Track And Field Sets Two School Records Saturday

Saturday, February 4

Carbondale, Ill.

University of Memphis

Don DeNoon Invitational

Martina Rodriguez Sala, 2016-17 Women's Track and Field

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Feb 04, 2017 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

SIU/Don DeNoon Invitational Results Notre Dame/Meyo Invitational Results

Teams combine for 14 top-three performances.

CARBONDALE, Ill./NOTRE DAME, Ind. – University of Memphis' Simon Hosten and Martina Rodriguez Sala both set school records to highlight Saturday's track and field action for the Tigers.

Hosten, a freshman, set the program record in the men's heptathlon with 5,470 points, edging out the previous mark of 5,445 points. The previous men's heptathlon record was set by Luis Hanssler in the 2015-16 campaign.

Rodriguez Sala, the 2016 American Athletic Conference indoor women's mile champion, broke her own school record in the event Saturday. Running in the prestigious University of Notre Dame/Meyo Invitational, Rodriguez Sala placed 20^th with a school-record time of 4:49.00 in the women's mile. The senior held the previous mark of 4:50.79, which she set at the 2016 Vanderbilt Invitational.

In second-day action at Southern Illinois/Don DeNoon Invitational, the Tigers men's and women's squads combined for 14 top-three performances, including six first-place finishes.

Don DeNoon Invitational/Day Two Highlights

Christopher Walker (men's 400m), LaForrest Church (men's 800m), Olushola Olojo (men's triple jump), Simon Hosten (men's heptathlon), Celine Rone (women's 800m) and Chardae Greenlee (women's triple jump) all placed first in their respective events.
A week after winning the men's mile at the A-State Invitational, LaForrest Church placed first in the men's 800m Saturday. Last season, Church won the men's 800m at American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships in school-record time.
For the first time this season, Olushola Olojo won the triple jump with a mark of 49-11.75 (15.23m).
Brock Ballard placed sixth in the men's mile in an indoor personal-best time of 4:19.21. He shattered his previous-best by over 11 seconds (4:30.68). He set his personal-best in the men's indoor 3000m two weeks ago.
For the first time in her career, Derianna Parrish ran in the women's 60m and placed sixth (7.83).
Sophomore Celine Rone, who ran in her first women's 800m at Memphis last week, improved her time by nearly a full four seconds (2:16.52) in the event Saturday.
Chelsea Ladd posted her second-straight, second-place finish in the women's 3000m. This week, Ladd ran an indoor personal-best time of 9:47.97. Her time was nearly 20 seconds better than her previous indoor best (10:07.43). Arnica Zitting, who was fourth in Saturday's 3000m, ran an indoor personal-best time of 10:02.16
Chardae Greenlee had her third top-three finish in the women's triple jump this season with her first-place performance Saturday. Her 41-10 leap was six inches shy of her indoor personal-best. Freshman Sandra Ekblom, who was second in the women's triple jump, improved her mark by 5.5 inches from her jump two weeks ago (37-10.5 Saturday; 37-5 at Jan. 21 Vanderbilt Invitational). Ekblom's third-place finish was her highest of the season.

Don DeNoon Invitation Team Scores (top-five)
Men: 1. Southern Illinois, 135; 2. Memphis, 95; 3. Central Arkansas, 53; 4. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 35; 5. Arkansas State, 32
Women: 1. Southern Illinois, 140; 2. Murray State, 86.6; 3. Memphis, 61; 4. Arkansas State, 34; 5. SIU Edrwardsville, 26

Memphis Men's Results
200m – 2. Kolbeinn Gunnarsson, 22.06
400m –1. Christopher Walker, 49.95; 2. Jason Kimmet, 50.14; 4. Antaun Andrews, 50.53; 5. Alex Klatt, 51.05; 10. Michael Carey, 52.25
800m – 1. LaForrest Church, 1:54.95; 4. Naaman Norment, 1:57.16; 7. Matthew Viveiros, 1:57.78
Mile – 6. Brock Ballard, 4:19.21
3000m – 2. Julian Sanchez-Pinto, 8:30.39; 5. Matthew Kamph, 8:40.36; 22. Josh Hamlet, 9:07.90; 26. James Durkin, 9:14.61; 31. Colby Caldwell, 9:49.20
4x400m relay – 2. Memphis A, 3:18.81 (Christopher Walker, Kolbeinn Gunnarsson, Antaun Andrews, Jason Kimmet); 5. Memphis B, 3:29.30 (Alex Klatt, LaForrest Church, Alex Klatt, Naaman Norment, Michael Carey)
High jump – 4. Jordan Wesner, 6-9 (2.06m); 6. Noah Agnew, 6-7.5 (2.02m)
Triple jump – 1. Olushola Olojo, 49-11.75 (15.23m); 7. Shameek Miller, 44-11.75 (13.71m)
Shot put – 4. Luke Vaughn, 56-1.75 (17.11m); 6. Rafael Vallery, 53.5.75 (16.30m); 9. Wade Wells, 51-11.25 (15.83m)
Heptathlon – 1. Simon Hosten, 5470 points; 3. Lennard Biere, 3994 points

Memphis Women's Results
60m – 6. Derianna Parrish, 7.83
200m – 9. Destinee Lansden, 25.87
400m – 10. Cera Chavez, 59.87; 15. Melinda Murdock, 1:00.35
800m – 1. Celine Rone, 2:16.52; 21. Savannah Smith, 2:26.05
Mile – 27. Paige Sandwell, 5:19.18
3000m – 2. Chelsea Ladd, 9:47.97; 4. Arnica Zitting, 10:02.16; 27. Paige Sandwell, 10:41.84; 41. Lauren Wheeler, 10:58.77; 45. Mary Minkler, 11:03.24; 46. Gabrielle Byndas, 11:03.33; 55. Kristen Adams, 11:22.94
4x400m relay – 5. Memphis B, 4:02.47 (Dominique Chatman, Melinda Murdock, Celine Rone, Hailey Williams)
High jump – 3. Saida Burns-Moore, 5-3.25 (1.61m)
Triple jump – 1. Chardae Greenlee, 41-10 (12.75m); 3. Sandra Ekblom, 37-10.5 (11.54m); 4. Nicole Lawson, 37-6.75 (11.45m)
Shot put – 8. Ashley Pryke, 43-4.25 (13.21m)