Dec. 4, 2007

Complete Results

Clemson, S.C. - Bethune-Cookman University Track & Field kicked off the season early over the weekend at the Clemson Opener for the indoor season at the Clemson Indoor Track & Field Complex in Clemson, S.C.

B-CU second-year head coach Garfield Ellenwood brought in three All-State performers and numerous All-County/Region/Area stars during the off-season. He vowed to make this a better season than years past and revive a "sleeping giant" program in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Coach Ellenwood may just have done that with the first meet of the 2007-08 Indoor season with his first-ever head coaching recruiting class.

"Overall, I was pleased with the results from our first meet of the year," stated Ellenwood. "I was pleased with the way the team performed, many of them in their first-ever Division I college events. We had some good shining spots."

The women started off the weekend at Clemson with five (5) Top Five performances, including a second place finish from junior transfer Christina Roundtree in the Women's 200 Meter Dash. Roundtree recorded a time of 25.06 seconds to finish just .09 seconds behind UNC Charlotte's Lamarra Currie (24.95).

That was followed up with a fourth place finish for junior transfer Dianne Munroe in the Women's 60 Meter Dash as she posted a time of 7.65 seconds. Teammate Waquesha Canty finished 14th (7.87) in the finals after a 16th place (7.79) mark in the preliminaries.

Cross Country All-MEAC performer Alexandria Condell picked up right where she left off in the fall with a second place finish in the Women's 800 Meter Run. Condell collected a time of 2:18.52 for the event. UAB's Alina Varpiotaite finished first with a time of 2:14.97.

Sophomore Tavia Burke finished sixth in the preliminaries of the Women's 60 Meter Hurdles before collecting a fifth place finish (8.81) in the finals. The B-CU women's relay team also captured a fifth place finish in the 4x400 Meter Relay with a time of 3:52.72. The team consisted of Dianne Munroe, Deandrea Laing, Joy Henry and Tamara Jones.

"Our women performed well for their first meet," exclaimed Ellenwood. "I though Christina [Roundtree] and Alex [Alexandria Condell] did very well, and I think the others will only get better from this meet."

In the men's events, it was all about returner Harold Rose, Jr. and newcomer Ronnie Ashe. Both men captured first place finishes in their respective events.

Junior transfer Joel Redhead finished 10th in the Men's 400 Meter Dash with a time of 49.44 as he tied with Cladlin's Aaron Dorn-Long in time.

Ashe, a freshman sprinter from Raleigh, N.C., captured first place in the Men's 60 Meter Hurdles as he registered a time of eight seconds flat. That was .01 second faster than Delon Isom of the University of Tennessee. That was after Ashe finished fifth in the preliminaries behind Harold Rose, Jr. who was in fourth place.

Rose finished 12th in the finals of the 60 Meter Hurdles.

"I'm very pleased with Ronnie Ashe's performance, and I think it's just the beginning of something special for him at Bethune-Cookman University," claims Ellenwood. "Our relay team ran well for what we had, and this is the best they have run indoors in years." But for Rose, the day would not be complete without a field event championship--something he has become very accustomed to in the past.

Rose collected his first top finish of the season in the Men's Long Jump as he posted a distance of 23-09.00 overall.

"I keep saying that it's the beginning of a new era here at B-CU, and I hope this is finally it," stated Ellenwood. "This is a very good indicator of what we need to do to strengthen the program here at build upon a lot of options that we have."

For more information on Bethune-Cookman University Track & Field/Cross Country, please contact the Office of Sports Information at (386) 481-2206. Or you can log on to the official B-CU athletic website at www.BCCathletics.com.