JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Juniors Gilbert Kemboi (Eldoret, Kenya) and Kenny Sugishita (Arroyo Grande, Calif.) of the USC Upstate men's track & field team picked up gold medals at the Atlantic Sun Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships today in the 3,000-meter run and shot put, respectively.

Kemboi and Sugishita's top-place marks helped the Spartan men rank second in the team standings at the end of the first day of competition, collecting 33 points. Kennesaw State leads all teams with 57 points, while North Florida is third with 32 points and ETSU is fourth with 31 points.

In the men's 3,000-meter run Kemboi posted a winning time of 8:25.63, just shy of the conference record that he set in 2010 of 8:23.37. Sugishita claimed the conference shot put crown with a toss of 15.86-meters. The Spartan quartet of junior Cameron Thomas (Niceville, Fla.), sophomore Matt Johnson (Elgin, S.C.), sophomore Michael Johnson (Elgin, S.C.) and junior Davey Dennison (Carlisle, Pa.) recorded a second-place finish in the men's distance medley relay with a time of 10.06.88.

"Kenny did what it took to win today," said head coach Natalie Smith. "We were really excited to see him get his first win as an A-Sun champion in front of his teammates and family, who came in all the way from California. Gilbert was exceptional to watch as always; as he adds to his list of championships, we are hoping that he and Kenny both have a double championship performance after tomorrow. Lastly, our men's DMR consisting of Cameron, Mike Johnson, Matt Johnson and Davey was in high performance mode as they finished as the 2012 runner up by cutting almost 36 seconds off of last year's time..."

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The USC Upstate men's and women's track and field teams competed in the Kent Taylor Invitational hosted by North Carolina today.

Junior Davey Dennison (Carlisle, Pa.) led the Spartan men with a first-place finish in the one mile run, setting a school record time of 4:15.77. His time beat the previous school-best of 4:20.30 set by junior Gilbert Kemboi (Eldoret, Kenya) at North Carolina's Gene Anderson Invite in 2010.

"Our distance and mid-distance athletes continue to put up great marks each week in the season," said head coach Natalie Smith. "Jemeli Sang, Davey Dennison and Cameron Thomas looked great today."

Upstate junior Cameron Thomas (Niceville, Fla.) recorded strong performances in the men's 4x400 relay and the men's 800-meter. He helped the Spartans to a fifth-place finish in the team relay with a time of 3:25.69 with freshman Evan Woodruff (Sebastian, Fla.), sophomore Michael Johnson (Elgin, S.C.) and sophomore Matt Johnson (Elgin, S.C.). Thomas earned a second-place finish in the 800-meter with a time of 1:55.85, while junior Brandon Curry (Anderson, S.C.) came in fifth in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.43.

Perrish Goggins (Columbia, S.C.) posted strong marks for the Spartan men in three events. He came in second in the high jump with a mark of 2.01m (6-07.00). In the long jump, Goggins claimed fourth with a mark of 6.76m (22-02.25). He also qualified for the finals in the 60-meter dash, finishing eighth with a time of 7.19.

On the women's side, senior Jemeli Sang (Eldoret, Kenya) continued to turn in strong performances. She earned a fourth-place finish in the one mile run, crossing the line in 5:06.81. Her classmate Carolyne Chelulei (Eldoret, Kenya) came in seventh in that same event with a time of 5:14.71.

"Our athletes seem to be coming along and progressing well as each week someone different is putting up better marks," Smith said. "We hope that all of our athletes will put it together at the same time, when we compete at the conference championships in two weeks."

Upstate junior Velegar Mark (Spartanburg, S.C.) posted a school record in the women's high jump with a score of 1.55m (5-01.00). She passed her previous school-best mark of 1.51m (4-11.50) set at the Appalachian Open Jan. 19. Freshman Breana Kwasnik (Greenville, S.C.) recorded a second-place performance in the women's pole vault with a mark of 3.25m, (10-08.00).

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The USC Upstate men's and women's track and field teams travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., for the Kent Taylor Invitational tomorrow.

The Upstate programs return to action after a successful outing last weekend at the Niswonger Invitational hosted by ETSU Jan. 28, setting six school records. Sophomore Matt Johnson (Elgin, S.C.) led the Spartan men last week, recording three school-best times. He posted Upstate records in the men's 200-meter, 400-meter and 800-meter events, while claiming first in the 800-meter with a time of 1:54.61. Johnson earned a fourth-place finish in the 400-meter with a time of 48.88, while taking 27th in the 200-meter with a time of 22.58.

