Track and Field shatters records
Chaunte Howard wins back-to-back national titles
By Jamie Howell/ Student Publications
Brendon Mahoney came in 10th in the men’s 1500 meters at the NCAA championships with a time of 3:47.62. He was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Track and Field second team.
Sophomore Chaunte Howard captured her second straight national championship in the women’s high jump at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas. Howard finished with a clear of 6'4.00” to lead the women’s track and field team.
The Riverside, California native is the first Tech athlete to win back-to-back national titles and is now a four-time All-American athlete. She currently holds the third best mark by an American, 6'4.75", and will compete in the U.S. Olympic trials in Sacramento, California to be held July 9-18.
“She was very relaxed out there,” said Assistant Coach Nat Page in a press release. “She was comfortable at those heights tonight and made some really nice jumps.”
In other competitions, senior Amandi Rhett finished ninth with a time of 23.56 in the women’s 200 meters. Senior Brendon Mahoney finished 10th in the men’s 1500 meters with a time of 3:47.62.
The women’s 4x100-meter relay team of Dana Rogers, Ashlee Kidd, Andriane Lapsley and Amandi Rhett finished sixth with a time of 44.25 to earn All-America honors. It is the first time in program history that a 4x100m relay team has earned such honors. Amandi Rhett garnered three All-America honors for the Jackets at the national championship meet in the 100, 200 and 4x100 meters. Rhett posted personal-record times of 11.29 and 23.24 in the preliminaries of the 100 and 200, finishing eighth in the 200 and ninth in the 100.
Sophomore Brandy Depland and Kidd rounded out competitors for the Jackets. Depland tallied an 18th-place finish in the triple jump with a mark of 42'0.00", while Kidd finished 19th in the 400 meters with a time of 53.68. The women’s track and field team scored 14 points to finish in a tie for 15th place.
Junior Montrell Person posted a personal-record time of 13.53 in the prelims of the 110-meter high hurdles, finishing ninth in the finals with a time of 14.18. The Merriville, Indiana native earned All-America honors for the first time in his career.
All-America Brendon Mahoney was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Track and Field second team, announced on Tuesday by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his current institution and be nominated by his sports information director.
Mahoney, a Cumming, Georgia native is Tech’s third Academic All-America of the year, joining volleyball standout Kele Eveland and softball pitcher Erin Voeltz.
Earlier in the season, the Jackets’ men’s team tallied 17 points to record a 12th-place finish at the NCAA East Region meet. They also finished fourth with 103 points in the outdoor ACC championships.
The women’s team posted an eighth-place finish at the NCAA East Region Championships and second at the outdoor ACC championships.
