Spartan Track & Field Picks Up Three Individual Titles at Final Day of A-Sun Indoor Championships

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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Juniors Gilbert Kemboi (Eldoret, Kenya) and Kenny Sugishita (Arroyo Grande, Calif.) of the USC Upstate men's track & field team earned their second individual titles today at the Atlantic Sun Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships, while senior Joan Tangwar (Eldoret, Kenya) won gold for the Spartan women.

Sugishita won his second throwing title in as many days with his top toss of 17.12m in the weight throw en route to claiming the Most Outstanding Field Performer. Kemboi won the men's 5,000-meter run with a record-setting time of 14:41.56. He passed his previous A-Sun record of 14:43.81 set at last year's championship. He was named the 2012 Indoor Most Outstanding Track Performer. Sugishita and Kemboi helped the Upstate men's team to a third-place finish, tallying 95 points for the best finished in program history.

"I cannot even begin to say how proud I was of several of our athletes on both the men and the women's sides," said head coach Natalie Smith. "Both of our teams scored the most points we have had in an indoor championship as well as finished with higher team finishes than before. On the men's side we missed a few opportunities however we really capitalized in some places. Kenny becoming the 2012 Indoor Field athlete of the year and Gilbert the 2012 track athlete of the year are major accomplishments for our men's program, both with two conference championship titles on the weekend. As a coach you want to see your athletes hit great marks at the right times in the season and overall I feel like we came in ready and we had most of our team on both the men and women's sides hit some great marks and times. I am hoping that we can use this momentum to move into outdoor season with a sense of urgency and expectation."

The Spartans went one, two, three in the women's 5,000-meter as seniors Tangwar, Jemeli Sang (Eldoret, Kenya) and Carolyne Chelulei (Eldoret, Kenya) took home gold, silver and bronze, respectively. Tangwar crossed the line in 17:18.40, while Sang came in 17:19.19 and Chelulei finished in 17:26.74. The senior trio led the Upstate women to its best team finish in school history, coming in fifth-place with 51 points.

"Our senior girls distance trio of Joan, Jemeli and Carolyne once again put together a great weekend and truly carried the women's team on their backs," Smith said. "Joan earned her first individual title and the race was super exciting seeing a one, two, three finish with our senior distance runners. What's fun to watch with individuals like Joan, Jemeli, Carolyne, Gilbert and Kenny is that not only do Upstate fans cheer for them. You have those that just love the sport rooting for them as well because they compete with so much class and sportsmanship."

Upstate junior Davey Dennison (Carlisle, Pa.) earned a second-place finish in the men's one mile run with a time of 4:13.80. Junior Brandon Curry (Anderson, S.C.) claimed third-place with a time of 8.26 in the men's 60-meter hurdles. The Spartan men snagged third in 4x400 relay as the quartet of freshman Evan Woodruff (Sebastian, Fla.), junior Cameron Thomas (Niceville, Fla.), sophomore Michael Johnson (Elgin, S.C.) and sophomore Matt Johnson (Elgin, S.C.) posted a time of 3:20.04.

"Matt J., Cameron and Davey all had runner-up finishes in their respective events and really came through in the 'clutch' for our team," Smith said. "All three of these young men are the type that they are never to be underestimated. They race until the finish and believe that they can line up against anyone and compete and that's exactly what they did. I was so proud of Brandon Curry and his first top-three finish in the 60-meter hurdles. He is really becoming a premier hurdler and will be someone to watch in the outdoor season. Brandon has started to consistently drop his time and has found a fire and passion in this season that I believe will 'slingshot' him into lots of success."

Freshman Breana Kwasnik (Greenville, S.C.) came in fifth-place in the women's pole vault with a mark of 3.20-meters.

"There are so many people that I could point out so I will just say it was a fun weekend to be a Spartan," Smith said. "We had great support from our families and our Faculty Athletic Representative Dr. Jim Griffis was on the side with the coaches cheering for the green and we appreciate that."

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