The Spartans claimed the Atlantic Sun Conference Male Indoor Track Athlete of the Week and A-Sun Female Indoor Track Athlete of the Week awards this last week as junior Gilbert Kemboi (Eldoret, Kenya) and senior Jemeli Sang (Eldoret, Kenya) picked up those respective honors. Kemobi set a school record at ETSU in the men's 5,000-meter with a top-place finish, crossing the line in 14:23.19. His time ranks as the best in the A-Sun and 18th in the nation in the men's 5,000-meter. Sang set a school record in the women's 3,000-meter at the Niswonger Invite with a winning time of 9:51.61. Her time broke the previous school record by 12 seconds and her performance ranks first in the conference.

Spartan records continued to fall last weekend in the men's weight throw as junior Kenneth Sugishita (Arroyo Grande, Calif.) posted a mark of 16.98-meters (55-08.50) to claim sixth. He came in second in the shot put with a performance of 15.94-meters (52-03.75). His performance in both events ranks first in the conference.

At the Kent Taylor Invite, Johnson will return to compete in the men's 200-meter again, while also participating in the men's 4x400 relay. He will be joined in the relay by his brother Michael Johnson (Elgin, S.C.), junior Cameron Thomas (Niceville, Fla.) and freshman Evan Woodruff (Sebastian, Fla.). At the Niswonger Invite, Michael Johnson came in second in the 800-meter, clocking in at 1:57.25, while Woodruff was fifth with a time of 2.00.23.

Junior Davey Dennison (Carlisle, Pa.) will complete the mile this weekend for the Spartan men. Last week in the men's 5,000-meter he came in ninth-place with a time of 15:08.16. Brandon Curry (Anderson, S.C.), another Spartan junior, is scheduled to participate in the men's 60-meter and men's 60-meter hurdles at North Carolina. At ETSU, he collected a ninth-place finish with a time of 8.43 in the 60-meter hurdles.

Senior Perrish Goggins (Columbia, S.C.) is slated to compete in the men's high jump, long jump and 60-meter dash. Last weekend, he posted strong scores for Upstate in the jump department for the men. He tallied a sixth-place finish in the high jump with a mark of 6-04.75 and an eighth-place finish in the long jump with a mark of 22-09.75.

BOONE, N.C. – The USC Upstate men's and women's track and field teams recorded strong results at the Mountaineer Split Indoor Open Track Meet today hosted by Appalachian State.

For the Spartan men, junior Brandon Curry (Anderson, S.C.) set a school record in the 55-meter hurdles with a third-place time of 7.89, passing his previous mark of 8.00 set at the Vince Brown Invite in 2010. Senior Perrish Goggins (Columbia, S.C.) took top honors in the men's high jump with mark of 2.05-meters, while junior Kenneth Sugishita (Arroyo Grande, Calif.) claimed second in the shot put and third in the weight throw. Sugishita registered scores of 15.61-meters in the shot put and 15.67-meters in the weight throw.

Upstate posted the top-four finishes in the men's one mile run as junior Gilbert Kemboi (Eldoret, Kenya) led the way with a time of 4:22.63. Junior Davey Dennison (Carlisle, Pa.) earned second-place honors with a time of 4:28.14, while sophomore Andrew Kipchumba (Eldoret, Kenya) took third with a time of 4:24.37. Sophomore Joey Daversa (Chesapeake, Va.) claimed fourth, crossing the line in 4:35.00.

"It was really good to see our upperclassmen lead the way with Goggins, Kemboi, Sang, Curry, Tangwar, Chelulei and Sugishita leading the way for our team," Smith said. "They are all really fun to watch and all of them carry a lot of pride for themselves and the Spartan Green. I believe they represent us well."

Dennison won the men's 800-meter run with a time of 2:01.74, while Kipchumba earned second-place, finishing in 2:01.78. The high-finishes continued to roll in for the Spartans as junior Cameron Thomas (Niceville, Fla.) tallied a first-place finish in the 1,000-meter run with a time of 2:44.29, while freshman Matt Caputa (Haddon Heights, N.J.) came in third with a time of 2:58.84. Sophomore Matt Johnson (Elgin, S.C.) recorded a third-place finish in the 200-meter dash, crossing the line in 23.03.

