Patriots Start Indoor Season with Strong Day at Father Diamond Invitational

Track and Field at Day One of NY Armory Collegiate Invitational

George Mason Athletics Men's Track & Field 2/1/2013 10:30:00 PM

NEW YORK, N.Y. - The George Mason track and field team continued its hot start to the 2013 season with a strong showing at day one of the NY Armory Collegiate Invitational on Friday at the NYC Armory.

Highlighting performances for the men included senior David Verburg who finished with the top qualifying time for the 400m Championship section, 46.26. It was a personal-best time and second-fastest time in Mason program history, and also added another event to the IC4A qualifying list for Verburg, who already qualified in the 200m and 500m. The 400m finals will be held Saturday at 4:32 p.m.

Junior Adrian Vaughn also competed in the 400m Championship section running 48.23, a season-best time while also besting his previous IC4A qualifying time.

In the 500m Championship section, senior George Empty ran a season-best time of 1:02.31 while finishing in fourth place in the event. Also placing during the day's events was the distance medley relay of Tyler Oliver, Cody Raphael, Tyler Golden and Wil McReynolds, finishing fifth with a time of 10:07.67 and topping the quartets previous qualifying marks by over 11 seconds.

Also logging an IC4A qualifying time was freshman Angel Coburn who ran a time of 48.98 in the prelims of the 400m College section, adding to his previous two IC4A qualifying times in the 200m and 500m.

For the women, senior Cierra McGee advanced to the finals of the 400m Championship section with a preliminary time of 53.73. In addition to being an ECAC qualifying time, it was also a personal-best for McGee and the third-fastest time in program history.

Junior Daianna Barron also ran in the 400m Championship section but did not advance to the finals despite running an ECAC qualifying time of 55.52.

Pole vaulters junior Mandissa Marshall and freshman Jasmine Moser also added their names to the Mason record book with jumps of 4.00m in the Championship and College sections, respectfully. The mark ties Marshall's school record which she set during the 2011 indoor campaign. Marshall finished 12^th in the Championship section, while Moser ended in a three-way tie for the top spot in the College section, eventually succumbing to UNC's Cameron Overstreet.

The women also saw a few close calls with athletes just missing the cut to advance to finals tomorrow. In the 60m College section, senior TaNay Chandler finished in a four-way tie for the final qualifying spot before being bumped, while Shavon Briscoe just missed moving on in the 60m Hurdles Championship section after recording an ECAC qualifying time of 8.63.

Results from day one and the full day two schedule is available here.

WOMEN
60m - College
TaNay Chandler - 7.76 - prelims four-way tie for the final qualifying spot for the finals
Katea Jemmott - 7.86 - prelims

200m - College
Aneesha Scott - 25.06 - prelims
TaNay Chandler - 25.86 - prelims

400m - Championship
Cierra McGee - 53.73 - prelims - qualified for final on Saturday
Daianna Barron - 55.52 - prelims - ECAC

400m - College
Taylor Wheaton - 57.10 - prelims

500m - College
17. Kristin Bethel - 1:17.48

1000m - Championship
30. Heather Selheimer - 2:57.40

60m Hurdles - Championship
Shavon Briscoe - 8.63 - ECAC

DMR - College
19. Heather Selheimer, Kristin Bethel, Jennifer Nakamura, Victoria Samyn - 12:14.68

Pole Vault - Championship
12. Mandissa Marshall - 4.00m season - tied school record

Pole Vault - College
2. Jasmine Moser - 4.00m - three-way tie for top spot; personal best and tied school record
19. Summer Shepherd - 3.55m

Long Jump - College
49. Katea Jemmott - 5.11m