IOWA CITY, Iowa – Jamario Taylor and Dana LaRue set personal bests and the Western Illinois track & field squad collected six victories overall inside the UI Recreation Building Friday night (Feb. 17) at the Iowa Invitational. The invite was Western Illinois' final meet before the 2012 Summit League Indoor Championships.
LaRue picked up her third shot put victory of the season with a personal best throw of 51-01.50. Her effort ranks fourth in program history, second in The Summit League and 37th nationally.
LaRue, a two-time All-Summit League performer, also set a personal best in the weight throw. She placed second overall with a toss of 59-02.00, which ranks fifth in program history, second in The Summit League and 91st nationally.
Taylor picked up his seventh men's high jump victory this season by clearing a height of 7-00.25. His personal best performance ranks second in The Summit League and 36th in the nation. Taylor also ranks second in program history behind Lawrence Hardin's personal best of 7-01.00 set in 2010.
Junior Chelsea Lynes won both the women's 600-meter run (1:35.51) and 800-meter run (2:14.80). Lynes currently owns The Summit League's fastest mile time (4:53.47) and ranks fourth in the 800-meter run with her personal best (2:10.79) at the ISU Classic.
With a time of 25.73, sophomore Kirsten Bryant won the women's 200-meter dash. Her effort currently ranks sixth fastest in The Summit League.
Bryant also placed third in the women's 60-meter dash with a personal best time of 7.83. Her performance ranks tenth overall in The Summit League heading into next weekend's championships.
Freshman Megan McGlone used a personal best to win the women's triple jump. Her leap of 37-11.50 currently ranks sixth in program history and fifth in The Summit League.
Senior Carianna Cottone placed second in the women's mile-run with a personal best performance. Her time of 5:03.33 ranks eighth in The Summit League and tenth in program history.
With a toss of 59-02.75, sophomore Nathaniel Marshall finished third in the men's weight throw. His personal best of 59-03.50 at the Fighting Scots Invitational currently ranks second in The Summit League behind North Dakota State's Casey Orgon (61-09.75).
Senior Amy Byers, who ranks eighth in The Summit League in the 400-meter dash, placed third in the event with a time of 58.94. Meanwhile, freshman Matthew Funches finished third in the men's triple jump (45-10.50). His personal best leap of 45-11.75 at the Fighting Scots Invitational ranks sixth overall in The Summit League.
Senior Brayden Sherrick set a season best in the men's shot put. His throw of 50-02.50 was good enough for ninth place overall and currently ranks eighth in The Summit League.
Other personal bests for the mens' squad include Tyler Lippert (shot put - 47-07.25), Michael Hemming (200-meter dash – 23.13), Davin Dollison (400-meter dash – 51.69), Jeffrey Wooldridge (800-meter dash - 1:56.64) and Michael Castel (one-mile run - 4:17.87). On the women's side, personal bests came from Talisa Watson (high jump - 5-02.25) and Danielle Gunn (long jump - 16-06.00 & 60-meter dash – 7.96).
Western Illinois is back in action next weekend (Feb. 24-25) when the Fighting Leathernecks travel to Fort Wayne, Ind. for the 2012 Summit League Indoor Championships. The two-day event, hosted by IPFW, begins on Friday inside the Hilliard Gates Sports Center and continues into Saturday.
For more information regarding the 2012 Summit League Indoor Championships, click HERE.
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