Raiders Win Five Events at Valentine Invitational

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Sophomore Sarah Nambawa won a pair of events, while sophomore Brittany Cox, sophomore Zamzam Sangau and senior Carlos Morgan all posted victories, leading the Middle Tennessee track teams Saturday at the MT Valentine Invitational at Murphy Center.

Cox won the weight throw with a mark of 57-10.5, while junior Maite Cortin finished fourth with a mark of 49-6. In the shot put, sophomore MeLyn Thompson placed second and was the top collegian with a mark of 45-2, and Cox was fourth with a mark of 43-1.

Nambawa won both the long and triple jump, setting a personal-best in the long jump with a first-place mark of 19-0. She posted a winning mark of 42-3 in the triple jump, her fourth victory in five events this season in the triple jump.

Sangau continued her impressive indoor season, winning her sixth event with a victory in the 800-meters in a time of 2:15.77.

Carlos Morgan, who has been hampered somewhat because of injuries, won the long jump with a mark of 24-9, the best mark in the Sun Belt this season by more than a foot. It was also the first time Carlos Morgan had participated in the long jump this year.

Junior Carl Morgan finished fifth in the long jump with a mark of 23-6.5 and sophomore DeRay Sloss was seventh with a mark of 22-9.5.

In the running events, junior Tenesha Hill was second and the top collegian in the 55-meter dash with a personal-best time of 7.01. Junior TraMayne Gillyard finished fourth in the 200-meters in 25.04, Nambawa was sixth in 25.17 and senior Antranette Stringer placed seventh in 25.55.

Junior Ashley Comstock placed third in the 3000-meters in 10:30.86.

Sloss finished third and was the top collegian in the 55-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 7.45 and junior Pete Senatus was fifth in 7.74. John Yarbrough, brother of Blue Raider All-American Linnie Yarbrough, won the event in 7.19, while former Middle Tennessee All-American Juan Walker finished second in 7.24.

Sophomore Freddie Rankin finished seventh in the 400-meters in 50.80. Junior Greg Franklin was third in the 55-meter dash in 6.41, while freshman Chaz Ward placed fifth in 6.47 and junior Samuel Adade was sixth in 6.48.

Franklin placed third and Senatus was fourth in the 200-meters, respectively, with times of 22.00 and 22.10. Sophomore Phillip Tanner finished seventh in 22.66 and Sloss was eighth in 22.67.

In the field events, junior Frederick Middlebrooks placed fifth in the triple jump with a mark of 45-3 and Carlos Morgan was sixth with a mark of 45-2.75.

"All in all it was a pretty good day, especially for Sarah [Nambawa] and Brittany [Cox] and that was a really good jump for Carlos," head coach Dean Hayes said. "Zamzam [Sangau] didn't feel well but still ran pretty well and Tenesha and DeRay both put up PR's."

Middle Tennessee's track teams take next weekend off before hosting the Sun Belt Championships, February 23-24, at Murphy Center.

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