CLEMSON, S.C.- Appalachian State University men's track and field ended their two-year Southern Conference indoor title drought Sunday afternoon as the Mountaineers captured their 16th Southern Conference Indoor Championship in school history, winning for the first time since 2007. 2007 was the also the last time that both the ASU men and women's teams swept the titles. The Black and Gold finished the meet with 235 points, while Western Carolina took home the runner-up title with 191 points.
The Apps continued with their strong performances on day two of action, as Matt Boruff posted an impressive 5021 points in the heptathlon to capture the title for the second consecutive year. His performance also shattered his previous ASU school record of 4840 points and SoCon record of 4720 points, setting a new record in both and earning all-SoCon honors. Teammates Jake Goodchild and Matt Pfingst were strong in the event as well, as Goodchild finished third in the event with 4633 points moving him into third on ASU's all-time list in the event and Pfingst placed fifth with 4540 points putting him at fourth on ASU's all-time list.
Freshman Dennis Moore had another solid showing in the sprinting events on Sunday, as he took home the runner-up title in the 60m dash, running the event in 6.92 and earning all-conference honors and also finished second in the 200m dash, recording a new personal best time of 21.91 and moving him into seventh on Appalachian's all-time list in the event.
Moore's performances earned him SoCon Freshman of the Year honors.
Ricky Harris placed seventh in the 60m dash, while Mark Sturgis, John Svoboda, and Phillip Bush placed fourth, sixth and seventh in the 200m dash.
Svoboda led the Black and Gold in the 400m run, earning all-SoCon honors while capturing the runner-up spot with a time of 49.62.
In the 800m run, Nick O'Keefe and Chris Moen notched the sixth and eighth place spots respectively. Moen's strongest showing of the day came in the mile run, where the freshman won the title, running the race in 4:11.08, moving him into fifth on ASU's all-time list in the event. Josh Houser also picked up all-SoCon honors finishing third in the mile, while Asmeron Desta and Bud Galloway grabbed the fifth and sixth place spots.
Desta paced the Mountaineers in the 5000m run finishing second overall with a time of 15:06.72, while Sean Soderman, Houser and Mike Walker finished fourth, fifth and seventh in the event.
Daniel Neal was strong in the 60m hurdles, taking home third and notching all-SoCon honors, with Boruff and Bush placing sixth and eighth. Boruff's time of 8.42 was a new personal best for the junior and moved him into ninth on ASU's all-time list in the event.
Senior Mark Sturgis continued his dominance in the triple jump, winning his first SoCon title in the event since 2006 with a leap of 50-00.50. Ricky Harris was right behind Sturgis, capturing the runner-up spot, jumping 46-9.50. Pfingst also scored in the event for ASU, finishing eighth.
Malcolm Styers swept the throwing events, winning the weight throw title with a throw of 56-6.75. Freshman Jared Stalling placed fourth in event with a throw of 51-8.50.
In the 4x400m relay, the team of Carlos Carter, Daniel Neal, Dennis Moore and John Svoboda finished third, while the distance medley relay team of Bud Galloway, Nick O'Keefe, Carter and Houser defended their title from 2008 and won the event in 10:16.38.
ASU's 2009 outdoor season begins March 20, as the Mountaineers head to Winston-Salem, N.C. to compete at the Wake Forest Invitational.
