GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University men's and women's indoor track & field teams will open their 2021-22 season schedule on Saturday with competition at the Appalachian Open.
Head coach Cory Pratt has the Pioneers penciled in to compete during seven weekends in advance of the South Atlantic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championship, which will be held in Winston-Salem, North Carolina at the JDL Fast Track on February 26-27.
The SAC Championship was called off last winter due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Pioneers were able to compete in five events. Both the men's and women's teams will have upwards of a dozen competitors back from last year's squad, along with the addition of a sizable freshman class and several key junior college transfers.
MEN'S PREVIEW
The Tusculum men finished sixth at the SAC Outdoor Championship in the spring, but depth in sprints and distance and talent in jumps will be tested through the long indoor season.
"I believe this is the deepest team we've had, from a senior that's made multiple national championship appearances to transfers wanting to leave their mark and some hungry freshmen who are ready to pull their weight," said Pratt. "I think we will get contributions at SAC Championships from nearly every group. Balance has to be the key. These men have worked hard this fall."
SPRINTS
Senior Widchard Guervil (Fort Myers, Fla.) is the most-decorated men's track athlete in school history, having won four SAC indoor medals and earning Division II All-America honors in the 60 meters in 2018. Guervil holds the school indoor records in both the 60 (6.67) and the 200 (21.29).
Senior Gerard Hearst (Alpharetta, Ga.) ranks fourth on the school all-time performance list in the 60 meters (6.97) and has run 23.22 in the 200 meters for the Pioneers. Junior Devan Hart (Bonaire, Ga.) ranks sixth in school history in the 200 meters (22.80) and seventh in the 60 meters (7.05), and junior Pierre Dupuy (Pompano Beach, Fla.) is tied for ninth all-time in the 60 meters at 7.12 seconds.
Sophomore Jordan Taylor (Miramar, Fla.) enjoyed a strong freshman season as he was clocked in the second-best times in program history in both the 60 meters (6.88) and 200 meters (21.98).
Junior Jontavus Walker (Columbus, Ga.) is third all-time in school history in the 400 meters at 51.13 seconds, but will be forced to miss the indoor season due to injury. Senior David Saruni (Narok, Kenya) is the program indoor recordholder in the 400 at 50.15 seconds, an event in which he finished seventh at the SAC Championship in 2020.
Joining the program are juniors Jarvis Barber Jr. (Ocala, Fla.) and Zackary Nelson (St. Johns, Fla.) from Indian Hills Community College along with freshmen Xavion Bogus (Knoxville, Tenn.), Stephen Brewer (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and Roger Mottley III (Lehigh Acres, Fla.). Barber and Nelson each competed at the Region championships during their two years at Indian Hills, while Mottley was a state qualifier in the 400 meters at Dunbar High School.
DISTANCE
Junior Antonio Aparicio (Paterna, Spain) set the school indoor record in the 800 (1:55.94) last season and also holds the record in the 1000 meters at 2:35.67. Aparicio, who was fifth in the 800 at the SAC Indoor Championship in 2020, also ranks fourth in school history in the mile (4:29.88) and 10th in the 3000 meters at 9:34.85.
Seniors Kyler Hodges (Casselberry, Fla.) ran in the top 10 in three events at the 2020 SAC Indoor Championship, and ranks second in school history in the mile (4:25.40) and 1000 meters (2:38.49), third in the 3000 meters (8:57.60) and fourth in the 5000 meters (15:57.48). Senior Carson Walls (Gray, Tenn.) was ninth in the 5000 meters at the 2020 SAC Championship and ranks inside the top 10 in program history in the mile (4:39.90, 8th), 3000 meters (9:19.39, 5th) and 5000 (15:55.48, 3rd).
Junior Caleb Archer (Bluff City, Tenn.) is also well-represented on the program all-time performance lists, entering the season second all-time in the 5000 meters (15:41.89), fourth in the 3000 meters (9:08.47) and seventh in the mile (4:38.05). Sophomore Ray Richardson (Johnson City, Tenn.) is seventh-best in school history in the 3000 (9:22.61) and eighth in the 5000 (16:18.24).
