DePaul University Athletics
Records Fall at Cardinal Twilight
5/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | TRACK AND FIELD
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The throwers of the DePaul men’s and women’s track and field teams took advantage of the final week of competition before the opening rounds of the NCAA Championships. Melissa Fraser broke into the national top-10 with a record-setting javelin throw, while Alanna Kovacs and Tim Nedow tallied DePaul records of their own.
Fraser won the javelin contest for the fifth time this season after launching a throw of 51.47m, over two meters further than her previous career best. The mark should move her into the top-10 of the NCAA Div. I rankings. Entering into this weekend, Fraser ranked 18th.
Kovacs finished just behind her in second place with a distance of 49.19m. This is the fourth time this season that she and Fraser have claimed the top-two spots on the podium.
She continued her busy day in the shot put and the discus with 11th and fifth place finishes, respectively. Her discus mark of 48.51m extends the sophomore’s DePaul record in the event.
While Fraser and Kovacs extended records which they previously held themselves, Nedow wrote his name in the book for the first time this evening following his discus performance. After stretching the tape to 53.89m, the sophomore was the top collegiate finisher and second overall. In addition, the mark moves him in a group of 48 student-athletes who earn a spot in the preliminary round of the NCAA Championship in two weeks.
The previous record holder was Jim Costello, who claimed the all-time best in 1998 with a distance of 51.44m.
In the shot put, Nedow tallied his sixth 17m-plus throw of the season with a distance of 17.22m to place fifth overall. Kovacs recorded a mark of 13.11m in the women’s shot put.
Brad Millar had another stellar performance in the hammer throw, and was the top collegiate finisher. His throw of 64.46m placed him third overall. Fraser placed sixth in the women’s hammer throw with a distance of 52.47m.
While the throwers competed in Louisville, a pair of steeplechasers and a jumper battled rain in Atlanta at the Georgia Tech Invitational. Matthew Graham fought from behind to take the lead in the final laps of the 3,000m steeplechase to win in a time of 8:57.07. The performance is the sophomore’s second sub-nine minute time of the season in the event.
In the women’s steeplechase, Terah Cheatham placed eighth behind a time of 10:55.88.
Joe Strawder made is through the trial rounds and landed a long jump of 7.13m on his final attempt to place ninth overall. He continues tomorrow with the triple jump.
The Blue Demons continue action this weekend with the Chicago Penultimate and the second day of the Georgia Tech Invitational.