From July 7-August 5, GoASU.com will recap Appalachian State University athletics' 30 most memorable games, matches and meets from the 2009-10 academic year. Check back daily to relive the excitement from a fantastic year!

Women's Track and Field Takes Home Runner-Up Spot at SoCon Outdoor Championships

April 25, 2010

BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University women's track and field came up just short at the 2010 Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, as the Mountaineers earned a second place finish with 144 points, and SoCon rival Western Carolina won the title posting 221.5 points.

In the last event of Saturday's competition, the javelin, two Mountaineers were able to score much needed points. Freshman Deanne Tiplady posted an impressive performance, earning all-SoCon honors by notching the runner-up spot. Tiplady's toss of 127-4 was just shy of personal best.

Fellow freshman Gayshawna Watkins also was strong in the javelin, finishing fifth overall with a personal best throw of 112-0.

In the heptathlon events, sophomore Naadia Crutchfield grabbed a seventh place finish in the long jump, leaping 15-8.25.

Crutchfield was solid in the javelin throw as well, finishing eighth overall with a throw of 76-4.

In the final heptathlon event, the 800m run, Crutchfield came in tenth with a time of 2:48.29. Ending with 3690 points, she placed ninth overall, with Shaunta Hamilton of Georgia Southern winning the heptathlon, scoring 4573 points. The 3690 points are a personal best for Crutchfield and keeps her at eighth on Appalachian's all-time list in the event.

Getting the track events of the afternoon going, the ASU 4x100m relay team gave a solid effort, but came up just short as the team of Kiara Crutchfield, Danielle Thorpe, Ashley McKiver and Christina Parker took home the runner-up title. The relay team ran the 4x100 in a season-best time of 46.25, while SoCon rival Western Carolina took home the title, setting a new conference record with a time of 45.45.

Two Mountaineers posted season-best showings in the 1500m run, as Trinity Foreman led the way with a third place finish. Foreman ran the event in 4:39.18, while teammate Hannah Parks finished seventh in the event with a time of 4:48.25.

In the shot put, Watkins earned a second place finish with a toss of 43-8.50. Women's hoopster turned track athlete Haley Hackett was also able to bring in some points for ASU, as she took an eighth place finish in the event with a season-best throw of 38-9.75.

Michelle Brutus and Kiara Crutchfield were the lone Apps competing in the 100m hurdles, and both scored for Appalachian. Brutus came in fourth with a season-best time of 14.49 and Crutchfield also had a season-best performance clocking a time of 14.66.

In the 400m dash Asia Dunlap came in fifth with a time of 56.53 and freshman D'Shawrna McLucas finished eighth with a mark of 58.35, both season bests showings for the two.

McKiver and Kiara Crutchfield placed fourth and fifth in the 100m dash, both putting up season-best showings with times of 12.05 and 12.22 respectively.

Foreman was the only Mountaineer to compete in the 800m run, placing seventh overall with a time of 2:20.07.

In the 400m hurdles Shenita Martin placed fourth with a time of 1:04.01, while Michelle Brutus eeked out an eighth place finish with a time of 1:07.34.

McKiver and Parker both brought in points for Appalachian in the 200m dash with seventh and eighth place finishes.

In the pole vault, Julie Ward came in fourth with a vault of 10-11.75, while freshman Meredith Wilson placed seventh, vaulting 10-0.

Whitney Smyre and Watkins paced the Black and Gold in the discus, as Smyre came in fourth with a season-best throw of 135-3 and Watkins took home the eighth place spot. Smyre's throw is also a personal best and keeps her at eight in the event on the all-time list.

Senior Danielle Thorpe closed out her career with the Black and Gold with her third straight outdoor triple jump title and set a new SoCon record with her performance. Thrope leapt 43-2.25, which was also a personal best jump and moved her into second on Appalachian's all-time list just a hair off of tying the school record (43-3, set by Ronda White in 2003).

With her performance (winning three-straight triple jump titles), Thorpe becomes the third Mountaineer in program history to win three consecutive outdoor triple jump crowns. Ronda White won three in a row from 2002-2004 and Sabrina Hill also won three titles in a row spanning from 1990-1992.

In one of the last events of the meet, the 5,000m run, fourth Mountaineers earned top-15 finishes. Freshman Sarah Williamson placed tenth overall with a time of 18:37.77, while teammates Kelsey Hanger, Hannah Orders and Amy Neilson took home the 12th, 14th and 15th place spots.

In the final event, the 4x400m relay, Appalachian State took home the runner-up spot, as the team of Lynda Hiller, Shenita Martin, D'Shawrna McLucas and Asia Dunlap finished with a time of 3:50.88.

Final Women's Team Standings

1. Western Carolina 221.5

2. Appalachian State 144

3. Elon 123.5

4. Samford 84

5. Georgia Southern 83

6. College of Charleston 66

7. Chattanooga 27

8. Citadel 26

9. Furman 21

10. Davidson 19

11. UNCG 3

12. Wofford 1

Freshman of the Year

Jelain McArthur (College of Charleston)

Most Valuable Track Athlete

Anneli Uys (Chattanooga)

Most Valuable Field Athlete

Zakiyyah Stewart (Western Carolina)

Most Outstanding Field Athlete

Felicia Paulding (Western Carolina)

Coach of the Year

Mark Ellison (Elon)

All-Freshman Team (ASU Nominees Only)

Deanne Tiplday, Gayshawna Watkins, Trinity Foreman, D'Shawrna McLucas, Shenita Martin, Sarah Williamson

GoASU.com's 30 Most Memorable Games of 2009-10
30. Football 52, Georgia Southern 16 (Oct. 24, 2009)
29. Men's Tennis 6, Davidson 1 (Apr. 18, 2010)
28. Women's Tennis 4, Charlotte 3 (Apr. 8, 2010)
27. Women's Indoor Track and Field SoCon Championship (2nd) (Feb. 25-26, 2010)
26. Men's Soccer 3, Alabama A&M 2 (Sept. 11, 2009)
25. Softball 7, Virginia Tech 5 (April 7, 2010)
24. Casey Johnson Wins Men's Golf Spring Hill Suites Intercollegiate (Sept. 15, 2009)
23. Women's Outdoor Track and Field SoCon Championship (2nd) (April 25, 2010)
22. July 15
21. July 16
20. July 17
19. July 18
18. July 19
17. July 20
16. July 21
15. July 22
14. July 23
13. July 24
12. July 25
11. July 26
10. July 27
9. July 28
8. July 29
7. July 30
6. July 31
5. August 1
4. August 2
3. August 3
2. August 4
1. August 5