Women's Track & Field | 5/25/2017 8:00:00 PM

Bradenton, Fla.----Wingate University freshman sprinter Tarah Young (Albany, Ga.) earned second team All-American laurels, posting a time of 54.83 in the women's 400 meter preliminaries at the 2017 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships Thursday (live results; live video). Young had the 11th-fastest time (out of 22 runners), missing a spot in Saturday's finals by 0.55 seconds.
 
Young was the second-fastest freshman in Thursday's prelims; only San Francisco State University freshman Timarya Baynard (San Jose, Calif.) ran faster among first-year competitors. Baynard snagged the eighth (and final) qualifying spot for Saturday's finals. Merrimack College senior Carly Muscaro (Ashland, Mass.) ran the day's fastest time at 52.28. She entered the meet as the number one seed.
 
In the men's long jump, Wingate sophomore Andrew Spence (Port Orange, Fla.) tied for 16th place. Lincoln (Mo.) University senior Sedeekie Edie (Kingston, Jamaica) won the event with his mark of 7.77 meters. He entered the event as the number one seed, thanks to a mark of 7.89 meters. Barton College sophomore Lawrence Russell, Jr. (Sicklerville, N.J.) finished third with a leap of 7.72 meters.
 
"Tarah had a very solid race, finishing second team All-American as a freshman is a big accomplishment," Wingate head track and field coach Travis LeFlore says. "There is no doubt she and Andrew will be back next year ready to finish high!"
 
"This season has been a great learning experience for Tarah," Bulldog assistant sprints coach Cole Henderson says. "She wishes she had a different outcome, but we both believe this season was a success."
 
On the horizon for the Wingate track and field NCAA participants…
 
Friday, May 26
 
4:45 p.m. – Men's Triple Jump (finals)
Wingate junior Nate Patterson (Mauldin, S.C.)
 
Patterson's top triple jump the year is 15.37 meters at the High Point VertKlasse Meeting. He was an NCAA All-American at the 2016 indoor national championship meet. The top seed for this year's NCAA outdoor meet is Minnesota State Mankato senior Michael Sandle with his jump of 16.24 meters.
 
5:05 p.m. – Women's High Jump (finals)
Wingate sophomore Vanisha Wilshire (Louisburg, N.C.)
 
Wilshire posted a mark of 1.73 meters in the Wingate Invitational women's high jump for her best leap this season. She is a two-time All-American performer in this event. Four student-athletes share the top mark in this year's competition with identical leaps of 1.78 meters.
 
Saturday, May 27
 
4:45 p.m. – Women's Triple Jump (finals)
Wingate sophomore Vanisha Wilshire (Louisburg, N.C.)
 
Wilshire's best triple jump this year is 12.36 meters, achieved on her home turf at the Wingate Invitational. The top seed for this event is West Texas A&M senior Rellie Kaputin with her mark of 12.98 meters.
 
5:30 p.m. – Men's High Jump (finals)
Wingate sophomore Isaiah Kyle (Morristown, Tenn.)
 
Kyle's top leap this season is 2.13 meters, achieved as he won the South Atlantic Conference men's high jump competition. He is a three-time All-American (in three tries). Grand Valley State University sophomore Hunter Weeks is the top seed with his leap of 2.17 meters.
 
Student-athletes qualified for the championships by reaching the automatic and provisional standards established for each event. The complete list of qualifiers is available at this link.
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, consistently ranked as a top 10 "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,200 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 35 minors, 12 career concentrations, nine pre-professional programs, master's degrees in accounting, business, education, physician assistant studies and sport management and doctorates in education, pharmacy and physical therapy.
 
With a 14 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visit www.youtube.com/wingateuniversity. 
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past 11 years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.
 
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing colleges in the 2000's with 88 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate is number one in this millennium with 88 Academic All-America® honorees. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 97 lifetime Academic All-America® picks. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.