ROME, Ga. - The University of Rio Grande women recorded four first-place finishes - three of which were record-setting performances - en route to a fifth place showing in the 2012 Mid-South Conference Track & Field Championships, Friday and Saturday, at Shorter University.
Senior Cassie Mattia (West Chester, OH) captured top honors in the women's 800-meter run in a new meet record time of 2:16.37, topping the previous mark of 2:17.20, which Mattia established last year.
Mattia was also part of Rio's 4x800 meter relay team which obliterated the previous MSC meet record - and for the fourth time this year, the school record - by crossing the finish line in 9:20.75. The winning time was nearly 28 seconds better than the previous meet-best of 9:48.70 set by Shorter in 2010.
The finish of the foursome - which also includes seniors Kayla Graves (Chillicothe, OH) and Kayla Renner (Galloway, OH) and freshman Samantha Barnes (Gallipolis, OH) - was nearly eight full seconds better than the previous school-best time of 9:28.20, which was established on March 17 at Coastal Carolina University's Shamrock Invitational.
Also setting a new meet record was junior Kim Strunk (Milford, OH), who won the shot put competition with a heave of 12.02m. The toss bettered the previous meet-best figure of 11.78m, which Strunk set in 2010.
Rio's other first-place finish came in the hammer throw where senior Cory Crutcher (Eaton, OH) won with an effort of 41.77m on her final throw of the day.
The quartet of first-place showings helped the RedStorm tally 93 points in the competition, just three points in back of fourth-place finisher Campbellsville. Meet host Shorter won the team title with 249 points, while the University of the Cumberlands (135) and Bethel, Tenn. (115) rounded out the top three.
Rio Grande placed eighth among the 10 participating teams in the men's division, totaling 42 points. Shorter also won the men's crown with 268 points, while Lindsey Wilson (144) took second and the University of the Cumberlands (129) finished third.
The RedStorm's top showings came from senior Shaun Gunnell (Columbus, OH) who was third in the shot put with a heave of 14.31m, and from the 4x400 meter relay team and 4x800 meter relay team, both of whom also finished third.
The 4x400 team - which was comprised of senior Matt Spencer (Pickerington, OH), junior Joe Taranto (Pickerington, OH), sophomore Kevin Malone (Waverly, OH) and freshman Dustin Moritz (Ironton, OH) - posted a time of 3:29.33, while the 4x800 team narrowly missed qualifying for the NAIA National Championships with a time of 7:49.51 - just .51 seconds behind the necessary mark needed for the national event.
Rio's 4x800 team included Spencer, Taranto and juniors Chad McCarty (Tipp City, OH) and Nick Wilson (Barlow, OH).
Among the other performances for the Rio women were sophomore Mary Schramm (Marietta, OH), who was second in the hammer throw with a toss of 41.40m, fourth in the javelin throw at 30.10m and 11th in the shot put with a heave of 10.17m; senior Danielle Stockham (London, OH), who placed third in the 5000-meter race walk with a time of 33:48.46; Renner, who was fourth in the 800-meter run with a finish of 2:20.16; junior Tracie Brown (Logan, OH), who was fourth in the hammer throw at 39.72m, fifth in the discus throw at 34.79m and ninth in the shot put at 10.89m; Strunk, who was fourth in the discus with a throw of 35.15m; freshman Kaitlyn Roberts (Vinton, OH), who was sixth in the discus with a toss of 34.17m and ninth in the javelin throw at 26.77m; Barnes, who was seventh in the 800 with a time of 2:21.51; junior Amy Lower (Lancaster, OH), who was eighth in the 1500-meter run at 5:24.85; junior Shardae Morrison-Fountain (Columbus, OH), who grabbed eighth place in the long jump at 5.11m; Graves, who placed ninth in the 400-meter dash after a finish of 1:02.87; freshman Whittley Nelson (Cincinnati, OH), who was ninth in the triple jump with an effort covering 9.45m and 14th in the long jump at 4.42m; freshman Brittany Piccone (Crooksville, OH), who was 10th in the 10,000-meter run at 45:49.14; freshman Shameca Armstrong (Cincinnati, OH), who was 15th in the 100-meter dash with a time of 13.87 and 15th in the long jump with a leap of 4.40m; and freshman Allison Keeney (Cincinnati, OH), who was 17th in the high jump with a leap of 1.32m.
The women's 4x400 meter relay team, comprised of the same foursome who ran the 4x800 relay, posted a fourth place finish in 4:06.67, while the 4x100 meter relay team - Graves, Armstrong, Nelson and Morrison-Fountain - placed sixth with a time of 51.88.
Others who represented the RedStorm on the men's side included Spencer, who was fourth in the 800-meter run with a finish of 1:56.65; sophomore Travontae Wilson (Mansfield, OH), who was fourth in the 400-meter hurdles at 1:00.11, eighth in the high jump at 1.73m, ninth in the triple jump with a leap of 11.60m and 12th in the long jump at 6.00m; freshman Grant Millard (Englewood, OH), who was fourth in the pole vault with a leap of 3.35m; Nick Wilson, who placed fifth in the 1500 meter run with a time of 4:04.08; McCarty, who crossed in eighth place in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:36.84; Moritz, who was eighth in the pole vault at 3.05m; Taranto, who was ninth in the 800 with a time of 1:59.90; and Malone, who recorded a ninth place showing in the 400-meter dash by crossing the line in 53.36.
The men's 4x100 meter relay team - Travontae Wilson, Moritz, Mallard and Malone - was seventh with a finish of 48.12.
A handful of team members will return to action on Friday, participating in the Ohio Open, which is being hosted by Ohio University.
