SU men win fourth straight CAC championship, women fall four points shy of first title
SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury University men's track and field team ran by the competition on Saturday in the 2007 Capital Athletic Conference championships held here on campus. The Sea Gulls posted 263.33 team points to win their fourth straight CAC title in a row and ninth overall. Salisbury's women's team fell four points short of dethroning University of Mary Washington, who won its 14th consecutive conference title.

Salisbury won a combined 18 events out of a possible 38 events. The Sea Gulls placed 31 individuals on the 2007 All-CAC team (a first or second place finish in an event) along with three relay teams. Salisbury (three) and Mary Washington (four) combined to set seven new conference championship records.

The women's team championship came down to the 5,000 meter run where UMW entered with 178 points and Salisbury trailed by six. Sophomores Kelly and Glenna Sullivan ran neck-and-neck out in front of the pack for the majority of the race but got passed by Mary Washington’s Ann Tripp on the final lap. Tripp came in first with a time of 18:40.23 while Kelly (18:41.91) and Glenna (18:52.58) placed second and third respectively. That first place finish gave UMW a six-point lead heading into the final event the 1600 meter relay. SU won the relay with ease but UMW placed second to secure the championship.

Kelly Sullivan won the 3000 meter steeplechase with a NCAA provisional time of 10:56.74, which is also a new school record and CAC championship record as well. SU freshman Victoria Lawson won both the 200 and 400 meter dash. Her latter time of 58.38 in the 400 set a new CAC championship record. Lawson was also a member of the SU 400 and 1600 meter relay first place teams. Sophomore Jenn Bulger, a member of the 1600 meter relay team, won the high jump (5-3.75) and the long jump (16-8.5). Bulger came in second in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 16.56.

Casey McInerny won the 1500 meter run for Salisbury with a time of 4:49.35 as teammate Glenna Sullivan finished three seconds off the junior’s pace. Junior Alicia Canzanese won the 100 meter dash (12.90) and came in second in the 200 meter dash (26.57).

The Salisbury short distance sprint team could not be caught as the Sea Gulls swept the 100, 200, 400 meter dash, 110 meter hurdles and 400 meter hurdles along with the 400 meter relay. The relay team of freshmen Justin Acker, Delannie Spriggs, Wayne Turner and senior Marcus Tines finished with a NCAA provisional time of 41.99.

Sam Singleton won the 200 and 400 meter dash and his time of 22.11 in the 200 set a new CAC championship record. Spriggs won the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.78, one tenth of a second off a nine-year old conference record. Junior Eric Graves won the 1500 meter run with a new CAC championship record of 3:57.53. Graves later came in second in the 5000 meter run with a time of 16:03.49.

In the field events, Quentin Briscoe won the triple jump as he landed with a distance of 44 feet. The freshman also won the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 15.75. Fellow freshman Brandon Fugett tossed the shot put 46 feet, two inches to win that event for the maroon and gold.

York (Pa.) came in second overall in the men's championship with 154.66 points followed by Mary Washington in third with 97. Catholic (47), Goucher (16) and Hood (10) rounded out the field.

On the women's side, Catholic finished third with 78 points which was 23 more then York (Pa.). Goucher just missed fourth place, by one point, as the Gophers posted 54 points. Hood rounded out the field with six points.

Catholic’s Kimberly Stengle won three field events (hammer, javelin, shot put) and came in second in the discus. UMW's Carly Hambley won two events (triple jump, 400 meter hurdles - new CAC record) and came in second in two events (high and long jump).

The CAC end of year awards will be announced next week. The 2008 CAC Track and Field Championships will be hosted by York (Pa.) College.