"We are building in quite a few events and hoping to put some of our athletes in position to win an A-Sun championship and help us move up in the team rankings this season," Smith said.

CLEMSON, S.C. – The USC Upstate men's and women's track and field teams opened the indoor track season at Clemson today as six Spartans set school records.

On the women's side freshman Breana Kwasnik (Greenville, S.C.), freshman Shawanda Stokes (Okatie, S.C.), sophomore Ashley Edmond (Hopkins, S.C.) and senior Carolyne Chelulei (Eldoret, Kenya) all recorded school records today in their respective events for Upstate. In the pole vault, Kwasnik posted a score of 10-11.75, while Stokes registered a score of 15-11.75 in the long jump. Edmond recorded a time of 1:23.61 in the 500-meter, while Chelulei crossed finished first in the 1,000-meter with a time of 3:02.38.

For the Spartan men, sophomore Matt Johnson (Elgin, S.C.) and junior Cameron Thomas (Niceville, Fla.) posted school-best times in the 500-meter and 1,000-meter events, respectively. Johnson finished sixth in 1:05.08, while Thomas crossed the line in third-place with a time of 2:36.91.

"We were pleased with the start, however I believe this gave our athletes an awareness of the work that we still have to do," said Upstate head coach Natalie Smith. "Also this was great experience for our freshmen and those who have never been involved in an indoor season before. In these early meets one of your goals is to come out of this part of the season injury free and I do believe, for the most part, we have a very healthy team and are looking forward to being back in competition in January."

Two members of the Upstate men's squad advanced into the finals of the 60-meter hurdles today. Junior Brandon Curry (Anderson, S.C.) qualified for the finals with a time of 8.54 in the preliminaries, while freshman Thomas Perkins (Lugoff, S.C.) recorded a qualifying time of 8.95. In the finals, Curry finished 11th with a time of 8.60 and Perkins finished 15th with a time of 9.10.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The USC Upstate men's and women's cross country teams posted strong finishes at the NCAA Southeast Region Championships hosted by Louisville today as the Spartan women took home an impressive 17th-place finish, while the Spartan men were a solid 22nd in the team standings.

Upstate tallied 468 points in the women's 6K for a strong 17th-place finish as the team was led by the senior duo of Joan Tangwar (Eldoret, Kenya) and Jemeli Sang (Eldoret, Kenya). Tangwar came in 15th and Sang claimed 16th with times of 20:45.7 and 20:46.9, respectively. The pair earned Southeast All-Region honors.

In the men's 10K, the Spartans collected 590 points for a 22nd-place team finish.

"The men had a great meet," Blackwelder said. "Finishing 22nd in the Southeast Region is a solid performance. It is a strong region and a great performance for Upstate's first-ever post season competition."

Junior Gilbert Kemboi (Eldoret, Kenya) led the squad, crossing the line in 30:21.6 to snag an 11th-place finish. He picked up All-Region accolades for his performance.

Junior Cameron Thomas (Niceville, Fla.) was the second-top finisher for the Spartan men today with a time of 32:58.5 to take the 117th slot. He was followed by sophomore Ross Oden (Salisbury, N.C.), who came in 220th-place with a time of 33.37.4.

"I'm really proud of how our guys handled the pressure and the 10k distance," Blackwelder said. "Cameron Thomas stepped up and ran a great race to be our number-two man on the team."

Junior Christian Ritacco (Niceville, Fla.) came in 156th-place with a time of 33:57.3, while classmate Davey Dennison (Carlisle, Pa.) crossed the line in 34:15.4 for the 162nd spot. Senior James Jackson (Aiken, S.C.) posted a 165th-place finish and sophomore Joey Daversa (Chesapeake, Va.) claimed 195th with times of 34:26.4 and 35.39.7, respectively.

"This meet was a great building block for our program," Blackwelder said. "With six of our top seven returning for next year, we have a great bright future."

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The USC Upstate men's and women's cross country teams put on a great show in Music City this morning for the 2011 Atlantic Sun Conference Cross Country Championships as the men's team took home the team crown and the Spartans collected individual titles in both the men's and women's races courtesy of junior Gilbert Kemboi (Eldoret, Kenya) and Jemeli Sang (Eldoret, Kenya). The event was hosted by Belmont at Percy Warner Park on the Vaughn's Gap Course.

