Cox, Sangau set records at UK

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Sophomores Brittany Cox and Zamzam Sangau both set school records in the weight throw and mile run, respectively, leading Middle Tennessee's track teams at the Rod McCravy Memorial Invitational over the weekend in Lexington, Ky.

Cox broke her own school record by more than two feet, placing fifth in the weight throw Friday evening with a mark of 59-0.25. Her mark from last season was 56-10.25. Cox's record-setting throw is the best mark in the Sun Belt this year by more than two-and-a-half feet.

Sangau also broke her own school record, one she set just three weeks ago in the same building, Nutter Fieldhouse, during the Kentucky Invitational on January 12. Sangau finished fourth in the mile run in a time of 4:48.27, eclipsing her mark from last month by more than 12 seconds.

Sophomore Sarah Nambawa finished third in the triple jump on Friday with a mark of 40-9.5. She followed that with a fifth-place showing in the long jump on Saturday with a mark of 18-7.25. Sophomore Kortney Thurman posted the same mark in the long jump, finishing sixth.

Junior Tenesha Hill made the finals of the 60-meters with a time of 7.62 in the prelims. She placed 13th in the finals with a time of 7.61.

For the men, juniors Brandon Jones and Frederick Middlebrooks placed sixth and ninth, respectively, in the triple jump on Friday with marks of 46-2.35 and 43-5. Junior Lee Johnson was seventh in the long jump with a season-best 23-2.5, just a quarter inch from the best mark this season in the Sun Belt.

Sophomore DeRay Sloss made the finals in the 60-meter hurdles, running 8.15 in the prelims before placing ninth in the finals with a time of 8.18.

Junior Samuel Adade finished fifth in the 200-meters with a time of 21.52. Adade ran 6.87 in the 60-meter prelims and placed 12th in the finals with a time of 6.83.

Junior Greg Franklin also had a strong showing in the 200, placing seventh with a time of 21.64. Franklin ran 6.92 in the 60-meter prelims and finished 16th in the finals with a time of 6.91.

"We had a really good couple of days with a lot of personal-bests and school records from Brittany and Zamzam," head coach Dean Hayes said. "The best thing is, we competed against some very good competition this weekend - Tennessee and Kentucky and Texas A&M - and gained some confidence from that."

The Blue Raider track teams host the Middle Tennessee Valentine Invitational next Saturday at Murphy Center starting at 10 a.m. The meet will be the final tuneup before the Sun Belt Championships, scheduled for February 23-24 at Murphy Center.

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