24 Athletes Make Their Leatherneck Debuts in Indoor Track Opener

Early Bird Opener highlighted by Jasmine Brown’s win in the triple jump

FULL RESULTS

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Twenty-four student-athletes made their Leatherneck debuts as the Western Illinois track and field team opened the 2016-17 campaign on Friday (Dec. 9) at the Early Bird Opener, hosted by Eastern Illinois.

"All things considered, I think we got off to a reasonable start to the season and are a little bit farther ahead than we were last year at the same," said head coach Mike Stevenson. "We have such a large group of newcomers, it is hard to know what to expect. There isn't a single person on the team who left the meet satisfied and that is a good place to be, especially with the freshman class. Now all we have to do is survive a long winter break and try to return to campus in January somewhere near where are leaving."

The meet was highlighted by Jasmine Brown's first-place finish in the triple jump. In her first meet back since redshirting the entire 2015-16 season, Brown leaped 39-9 1/4 (12.12m) to rank third all-time in program history. Her personal best of 40-11 3/4 (12.49m), set during the 2015 season, ranks second all-time.

Also moving up in the record books is senior Alyssa Johnson, who ran a personal-best time of 1:35.64 to rank third all-time in program history. Khalyia Lawson also placed third in the triple jump with a personal best of 38-7 ½ (11.77) to rank fifth in program history.

Freshman Bo Brasseur raced to a fourth-place finish for the Leathernecks in the 200 with a time of 25.97. She also helped the 4x400-meter relay team, comprised of Kaliyah Cobb, Sierra Woods and Johnson, to a third-place finish and a time of 4:01.33. Brasseur also led the way in the long jump for Western, placing sixth with a mark of 17-8 (5.38m).

Cobb and Lawson each qualified for finals in the 60-meters, racing to times of 7.86 and 7.81, respectively. Cobb finished sixth (7.86) in the finals while Lawson finished seventh (8.08).

Jasmine Swanagan led the way for Western in the throws. She threw a personal-best 41-11 1/4 (12.78m) in the shot put to place sixth and placed ninth in the weight throw with a mark of 45 1/2 (13.73m).

On the men's side, Charles Morrow IV finished seventh in the 60-meters with a time of 7.06 and raced to a personal-best time of 22.82 in the 200. Justin Montalto made his debut and placed second in the 400-meter with a time of 50.68.

Bryant King, Josh Kirby, Josh Thomas and Montalto teamed up for a second place finish in the 4x400, running 3:24.59.

Brad Walls placed fifth in the weight throw with a personal best by almost four feet of 52-3 (15.93).

Both the men's (70 points) and women's (81.5 points) teams finished fourth behind Indiana State, Illinois State and Eastern Illinois.

The Early Bird Opener closes out 2016 for Western. The Leathernecks return to action on January 14 at the Hawkeye Challenge.

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