This marks the first Atlantic Sun team title for Upstate as the men's team posted a score of 69 to defeat two-time defending champions, Kennesaw State. Kemboi crossed the finish line first in a time of 24:27.01, the fourth-fastest time in A-Sun history, to win his second-straight individual title. The junior became the sixth A-Sun student-athlete to win back-to-back individual meet titles.

"We're thrilled to bring home a team championship and I'm very proud of our guys," said associate head coach Carson Blackwelder. "We've finished third the last two years, so we knew we could do well, but we had few guys that when it was time to step up, they did."

The Spartan men had three individuals post top-10 finishes as junior Davey Dennison (Carlisle, Pa.) came in sixth with a time of 25:18.35 and classmate Christian Ritacco (Niceville, Fla.) crossed the line in 10th with a time of 25:41.64. Junior Cameron Thomas (Niceville, Fla.) snagged a clutch 17th-place finish for Upstate with a time of 25:57.73. Kemboi and Dennison earned first team all-conference marks, while Ritacco was a second team all-conference selection. Kemboi was named the A-Sun men's Runner of the Year, while Blackwelder was chosen as the A-Sun Coach of the Year.

The Spartan men claimed the championship crown with a total of 69 points, edging Kennesaw State (79 points) by 10 points. Championship host Belmont came in third-place with 84 points.

Spartanburg, S.C. - Led by a pair of dominant performances by Gilbert Kemboi and Joan Tangwar, the USC Upstate men's and women's cross country teams swept the races at the Upstate Invitational Saturday morning at Milliken Research Park.

Upstate used the races as a tune-up for the A-Sun Championships in two weeks in Nashville, Tenn., and did so in strong fashion. Both teams had the top five runners that counted in the team scores in each race to give the Spartans 15 points to run away with the team titles. Kemboi (Eldoret, Kenya) dominated the field and covered the 8k distance in a time of 25:33 to win the race by 1:02 over Daniel Smoak, who ran unattached. Tangwar (Eldoret, Kenya) also turned in a dominant performance, finishing the 5k race in 17:32 to finish eight seconds ahead of teammate and second-place finisher Jemeli Sang (Eldoret, Kenya).

In the women's race, Tangwar set the tone for the Spartans with her race win as Upstate sprinted off the line and took control of the race...

Upstate claimed the team title with 15 points and was followed by Wofford (85), Carson-Newman (87), Darton (97), Presbyterian College (113), Piedmont (145), Newberry (167) and Claflin (220).

On the men's side, Kemboi was the star of the show. His time of of 25:33 was his slowest of the season, but it was more than enough to win the race by a large 1:02 margin. It was his second win of the season. The Spartans also swept the first five positions in times which counted for the team scores.

Davey Dennison (Carlisle, Pa.) ran his second-fastest time of the season in finishing second in team scoring and third overall with a time of 26:48. Christian Ritacco (Niceville, Fla.) ran a time of 26:55 to finish third in the team scoring and fourth overall. Ross Oden (Salisbury, N.C.) finished fourth in the team scoring and fifth overall with a time of 27:01. Cameron Thomas (Niceville, Fla.) was the fifth Spartan to finish, turning in a time of 27:12 to give the Spartans the top five finishers in the race.

Upstate claimed the championship with 15 points and was followed by Darton (49), Newberry (112), Piedmont (119), Presbyterian College (128), Carson-Newman (133) and Claflin (195)...

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – In 2007-08, USC Upstate embarked on a new journey for its athletics program, transitioning its sports team from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. After four years of competing as a transitional member of Division I, Upstate is poised to receive full certification by the NCAA with all teams eligible for postseason play in NCAA and A-Sun championships.

Two Spartan programs, men’s soccer and softball, were eligible in their third season of D-I play after being selected as the institution’s fast-tracked sports. Men’s soccer fell just short of an A-Sun Tournament berth in 2009, while softball appeared in the conference tournament in 2010 and 2011. In 2010, the softball team came out of the loser’s bracket and advanced to the championship game before falling to Lipscomb. In 2011, Upstate was the number three seed and the host institution for the championship event.

“We are thrilled to have nearly completed the transitional process to full Division I membership,” said Mike Hall, Director of Athletics. “It has been difficult on our coaches, staff and most of all our student-athletes who did not have postseason opportunities. This will definitely aid in our recruiting of prospective student-athletes and generate more excitement for all of our fans that can now attend conference tournaments and, hopefully, NCAA Championships. Many people contributed to our move to D-I and we will always be thankful for the involvement of our administration, faculty/staff, student body, alumni, donors and sponsors.”

