Southeast Missouri State track team earns five wins at Memphis Invite

The Southeast track and field team claimed several of the top spots during the Memphis Invitational on Saturday in Memphis, Tenn.

The Redhawks won five events, with several other finishers close behind.

Southeast freshman Marc Matone won the men's 3000-meter run with a time of 8 minutes, 54.36 seconds while sophomore Shane Brown finished second and junior Colten Strotheide came in third.

Senior Brian Grote picked up another first-place finish for the Redhawks in the javelin throw with a distance of 194 feet, 9 inches. Junior Chris Navarro's throw of 191-2 was good for second place.

Navarro won the 110-meter hurdles in 15.22 seconds.

Senior Courtney Gapelu earned first place in the shot put with a throw of 50-1 1/4 while senior Bethany Pfeiffer won the javelin with a throw of 134.

Southeast's group of Ayonna Cartwright, Chelsea Miller, Prenecia Ponds and Cheyenne Tunti won the women's 4x100-meter relay with a time of 48.44.

Tunti also had a second-place finish in the 200-meter dash and Ponds finished third in the 100-meter dash.

Junior Jessica Brown's jump of 17-10 1/4 was good for first place in the long jump. Junior Ahshane Johnson finished fourth in the long jump and was second in the triple jump with a distance of 39-4.

Freshman Abi Sowash tied for second in the high jump with a height of 5-1/4.

Southeast swept second, third and fourth place in the hammer throw with Sarah Hall, Kayla Gutierrez and Pfeiffer finishing in those spots, respectively.

Senior Blake Carter was third in the men's long jump with a jump of 23-2 1/2.

Junior Kevin Farley finished second in the shot put with a toss of 55-2 3/4. Sophomore Jason Walker was third in the discuss with a throw of 164-7 while junior Kyle Shon was fourth and Farley fifth.

Junior Ellis Maise was third in the 100-meter dash with a time of 23.6.

The Redhawks host their only home meet of the outdoor season -- the Joey Haines Invitational -- on Friday and Saturday.

Rushin sets new personal bests in wins

Jackson graduate Jill Rushin, a member of the University of Missouri track team, won the A Division of the shot put competition at the Texas Relays on Saturday with a new personal best of 54 feet, 5 1/4 inches.

She also set a new personal best in the discus throw with a distance of 169 feet, which was enough to claim the B Division title.