Women's Track Picked Sixth in Preseason Poll

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Queens has been picked to win the 2016 South Atlantic Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship as voted by the League's head coaches, the League announced today.  The Bulldogs picked up six top votes and received 55 points from the panel.

Queens won the 2015 South Atlantic Conference Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship by 69 points as it posted 240 team points at the Championship.

Wingate came in second in the poll with two first-place votes and 51 points.  The Bulldogs turned in 171 points at last year's SAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship to finish as the 2015 Runner-Up.  Lenoir-Rhyne rounds out the top three in this season's poll as it collected 40 points from the coaches.  The Bears placed third a season-ago at the SAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship with 85 team points.

Anderson came in at No. 4 in the voting with 39 points, while Carson-Newman placed fifth with 33 points.  Mars Hill's 27 points was good for No. 6 in the poll, while Coker earned the No. 7 position with 23 points.  Lincoln Memorial came in at No. 8 with 15 points and Brevard finished up the poll at No. 9 with 5 points.

The 2016 South Atlantic Conference Track and Field season is underway.  Below is a look at top athletes from each member institution.

Anderson

Sprints - Sherin Malone - 2 time SAC Champion 100m Hurdles (2014, 2015).

Distance - Olivia Gardner - 2nd place 5K and 3rd place Steeplechase 2015 SAC Championship.

Field - D'Yandra Morris - 2 time SAC Champion Shot Put (2014,2015).

Brevard

Sprints – N/A

Distance – N/A

Field – N/A

Carson-Newman

Sprints – Shauntae Miller: A C-N record holder in the 200m (25.87 seconds) and 400m (57.07 seconds), 4X100M Relay (49.04 seconds) and 4X400m Relay (4:09.64). 2015 All-Region selection (outdoor). One first-place showing her junior campaign at the Sewanee Invitational (1:09.39 women's 400m run).

Distance – Priscah Jemili: Ran a C-N best time in seven of eight cross country meets on the season. Placed top-10 (9th) in the women's 5K at the South Atlantic Conference Championship Meet after posting a 19:14.3 time.

Field - Tiana Mills: Reigning South Atlantic Conference Women's Field Athlete of the Year. All-Southeast Selection (indoor ((16)) and outdoor ((15)). Provisional qualifier in the women's triple jump (2016 indoor).  

Coker

Sprints – 100m/200m – won 2016 LR Powerbox Invite 100m and 200m, Six top-10 finishes (2016).

Distance – N/A

Field - High Jump – 2016 USTFCCCA Indoor All-Region High Jump, Won 2016 Braves Classic high jump and triple jump, won 2016 LR Powerbox Invite high jump, 15 top-10 finishes (2016).

Lenoir-Rhyne

Sprints - Brooke Robinson – 2014 and 2015 South Atlantic Conference Champion, school record-holder (56.49), All-Southeast Region, 2014 SAC Freshman Of The Year.

Distance – N/A

Field – Haylea Salaman, Discus – 2015 South Atlantic Conference Champion, school record-holder (154'11), 2015 NCAA Division II All-American, All-Southeast Region, 2015 SAC Co-Field Athlete Of The Year and Freshman Of The Year.

Lincoln Memorial

Sprints – N/A

Distance – N/A

Field – N/A

Mars Hill

Sprints – N/A

Distance – – Shelby Robinson – Finished 1st @ASU Indoor Meet in the 3K at 11:08.39.  Finished 3rd @ Berry College Victor Icebreakers Duels in the 5K at 18:44.26.

Field - Jordan Bair – Finished 1st @ Berry College Victor Icebreaker Duels in the Pole Vault at 10' 2".

Queens

Sprints – Nikia Squire, 100m,200m,4x100,long jump - Coming off of winning 60 Meter Individual National Championship Title and finishing second in NCAA DII long jump competition during the outdoor season…Set personal records of 11.65 in the 100m and 11.53m in the triple jump...Set new 100m, 200m, long jump and triple jump school records...Finished first 100 meter, 200 meter, long jump and 4x100 meter relay at SAC Championships…Finished second in triple jump at SAC Championships…Finished first in the 100 meter at JCSU Invite and in the 200 meter at Terrier Relays…Named to the USTFCCCA All-Region Team...Named USTFCCCA Southeast Region Athlete of the Year...Named Astroturf South Atlantic Conference Track and Field Athlete of the Week...Named SAC Track Athlete of the Year and SAC Field Athlete of the Year.

Distance – Catie Byrd, 10k, 5k, 3k, 1500m - Set personal records of 4:57.1 in the 1500m, 10:22.17 in the 3000m, 17:43.77 in the 5000m, and 36:31.41 in the 10,000m...Finished first at 2015 NCAA DII Southeast Cross Country Regionals…Finished first in 5k and 10k at SAC Championships…Named to the USTFCCCA All-Region Team...Named Astroturf South Atlantic Conference Track and Field Athlete of the Week

Field - Ella Fox, javelin, shot put - Set personal record of 42.89m in the javelin...Finished second in the javelin at SAC Championships…Finished first in the javelin at JCSU Invite and at Terrier Relays…Finished sixth in the shot put at SAC Championships…Named to the USTFCCCA All-Region Team.

Wingate

Sprints – Ruvarshe Mzinde - sprints - true freshman ran 26.27 (200) and 59.49 (400) at recent Charlotte 49er Classic.

Distance – Madison Hiatt - 800 meters - sophomore transfer ran school-record 800 meters at Charlotte 49er Classic, finishing 15th in the women's 800 meters with a time of 2:18.01.

Field - Vanisha Wilshire - triple jump, long jump - At Charlotte 49er Classic, she posted a school-record mark of 11.88 meters in the women's triple jump. Personal-best long jump mark of 5.62 meters at Charlotte 49er Classic. Wilshire was the top NCAA Division II finisher in both events at Charlotte 49er Classic … 2016 NCAA Division II provisional qualifier (in triple jump).

Preseason Poll (First-Place Votes) - Points

1. Queens (6) – 55
2. Wingate (2) – 51
3. Lenoir-Rhyne – 40
4. Anderson - 39
5. Carson-Newman – 33
6. Mars Hill – 27
7. Coker – 23
8. Lincoln Memorial 15
9. Brevard - 5