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On the final day of the Atlantic Sun Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, USC Upstate had six top-three finishes on Saturday afternoon at Hodges Stadium on the campus of the University of North Florida.

The men's squad finished fifth after totaling 84 points and the 84 combined points are the most ever for the Spartans. Meanwhile, the women's team finished eighth with 23 combined points.

"We have a really tough and hard working team," said head coach Jimmy Stephens. "We may not have finished with the most points, but I guarantee you that we are the team that does the most with what we are given. I am so proud of these men and women. Our team posted personal bests and school records this weekend. As a coach that is all you can ask of them and I cannot say enough about the effort these men and women gave..."

Upstate had a pair of runners take the medal stand after strong performances in the 800-meter run. Michael Johnson (Elgin, S.C.) finished second with a time of 1:54.62, while Cameron Thomas (Niceville, Fla.) finished third (1:54.72).

The men's 4x400 relay team of Cameron Thomas, Michael Johnson (Elgin, S.C.), Matt Johnson and Meissner finished second with a school-record time of 3:15.57. The Spartan relay team finished just half-of-a-second behind ETSU's relay team...

"Moving forward we need to build on what we have done," Stephens stated. "To be a program that is only four years old and has 13 conference championships is very exciting. I would have never thought that this group of athletes would have accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. We have a great foundation for the program moving forward. The A-Sun continues to get strong and stronger. We have to step up and continue to move our program forward. We have a lot of work ahead of us in order to push Upstate Track & Field forward."

Spartanburg, S.C. – The USC Upstate men's and women's track & field team will look to build on its past success when it takes to the track in the 2011 A-Sun Outdoor Championships which start Friday at North Florida in Jacksonville.

The men's team finished sixth a year ago with Mike Meissner (Cottage Grove, Minn.) highlighting the way with his conference championship in the 400-meter dash. The Spartans are coming off of an impressive outing at the 2011 A-Sun Indoor Championships and have had successful outdoor meets over the last month. The women's team finished fifth at last year's outdoor championships and has had impressive results so far this season.

The men's team boasts four individuals who are returning conference champions, highlighted by two-time champion Perrish Goggins (Columbia, S.C.) Goggins, who redshirted last year, won conference championships in the high jump and long jump as a freshman in the 2009 A-Sun Outdoor Championships. He has had a strong spring and looks to be a contender in those events, as well as the triple jump, in this year's meet...

One event that has been a focus of the men's team is its performance in the 4x400-meter relay. The Spartans have traditionally not been strong in the event, but have made great strides this season. They finished second at the A-Sun Indoor Championships and have posted school records throughout the spring. The addition of brothers Matt and Michael Johnson (Elgin, S.C.) to the unit has bolstered the lineup which also includes Meissner and Cameron Thomas (Niceville, Fla.).

Other Spartans to look for in the championships are runners Ben Wheeler (Spartanburg, S.C.; 110-meter hurdles), Brandon Curry (Anderson, S.C.; 110-meter hurdles) Christian Ritacco (Niceville, Fla.; 3,000-meter steeplechase) and Josh Powers (Spartanburg, S.C.; 400-meter hurdles). Eric Chapman (Cowpens, S.C.) should also prove to be a factor in the discus and hammer throw.

Auburn, Ala. – The USC Upstate men's and women's track team broke seven school records in its final main tune-up prior to the A-Sun Championships in two weeks, topping four men's marks and three women's marks at the Tiger Track Classic at Auburn University Saturday afternoon.

Upstate will participate in a limited capacity next week as the team trains for the A-Sun Outdoor Championships in Jacksonville, Fla., April 15-16.

"It was a very good meet. We were using this weekend to really establish ourselves as we head into the A-Sun meet in a couple of weeks," said Upstate head coach Jimmy Stephens. "I feel pretty good where we stand right now. We had great weather and the kids responded. We didn't fold to the competition and had a great meet. We had a lot of school records and a lot of personal bests. I am proud of the team."

While Goggins was strong in the jumps, the Spartan runners were also up to the task in the meet. The 4x400-meter relay team, determined to compete for the A-Sun title in two weeks, shattered the old school record by 4.55 seconds. The team of Cameron Thomas (Niceville, Fla.), Michael Johnson (Elgin, S.C.), Matt Johnson (Elgin, S.C.) and Mike Meissner (Cottage Grove, Minn.) ran the race in 3:18.21 and finished eighth in the strong field.

