and junior Rachel Hagen (Sterling, Va./Potomac Falls). Malloy was third in the 5,000-meter run, while Hagen was right behind her in fourth.

Other notable finishers for the Dukes included sophomore Justice Seward (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem), who was fifth in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes, freshman Carol Strock (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley), who was fourth in the 800-meter run, and Harpster, who was fourth in the 400-meter hurdles.