Ward wins pole

vault championship
From staff reports

CLEMSON, S.C. — Appalachian State’s women's track and field team won its 15th Southern Conference indoor title in school history. Sunday afternoon with 211 points. Western Carolina came in second posting 135 points. It was the first time since 2007 that both the ASU men and women squads swept the crown.

Former Watauga standout Julie Ward, now a junior at Appalachian State, won the pole vault with a personal best vault of 11-feet, 9 3/4 inches, moving her into third on ASU’s all-time list in the event. Shea Snow also earned all-SoCon honors notching the runner-up spot with a vault of 11-5 3/4, while Ashley Beale and Meg Irwin placed third and fourth to complete the sweep of the pole vault for the Mountaineers.

In the jumps, Danielle Thorpe won the triple jump crown for the first time for Appalachian since 2005. Thorpe jumped 41-7 1/4, a new personal best and good enough to put her at fourth on Appalachian's all-time list in the event. Thorpe also qualified for NCAA nationals in the triple jump and moves into a 26th place ranking in the nation. Teammate Crystal Dukes placed sixth in the event.

The Mountaineers continued their dominance in the throwing events as Whitney Smyre won the weight throw Sunday afternoon with a throw of 58-4 1/2, a new personal best in the event and the performance moved her into into third on Appalachian's all-time list. Michaela McGriff earned all-SoCon honors for the first time in her career, placing third in the event with a throw of 51-3 3/4. Carla Durham and Lily Tallent were solid in the weight throw as well, placing fourth and sixth overall.

Ashley McKiver got Appalachian State off to a solid start, notching all-SoCon honors with a third place finish in the 60-meter dash, running the event in 7.74.

Lynda Hiller and Asia Dunlap led the Mountaineers in the 400-meter run, finishing fifth and sixth in the event. Hiller's time of 57.85, was a new personal best and good enough to move her into third on ASU's all-time list in the event.

Meghan Gaffney paced the Mountaineers in the 5000-meter run, placing fourth, while she also led the Mountaineers in the mile run, taking home the runner-up spot with a time of 5:01.53. Teammate Jen Povick was right on Gaffney's heels finishing third with a time of 5:01.58. Both Gaffney and Povick picked up all-SoCon honors for their performances.

Michelle Brutus grabbed all-conference honors with a third place finish in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.88 seconds.

In the 1,600-meter relay, the team of Lynda Hiller, Monica Johnson, Asia Dunlap and Nadia Liriano grabbed the runner-up spot, with a time of 3:52.42, while the distance medley relay team of Gaffney, Jen Povick, Hiller and Hannah Parks also finished second.

For the team's impressive showing and winning of the SoCon title, head coach John Weaver was named the Southern Conference Indoor Coach of the Year for the ninth time