"They (the 4x400-meter relay team) ran awesome," said Stephens. "I really think they have some more in them and I think they can be a real contender at the conference meet."

Michael Johnson broke the school record in the 800-meter run. He covered the distance in 1:53.97 to break the old mark of 1:55.08 held by Thomas and set last year at the Upstate Invitational. Johnson finished 10th in the race. Thomas finished 13th in the event, breaking his own personal best by three and a half seconds...

Spartanburg, S.C. – The USC Upstate men's and women's track teams will hit this road the weekend to participate in the Tiger Track Classic Saturday at Auburn in Auburn, Ala.

Upstate will not only compete against teams from the ACC, SEC, Big South, Southern and the Atlantic 10 conferences, the Spartans will also battle A-Sun foes Kennesaw State and Lipscomb. The Spartans have turned in two strong performances in the first two meets of the season and will look to continue to improve with the A-Sun Outdoor Championships just two weeks away.

"This is our last quality meet before the A-Sun Championships and we are looking to improve on our previous performances," said Upstate associate head coach Carson Blackwelder. "This should be a great meet with good competitions and quality athletes. It should be a good meet for all of the athletes and this is the time of the season where their hard work starts to pay off."

Upstate opened the season by breaking five school records on the men's side and four on the women's side at the Shamrock Invitational March 18-19. Despite competing in heavy rain, the 4x400-meter relay team of Cameron Thomas (Niceville, Fla.), Josh Powers (Spartanburg, S.C.), Mike Johnson (Elgin, S.C.) and Mike Meissner (Cottage Grove, Minn.) set a school record at last week's Catamount Classic, turning in a time of 3:22.76...

SPARTANBURG, S.C.—Head track and field coach Jimmy Stephens will begin his fourth season at USC Upstate, as he looks to elevate a young Spartans track and field program to even greater heights in 2010-11.

According to Stephens, for a program still in its infancy in just its fourth season of existence at Upstate, the biggest challenge for getting the program up and running has been establishing depth on both the men's and women's side.

"One of the biggest challenges in starting a program from the ground and building a foundation for success is being able to get the depth you need to compete with the Kennessaw State's and the East Tennessee State's of the Atlantic Sun," said Stephens.

"I really expect the women to see improvement in sprints and our relay teams...

The Spartans will commence the 2010-11 indoor season on Saturday, making the short trip to Clemson University to compete in the Orange and Purple Winter Classic. The Spartans will be one of several regional teams competing at the one-day meet, which will include a nationally-acclaimed Clemson track and field team that is steeped in tradition.

Upstate's strength on both the men's and women's side this season should once again its distance runners. On the men's side, junior Gilbert Kemboi (Eldoret, Kenya) and sophomores Cameron Thomas (Niceville, FL./Niceville HS) and Christian Ritacco (Niceville, FL.) will be the leaders among a strong core of runners in distance events.

As a freshman last season, Kemboi was sensational in his inaugural campaign as a Spartan, highlighted by his record-setting performance in the 5,000-meter run at the Niswonger Invitational...

Spartanburg, S.C. – USC Upstate cross country runners Gilbert Kemboi and Joan Tangwar each turned in standout performances en route to winning their respective races at the USC Upstate Invitational Saturday morning at the Milliken Research Park. Their efforts helped the men's and women's team take second place in the meet.

"We are doing well and are heading in the right direction with our performances," said Upstate assistant coach Carson Blackwelder. "Today was a pretty good day for us. Our top three runners on the men's side are pretty strong, we just need to have our four and five guys come together if we want to compete...

Despite Kemboi's dominant performance, Upstate finished second to North Florida. The Ospreys claimed positions 3-6 in the race to finish first. Upstate's Andrew Kipchumba (Eldoret, Rift Valley, Kenya) finished eighth in a time of 26:07.72, nearly 17 seconds better than he ran on the same course in the Eye Opener meet in September. Davey Dennison (Carlisle, Pa.) led a group of three Upstate runners who finished 11th, 12th and 13th. Dennison ran the race in 26:11.15. He was followed by Carmeron Thomas (Niceville, Fla., 26:11.52) and James Jackson (Aiken, S.C., 26:12.28).