A group of five freshmen who formed the nucleus of the Pioneer cross country team will look to continue their success during the indoor season. Bryson Livesay (Jonesborough, Tenn.) was the top freshman finisher in both the SAC and Southeast Region meets for the Pioneers, taking 48th overall in the conference and 86th in the region. Gideon Dowling (Jonesborough, Tenn.) was 54th at the conference championship and 105th overall in the region, while Irving Medina (Greeneville, Tenn.) and Graham Aitken (Raleigh, N.C.) each finished exactly two spots apart in both meets. Evan Bruce (Jonesborough, Tenn.) placed 77th overall at the SAC Championship meet.
JUMPS
Dupuy is the lone Pioneer with previous collegiate jumping experience. He hold career bests of 5.96 meters (19 feet, 6 3/4 inches) in the long jump and 13.03 meters (42 feet, 9 inches) in the triple jump, both at the 2020 SAC Championships and which rank eighth and fourth, respectively, on the program all-time performance list.
Freshman Joshua Stephens (Sanford, Fla.) has career bests of 13.63 meters in the triple jump and 6.25 meters in the long jump that were set at Seminole High School, while freshman Landen Locklear (Blountville, Tenn.) has jumped 19 feet in the long jump and was also a sprinter at Sullivan Central High School.
THROWS
Junior Alex Higgins (Cleveland, Tenn.) is the lone thrower on the roster and ranks second in program history in the shot put at 13.74 meters (45 feet, 1 inch) set during the 2020 season. Higgins placed 16th in the shot put at the 2020 SAC Indoor Championship.
WOMEN'S PREVIEW
The Pioneers took eighth place at the SAC Outdoor Championship, but significant additions in multiple events could give Tusculum a well-rounded look and a chance to score in more events than ever before.
"This could be our most balanced women's team. We should be able to get more production in every single group from jumpers, throws, distance, hurdles, and sprints," said Pratt. "We also have a great blend of graduate students and transfers down to freshmen that will contribute large roles. We've had a productive fall and this group is ahead of where they were this time last year."
SPRINTS
I'Keriah Day (Fort Myers, Fla.) returns to the Pioneers as a graduate student after attending the University of North Florida as a student for the past two seasons. While running for the Pioneers, Day won a silver medal in the 4x400 relay at the 2019 SAC Championship and was fifth in the 200 and sixth in the 400. Day holds the school record in the 200 meters (25.36) and triple jump (10.09 meters/33 feet, 1 1/4 inches) and ranks sixth in both the 60 (8.13) and 400 meters (1:00.25).
Senior Kayneshia Carter (Nassau, Bahamas) has twice competed at the SAC Indoor Championship and ranks third in program history in the 60 meters (8.08) and fifth in the 200 meters (26.32). Senior Earthaiza Watkins (Stamford, Conn.) holds the school indoor record in the 500 (1:20.97) and 600 (1:48.68) and ranks second in the 200 (25:87) and fifth in the 400 (59.72). She is a two-time SAC indoor medalist in the 4x400 relay, winning gold in 2020 and silver in 2019.
Junior Aliyah Adderley (Nassau, Bahamas) is ninth in school history in the 200 (26.66) and eighth in the 400 (1:01.76), while junior Savannah Carter (Gray, Tenn.) has career bests of 8.88 in the 60 and 30.56 in the 200. Junior Destiny Lottie (Des Moines, Iowa), a transfer from Indian Hills Community College, comes to Tusculum after twice competing at the NJCAA Division I Championship in the 4x400 relay and placing in the 200 meters at the Region XI Championship meet.
Joining the program are freshmen Silvia Bah (Cary, N.C.), Anna Brice (Knoxville, Tenn.), Amber Hicks (Statesville, N.C.) and Bailey Medley (Pigeon Forge, Tenn.). Bah set school records in the 200 and 400 at Green Hope High School, while Hicks ran 13.61 in the 100 meters during the 2021 outdoor season. Both Brice and Medley were members of the Tusculum women's soccer team during the fall, but both have high school track experience with Brice running 13.27 in the 100 and 27.54 in the 200, and Medley finished ninth in the 100 meters (12.91), 12th in the 200 (27.05) and 14th in the 400 (1:03.21) as a freshman in the 2018 TSSAA Small School State Championship.