Four Spartans who finished in the top 40 ran personal best times in the race Saturday. Thomas and Jackson each ran their fastest times in the 8k to finish in the top 15, while Christian Ritacco (Niceville, Fla., 26:52.62) knocked 18 seconds off of his top time to finish 25th. Ross Oden (Salisbury, N.C.) also ran a personal best with a time of 27:28.53.

Upstate will take to the Milliken course for the third time this year when it plays host to the 2010 A-Sun Championships in two weeks...

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The USC Upstate men's and women's cross country teams each were predicted to finish in the top three for the first time ever. The men's team was predicted to finish second, while the women's team earned a tie for third.

"To go from being a new team and finishing at the bottom of the conference in 2007, to being ranked as one of the top programs is very exciting," said head coach Jimmy Stephens. "Our staff and teams have put in a ton of work to get to this point. I am very excited for our program and the direction we are headed!"

At last season's Atlantic Sun Cross Country Championships, Gilbert Kemboi (Eldoret, Kenya/Kangetuny) and Christian Ritacco (Niceville, Fla./Niceville) led the Spartans to a tie for third-place. Kemboi finished second-overall at the championship event, earning First-Team All-A-Sun honors and Freshman of the Year accolades after earning a spot on the All-Freshman Team.

Ritacco, finished 15th-overall, also earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team. Both Kemboi and Ritacco are back for their sophomore campaigns and are joined by two other strong sophomore performers Davey Dennison (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) and Cameron Thomas (Niceville, Fla./Niceville).

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The highlight of the day for the USC Upstate track and field team was a come from behind victory by junior sprinter Michael Meissner. Meissner claimed the individual championship in the men's 400-meter ...

Cameron Thomas led a trio of Spartans in the 800-meter dash. Thomas finished in ninth after recording a time of 1:56.55. David Dennison finished 16th with a time of 1:59.71, while Dustin Thomas (Harrisburg, N.C./Hickory Ridge) finished 20th after a time of 2:04.48.

The season comes to a close for the Spartans as Upstate still remains in its transitional phase from Division II to Division I. The 2010-11 track and field season will be the final one of provisional status and beginning in 2011-12, Upstate will be eligible to compete at the NCAA Regional and National Championships.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - For the first time in history, the City of Spartanburg was host to its first ever invitational meet on Saturday. The USC Upstate track and field team hosted the USC Upstate Invitational, which was held at Spartanburg High School.

"Having a facility like this is at Spartanburg High is going to help the community host events like this again," said head coach Jimmy Stephens. "We had some really good teams come to the first invitational meet ever held in Spartanburg. From here we hope that the event will continue to grow and hopefully less rain in the future."

For most of the meet, the skies alternated between sunny and overcast, until the latter stages of the event. A steady rainstorm arrived and refused to let up as the final few events were run on Saturday.

Michael Meissner (Cottage Grove, Minn./UW-River Falls) and Cameron Thomas (Niceville, Fla./Niceville) paced the Spartans at Saturday's meet. Meissner raced to victory in the men's 400-meter dash. His mark of 49.14 was both a personal-best as well as a new school record.

The junior also competed in the 200-meter dash, where he finished 11th with a time of 22.54. Also competing in the event were Spartans Reggie Garnett (Columbia, S.C./Robert G. Cole) and Dominic Simon (Sumter, S.C./Sumter). Garnett (23.84) finished 23rd and was immediately followed by Simon (23.86).

Meanwhile, Thomas won the 800-meter run as he edged out Manny Gonzales of ETSU. The freshman posted a time of 1:55.08 which is a new school record, surpassing the old mark of 1:57.28 that was set by David Dennison (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) two weeks ago at the Furman Invitational.

"Michael and Cameron ran great races today," added Stephens. "I was proud of our entire team, everyone did really well today. I am also proud of the direction that our program is heading."

Dennison and Dustin Thomas (Harrisburg, N.C./Hickory Ridge) also competed in the event. Dennison finished fourth with a personal-best time of 1:56.39, while Thomas finished 11th as he also recorded a personal-best time (2:04.25).

Meissner and Thomas along with Dennison and Danny Moore (Spartanburg, S.C./Dorman) nearly set a new school mark in the 4x400-meter relay. With the afternoon rains beginning to increase in force, the quartet posted a time of 3:28.16 to win the event. That time was just about a second away from the school record that was recorded at the 2010 Duke Invitational.