DISTANCE
Sophomore Emily Coddington (Acosta, Pa.) enjoyed a strong rookie season for the Pioneers, ending the year ranked second on the school indoor performance list in the 800 (2:22.21) and mile (5:17.94). Fellow sophomore Judy Chellah (Gray, Tenn.) is third all-time in the 800 (2:26.26) and sixth in the mile at 5:39.60.
Junior Erin Bruce (Jonesborough, Tenn.) is ranked in the top 10 in three events for Tusculum, as she is eighth-best in the mile (5:53.03), fourth in the 3000 (11:34.85) and third in the 5000 (20:23.89). Graduate student Javiera Ortiz (Llolleo, Chile) is running track for the first time after playing four years of tennis, and following a fall in which she placed 47th at the SAC Cross Country Championship and 75th at the Southeast Regional.
Sophomores Diamond Jones (Memphis, Tenn.) and Emerald Jones (Memphis, Tenn.) competed in high school in the 400, 800 and 1600, and freshmen Nicole Griffith (Jonesborough, Tenn.) and Celine McNally (Surgoinsville, Tenn.) ran cross country in the fall with Griffith finishing 42nd at the SAC Championship and McNally in 54th place.
HURDLES
Graduate student Kenisha Stubbs (Nassau, Bahamas) was the SAC gold medalist as part of the 4x400 relay at the 2020 SAC Indoor Championship, then took gold in the 400 hurdles at the 2021 SAC Outdoor Championship. Stubbs holds the school record in the 60 hurdles at 9.16 seconds, and is third all-time in the 400 meters (58.80) and ninth in the 60 dash (8.27).
Junior Faith Robinette (Rockwood, Tenn.), a transfer from Tennessee Wesleyan, finished ninth in the 60 hurdles at the Appalachian Athletic Conference Indoor Championship in each of her two seasons with a top time of 9.84 seconds.
JUMPS
In addition to their track performances, Day, Robinette and Brice are each accomplished in jumping events. Day holds the school record in the triple jump at 10.09 meters (33 feet, 1 1/4 inches) and has a career-best mark of 5.26 meters (17 feet, 3 1/4 inches) in the long jump which is second-best in program history. Brice has a career-best mark of 15 feet, 1 inch in the long jump, while Robinette finished sixth in the triple jump at the AAC Indoor Championship last year and has a career-best mark of 10.92 meters (35 feet, 10 inches).
Senior Destini Wilson (Boynton Beach, Fla.) owns the program records in both the long jump at 5.42 meters (17 feet, 9 1/2 inches) and the high jump at 1.57 meters (5 feet, 1 3/4 inches). Wilson has placed in the high jump and the pentathlon at the SAC Indoor Championship during her career, in which she has competed in a total of seven different events.
THROWS
Senior Shanee Angol (Grand Bay, Dominica) will look to add to her throwing arsenal by competing in the shot put after earning a silver medal in the javelin at the SAC Outdoor Championship and capturing All-Southeast Region honors in the event. Angol has also competed in the long jump and the 200 meters during her Pioneer career, ranking fourth in the long jump at 4.79 meters (15 feet, 8 3/4 inches).
Freshman Amber Hogan (Piedmont, S.C.) has a career best throw in the shot put of 31 feet, 9 1/2 inches.
SCHEDULE
After competing at App State, the Pioneers will break for the new year and return at the ETSU Invitational on Jan. 14-15. A trip to Winston-Salem for the Flat Is Fast Invitational on Jan. 23 will be followed by competition at the VMI Winter Relays on Jan. 28-29. In February, the Pioneers will run at either the Buccaneer Invitational or the Camel City Invitational on Feb. 4-5, with a return to VMI for the Winter Classic on Feb. 11-12. Tusculum will head to South Carolina for the USC Open on Feb. 18 preceding the SAC Championship at Winston-Salem on Feb. 26-27.