On Saturday, Chapman finished sixth in the discus (36.97m) and sixth in the shot put with a mark of 10.76m. Walker, meanwhile, finished third in the shot put after a mark of 11.26 and eighth in the discus throw with a mark 27.46m.

Upstate will break from competition as they prepare for exams. The Spartans will return to the track when they compete at the Orange & Purple Classic in Clemson, S.C. on May 7th.

GREENVILLE, S.C. - The USC Upstate track and field team had several quality performances on Saturday afternoon at the Furman Invitational. This was the first meet of the outdoor season for the Spartans in the state of South Carolina and they did not disappoint.

"Today was a day that we really tried to focus on our sprinters as well as field performers," said head coach Jimmy Stephens. "Most of our distance guys had an easy day as most of them ran in just one event. We are beginning to enter crunch time as the conference championships are coming up in just about a month. I was really proud of the effort our team gave today and I am looking forward to our home meet that we are hosting on April 24th."

Michael Meissner (Cottage Grove, Minn./UW-River Falls) recorded a time of 50.26 as he won the 400-meter dash. Meissner also had a strong showing the 200-meter dash as he finished 2nd (22.63) and just missed out on another victory as Elias Conits finished in 22.62. Cameron Thomas (Niceville, Fla./Niceville) also competed in the 400-meter dash and finished third with a time of 53.63.

"Michael had a solid day," added Stephens. "He is training very hard and as he is working toward the Atlantic Sun championships, having days like this, is good for Michael as well as the entire team."

In the 400-meter hurdles, Danny Moore (Spartanburg, S.C./Dorman) claimed the victory as he recorded a time of 57.72. Meanwhile, Dominic Simon (Sumter, S.C./Sumter) had two strong performances on Saturday. In the 100-meter dash, Simon finished fourth with a time of 11.64. In the 200-meter dash, the freshman finished in 24.30 as he finished sixth.

In the 800-meter run, Upstate claimed three of the top 11 spots. David Dennison (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) led the charge as he finished third with a school record of 1:57.28. It is the second consecutive week that Dennison has broken the record in the event. Dustin Thomas (Harrisburg, N.C./Hickory Ridge) finished 10th (2:09.09), while Dylan Taylor (Woodruff, S.C./Woodruff) finished 11th after a time of 2:14.55.

The track and field team will return to action next weekend as they travel to Charlotte, N.C. for the second time this season. The Spartans will compete in the Charlotte Invitational on Saturday, April 17, 2010.

March 25, 2010

Cameron Thomas set two school records at last weekend's 49er Classic.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - After strong performances at last weekend's 49er Classic in Charlotte, N.C. led to a clean sweep of Atlantic Sun weekly awards, the USC Upstate track and field team looks to duplicate those results as it heads back to the state of North Carolina. The Spartans will compete in the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, N.C. and the Benyon Sports Surface Catamount Classic in Cullowhee, N.C.

"We had a great start to the outdoor season last weekend," said head coach Jimmy Stephens. "We had several quality performances as several school records fell and others set personal-bests. I expect our team to continue to improve each and every week and I am really excited to see what we can accomplish between now and the A-Sun Championships in May."

Eric Chapman (Cowpens, S.C./Broome), Gabrielle Walker (Chattanooga, Tenn./Mars Hill), Jemeli Sang (Eldoret, Kenya/Biwott Ngelel-Tarit) and Brandon Curry (Anderson, S.C./Pendleton) became the first group in program history to sweep the A-Sun weekly awards. It was the first outdoor award for each athlete and it was the first outdoor award for Upstate since Emily Tangwar (Eldoret, Kenya/Lareto) won the award on April 29, 2009.

Cameron Thomas (Niceville, Fla./Niceville) set two new records at last weekend's 49er Classic. In the 800-meter run, Thomas became the first Spartan to ever complete the event in less than two minutes (1:59.42). In the 1,500-meter run, he finished with a time of 4:09.43, which eclipsed Matt Henderson's (Inman, S.C./Dorman) record of 4:13.56 that was set at last season's Winthrop Invitational.

The Raleigh Relays will kickoff on Friday morning as the field events will begin at 10:00 a.m. with the men's discus throw. The track events will begin at 10:15 a.m. with the men's 10,000-meter run.

Upstate will face off against A-Sun members ETSU and Kennesaw State at the Catamount Classic. Host institution Western Carolina and Big South Conference member UNC-Asheville are also part of the 12 team field.